(CNN) The body of missing British mother Nicola Bulley was identified by British police on Monday, weeks after she disappeared while walking her dog in northern England in January.
Lancashire Police confirmed in a press conference on Monday that a body recovered from the River Wyre on Sunday, near where 45-year-old Bulley was last seen, belongs to her.
“Unfortunately we can now confirm that we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre yesterday,” Deputy Police Commissioner Peter Lawson told reporters.
“Nicola’s family has been informed and is of course devastated. Our thoughts are with them at this time, as well as with all their loved ones and the wider community,” he said.
The announcement caps a tumultuous and emotional few weeks, during which police investigations have faced widespread criticism of sexism and a social media frenzy over her disappearance has been mired in unsubstantiated claims and conspiracy theories.
Bulley, a mortgage advisor, went missing on Friday morning, January 27th. Police say she walked her dog after taking her two children to school.
A short time later, her dog was found wandering alone and her phone was discovered on a bench by the river, still logged on to a group call. But for three weeks, a search launched by Lancashire Police has yielded no results.
Lancashire Police said on February 20 they had identified Bulley’s body.
Lancashire Police Detective Chief Superintendent Pauline Stables on Monday read out a statement on behalf of Nicola’s family, saying the identification of the body had confirmed their “worst fears”. “We will never be able to understand what Nicky went through in her last moment,” it said.
“Our girls will get the support they need from the people they love the most. It saddens us to think that one day we will have to explain to them that the press and public have accused (and) misquoted their father of wrongdoing and slandered friends and family. This is absolutely appalling. They must be held accountable. This cannot happen to another family,” the statement added.
Lancashire Police officers have insisted throughout the inquiry that there is no evidence of third party involvement and their main working hypothesis remained that she fell in the River Wyre.
The case stunned the public and attracted widespread media attention, with police also – unusually – deciding to reveal that Bulley was struggling with drinking problems and menopause at the time of her disappearance.
Last week investigators saw harsh criticism from members of the public who they said are pedaling “enduring myths”.
Lancashire Police Superintendent Rebecca Smith told reporters on Wednesday that the social media frenzy had “significantly distracted” the investigation. “In 29 years of police service, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Smith said.
Social media users “playing private detective” and pedaling “persistent myths” on Tik Tok have “significantly distracted the investigation,” Smith told reporters last week.
The family also slammed journalists in their statement, calling some major UK media outlets “shameful” for making direct contact with the family when they “explicitly asked for privacy”.
Lancashire Police’s decision to release personal details about Bulley sparked widespread criticism, with many blaming the power of sexism. Even the government blasted the police, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman raising concerns about her handling of the case.
Stephanie Benyon, a friend of Bulley’s whose children attend the same school, previously told CNN that she is a “kind, loyal and thoughtful person who adores both of her girls, her family and her friends.” Bulley’s twelve-year-old partner Paul Ansell had described the situation as “eternal hell”.