'Armchair detectives' could play a crucial role in solving the Nicola Bulley missing person case, an expert has said. Locals with knowledge of 'little intricacies' could be crucial in distinguishing what happened to the mum-of-two, according to Detective Martyn Underhill - a veteran of 50 murder cases.
In efforts to assist in the search for the missing 45-year-old members of the public have flocked to St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire over the weekend. Bulley went missing on Friday January 27 while walking her dog in the village.
But public interest can have its down sides. Detective Martyn Underhill also urged cautioned as there is a risk that well-meaning people could accidentally destroy evidence.
READ MORE: 'Offensive' Nicola Bulley voicemail received amid spate of calls to council
Speaking to the Sky News Daily Podcast, he said: "The one thing I've learnt, and I've worked on 50 murders and I'm now lecturing on murders in university, is you cannot beat local knowledge. They know little intricacies - a little tree that's got a root that sticks out that someone will trip up on if they walked over it.
"It is silly things like that can become absolutely crucial in solving a murder or a missing person. You need armchair detectives."
The detective, who worked on the search for murdered eight-year-old Sarah Payne in 2000, continued: "We had over 1,000 people a day turning up trying to help find Sarah and over 500 psychics contacting us saying they want to help. The problems have got bigger since Sarah because of technology... The public literally stomp all over your evidence.
"Nine out of 10 missing people are solved by the public, not by the police. But equally, you have to manage that expectation.
"And I call it the tail wagging the dog. You have to have clear strategies in place that the public feel like they're being involved - [so] the armchair detectives don't feel rejected."
Mr Underhill gave a number of reasons why he thinks there is so much public interest in Nicola's disappearance: "One is the beautiful photo of Nicola standing in front of the river where she disappeared, which is ironic and eye-catching. Then you've got the mobile phone story which is really unusual - that she is actually meant to be engaged in a Teams phone call at the time she disappeared and her phone is still there.
"And then you have got the other public interest. The public always take an interest in animals. There's a beautiful dog found at the scene."
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