Animal Bones Discovered in Hunt for Girl Who Vanished Fifty-Five Years Ago
The "area of interest" identified in a volunteer-led investigation for the remains of a English girl who vanished in Australia 55 years ago has turned out to be a false alarm, local authorities confirmed.
A volunteer team who used cadaver detection dogs in the search for Cheryl Grimmer had believed their finding would represent a breakthrough in the case, which has stayed a unsolved puzzle since she vanished in 1970, when she was just three years old.
But bones that were uncovered in the location are from an non-human creature, police said in reply to questions, adding that the search had "concluded."
Authorities suspect Cheryl, who had moved from her UK hometown with her relatives, was taken from Fairy Meadow beach in the city in January 1970.
Latest Investigation Steps
The recent operation took place in Balgownie, on a small pocket of woodland referenced in a confession made by a teenage boy.
In 2019, a court case of the suspect, known only by a codename, the pseudonym, who'd been charged with Cheryl's abduction and murder, ended abruptly. The man, in his 60s then, had rejected any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors later withdrew accusations against him as a judge excluded the statement he made as a minor.
Ongoing Mystery
Authorities have conducted many investigations in the decades since Cheryl went missing, but have found few leads as to what occurred to her.
NSW authorities have announced a A$1m incentive for tips on Cheryl's abduction and suspected murder.
Relatives' Views
Cheryl's brother Ricki Nash, 62, has publicly highlighted what he thinks are mistakes in the police investigation dating back to the time she went missing.
He was seven years old then. He last saw his sibling in the changing rooms at Fairy Meadow on the day she disappeared.
Community Action
A formal request asking the local government to establish an investigation into missing persons investigations handled by NSW Police, such as this one, collected more than 10,000 supporters this summer.
It was debated in the legislature, but in a letter addressing those who signed, officials made no promise to conducting an inquiry.