Tragic Nicola Bulley's tearful parents broke down on camera this evening as a BBC show unveiled the true extent of the misery "armchair detectives" inflicted on those who loved her.
Horrified viewers took to Twitter (X) to blast "destructive sociopaths" with "crackpot conspiracy theories" after footage was screened of social media influencers publicly accusing her partner Paul Ansell of causing her death.
One had yelled: "Get that guy in for questioning!", while another had insisted that, typically, "people are murdered by people they know".
A third cruelly trolled Paul in his time of distress by mockingly addressing him with the words: "She's gone off because she f*****g hates you!" Other TikTokkers implied that her partner must be guilty as he hadn't joined her parents in media interviews.
Then, when he did participate, dozens criminalised his "body language", insisting he must be hiding something related to the case. In fact, it later emerged that Nicola had died of "cold water shock" after falling accidentally into a river and that there had been no foul play - but irreparable damage had already been done.
One viewer tweeted: "Docu on #NicolaBulley demonstrates the damage that #ArmchairDetectives can do to families, communities, police investigations. There are a lot of sick people out there who just assume and decide that they are correct. Love to Nicola's family."
A second wrote: "Watching the search for #nicolabulley and the amount of crackpot conspiracy theory lunatics spouting total s*** on social media for attention and clicks when that family were suffering is abhorrent. #bbcone."
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"Every single person who posted a conspiracy theory should be hugely ashamed of themselves," echoed a third.
"These 'influencers' have no shame, no remorse. #NicolaBulley," chimed in another concerned viewer.
"Those f*****g TikTok people should be hanging their head in shame. I hope they are donating a s***load of their 'influencer' cash to a good cause of the Bulley family’s choice. #parasites."
"I think this show will just prove that Twatter and social media in general attracts destructive sociopaths who have f*** all else worthwhile going on in their lives that they try and destroy others," agreed someone else.
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"How can the police do their job with these clowns poking around, and throwing all kinds of off the wall theories around? #nicolabulley," another asked.
However, even the police were placed under scrutiny after it was alleged that they had changed a statement without the family's knowledge or prior consent, leaving her grieving loved ones "shocked".
There had been criticism over Nicola's mental health state and menopause status being made public, as well as details of her history of alcohol use.
Channel 5 host Dan Walker later expressed sympathy for the plight of survivors like Paul, with whom he'd stayed in touch, revealing: "It would be wrong for me to say they're doing okay because how can you be okay?
"The family are trying their best in impossible circumstances to live one day at a time and the kids are surviving in a world without their mum which must be heartbreakingly difficult to deal with every day."
The show this evening ended with the tears of Nicola's parents as they tried to contemplate a life without their bubbly and beautiful daughter, leaving viewers raging at how the case had been handled and calling for the "armchair detectives" to show remorse.
