William Tyrrell (born 26 June 2011) is an Australian boy who disappeared at the age of three from
Kendall,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, on 12 September 2014. He had been playing at his
foster grandmother's house with his sister, and was wearing a
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
suit at the time of his disappearance.
For the first seven years of the investigation, Tyrrell was believed to have been
abducted. On 12 September 2016, a
reward
Reward may refer to:
Places
* Reward (Shelltown, Maryland), a historic home in Shelltown Maryland
* Reward, California (disambiguation)
* Reward-Tilden's Farm, a historic home in Chestertown Maryland
Arts, entertainment, and media
* "Rewa ...
of was offered for the recovery of Tyrrell and did not require the arrest, charging or conviction of any person or persons.
On 15 November 2021, after receiving new evidence, the
New South Wales Police Force
The New South Wales Police Force (NSW Police Force; previously the New South Wales Police Service and New South Wales Police) is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Divided into Police Area Commands (P ...
renewed the search for Tyrrell in three areas surrounding Kendall, assuming that they were searching for human remains. On 17 November, major media reported that Tyrrell's foster mother and now-deceased foster grandmother were being treated as
persons of interest
"Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no le ...
in his disappearance. The police began investigating the possibility of a fall from a balcony on the property.
Disappearance
On 11 September 2014, three-year-old William Tyrrell, his foster parents, and his five-year-old sister travelled four hours from
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
to visit his foster grandmother in Kendall. His foster grandmother's house on Benaroon Drive is directly across a bush road from the Kendall State Forest, about south of
Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea co ...
.
Between 10:00 and 10:25 am on 12 September, Tyrrell and his sister were playing
hide-and-seek
Hide-and-seek (sometimes known as hide-and-go-seek) is a popular children's game in which at least two players (usually at least three) conceal themselves in a set environment, to be found by one or more seekers. The game is played by one chose ...
in the front and back yard, while his foster mother and foster grandmother were sitting outside watching them. His foster mother went inside to make a cup of tea; she became worried after she had not heard him for five minutes and began searching the yard and house. Shortly after, Tyrrell's foster father returned after going to Lakewood on business and began searching the street and door-knocking neighbours.
At 10:56, Tyrell's foster mother phoned
000 emergency services to report him missing. The
New South Wales Police Force
The New South Wales Police Force (NSW Police Force; previously the New South Wales Police Service and New South Wales Police) is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Divided into Police Area Commands (P ...
arrived at 11:06. His foster mother's last memory was that Tyrrell was imitating a tiger's roar while running towards the side of the home, and then there was silence and he had disappeared. His foster mother looked for him but without success.
Investigation
Initial search efforts
Hundreds of police, members of the
State Emergency Service
The State Emergency Service (SES) is the name used by a number of organisations in Australia that provide assistance during and after major incidents. Specifically, the service deals with floods, storms and tsunamis, but can also assist in oth ...
and the
Rural Fire Service, and members of the community searched day and night for Tyrrell. Specialist police, including the
sex crime
Sex and the law deals with the regulation by law of human sexual activity. Sex laws vary from one place or jurisdiction to another, and have varied over time. Unlawful sexual acts are called sex crimes.
Some laws regarding sexual activity are ...
s squad from Strike Force, became involved. Motorcycles and helicopters were brought in to search. Two hundred volunteers searched overnight, hundreds of people combed rugged terrain around the home and police divers searched waterways and dams. Police searched every house in the estate that surrounds Benaroon Drive several times.
Detection dogs were brought in and managed to detect Tyrrell's
scent
An odor (American English) or odour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds that are generally found in low concentrations that humans and animals can perceive via their sense ...
, but only within the boundaries of the backyard.
"Strike Force Rosann" was established with specially trained investigators from the
State Crime Command who were experienced in the unexplained disappearance of young children. They supported the police, other emergency services workers and members of the public involved in the search. After five days, police said they were unable to come up with any leads.
Sighted vehicles
Police later began investigations into finding the drivers of two cars that were seen parked on the dead-end road on the morning Tyrrell disappeared. The cars, described as a white
station wagon
A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...
and an older-style grey
sedan, were parked between two
driveways
A driveway (also called ''drive'' in UK English) is a type of private road for local access to one or a small group of structures, and is owned and maintained by an individual or group.
Driveways rarely have traffic lights, but some that bear ...
of the acre lot of land. They were seen with their driver's side windows down and were unknown in a neighbourhood where locals were considered friends.
These cars were noticed by Tyrrell's foster mother and have not been seen again since the time he disappeared. The police regard these particular vehicles with suspicion, as there seemed to be no logical reason why they would be parked on the street before Tyrrell's disappearance.
Reportedly, at 9:00 am, a green or grey sedan car drove past the Benaroon Drive residence while Tyrrell and his sister were riding bikes in the driveway. The car drove into the
no through road
No (and variant writings) may refer to one of these articles:
English language
* ''Yes'' and ''no'' (responses)
* A determiner in noun phrases
Alphanumeric symbols
* No (kana), a letter/syllable in Japanese script
* No symbol, displayed ðŸ ...
, did a
U-turn
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a m ...
in the neighbour's driveway and drove out of the street. Secondly, another
4WD was sighted driving out of Benaroon Drive at about 10:30 am, about the time Tyrrell disappeared. The same vehicle was later seen speeding down another Kendall street. The police said that they have known about these cars since the investigation started. However, as part of investigative strategy, the information about these vehicles was not released to the public until twelve months after Tyrrell disappeared.
Suspected paedophile ring
Police cleared Tyrrell's family of any involvement in the disappearance and initially believed the boy was abducted by an
opportunistic stranger who may have a connection with a
paedophile
Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty a ...
ring. Police also believed that the boy could be alive in the hands of a group of people suspected of paedophile activity, but it was eventually determined that the kidnapper was a member of a paedophile ring.
Investigators have interviewed dozens of people, including a number of paedophiles. ''
A Current Affair
''A Current Affair'' may refer to:
* ''A Current Affair'' (Australian TV program), 1971–present Australian current affairs program that airs on Nine Network
* ''A Current Affair'' (American TV program), a 1986–1998 American television news ...
'' reported that about twenty registered
sex offenders
A sex offender (sexual offender, sex abuser, or sexual abuser) is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and legal jurisdiction. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crime ...
were living in the surrounding area of Kendall where Tyrrell went missing.
Two
persons of interest
"Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no le ...
in the case, both convicted child sex offenders, may have met up on the day Tyrrell vanished. The family of one paedophile, who had ninety convictions against his name including
aggravated
Aggravation, in law, is "any circumstance attending the commission of a crime or tort which increases its guilt or enormity or adds to its injurious consequences, but which is above and beyond the essential constituents of the crime or tort itself. ...
indecent assault
Indecent assault is an offence of aggravated assault in some common law-based jurisdictions. It is characterised as a sex crime and has significant overlap with offences referred to as sexual assault.
England and Wales
Indecent assault was a broad ...
of a minor, said he was going to visit another child sex offender on that day and returned home drunk that afternoon, but told police he spent that day in the bush collecting scrap metal. It was reported that both men lived in the Kendall area and had been driving vehicles that matched the description of the grey sedan and white station wagon that had been seen near the Benaroon Drive residence around the time Tyrell disappeared. They also had been members of an organisation called GAPA (Grandparents As Parents Again) and were friends.
The pair were both questioned by the police and categorically denied being friends, or having any involvement in the disappearance.
Another man who repaired a washing machine at the Benaroon Drive residence faced unrelated historical child sex charges in
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
and was due to appear in court on 4 July 2016. The police had charged the man with multiple child sexual offences, including various counts of indecent assault and sexual intercourse with children between 1983 and 1985 in Victoria. The man posted an online video in September 2015 denying any involvement in the Tyrrell disappearance and was not present on Benaroon Drive on the day the boy vanished.
It was eventually confirmed that the man had been elsewhere on the morning of the disappearance, and all of the charges relating to historical offences were dropped or dismissed. The man sued the New South Wales Police Force for
damages
At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognised at ...
in relation to misfeasance in public office, abuse of process and
malicious prosecution
Malicious prosecution is a common law intentional tort. Like the tort of abuse of process, its elements include (1) intentionally (and maliciously) instituting and pursuing (or causing to be instituted or pursued) a legal action (civil or criminal ...
. In December of 2022, the Supreme Court of New South Wales awarded him $1.48 million damages plus interest finding that Lead detective Gary Jubelin's pursuit of him was 'malicious' and that fabricated historical sex crimes had been brought with the sole purpose of pressuring the suspect into confessing to the Tyrrell disappearance.
Reported sightings
More than 1,000 suspected sightings were reported to the investigation team in the two years after Tyrrell disappeared.
They include a photo taken of a man and a young boy from
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, the latter of whom looked strikingly similar to Tyrrell. However, twenty-four hours later, police received another call to confirm that the boy was not him. In early 2015, two passengers and a member of a New Zealand-bound flight crew thought they saw Tyrrell on their aeroplane. The police met the aircraft at the airport and soon discovered it was not him.
Another photo showed a young boy and a woman in a
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
restaurant in central Queensland. The boy looked similar to Tyrrell, and the woman who was with the boy looked like his grandmother; police later confirmed that the mother and boy were not them.
Later developments
Strike Force Rosann
On 16 September 2014, Strike Force Rosann was established to investigate Tyrrell's disappearance. It consisted of fourteen detectives and analysts working full-time to solve the case. The team also sifted through hundreds of pieces of information pouring in from the public. The ramped-up investigation came after a personal plea from Tyrrell's parents to members of State Parliament, Deputy Premier and
Minister for Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
, at a private event in late 2015. The family spokesperson said that "They just want to reinforce that police believe he could still be alive and they're just asking members of the public not to give up on him."
The investigation became the state's largest, involving dozens of analysts, investigators and two strike forces: Rosann, run by the Homicide Squad, and Rosann Two, which provided assistance from the Armed Holdup, Sex Crimes and Fraud Squads.
One million dollar reward
On 12 September 2016, the second anniversary of Tyrrell's disappearance, the
NSW government
The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of New South Wales. It is currently held by a coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party. The Governmen ...
announced a $1 million reward for information on his whereabouts. The police say that the reward will usually be paid out as conditional on the arrest and conviction of the offender, but the recovery of Tyrrell had been added as a condition on this reward. It is the largest ever reward offered to find a missing person in NSW's history and double the amount of the state's previously highest standing reward of $500,000, attached to the 1999 case of murdered teenager
Michelle Bright.
Case data
The case has led to a record number of over 2,800 calls to NSW Crime Stoppers alone since Tyrrell disappeared.
The police have interviewed more than 1,000 people in connection with the case. There have been 11,000 documents created by the police.
The search has gone global as far as Europe and the US. Crime Stoppers websites in up to 26 countries have been asked by the
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the Australian Government with the unique role of investigating crime and protecting the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. Th ...
to post an appeal for information about the case.
The police have identified 690 persons of interest to their inquiry and have called in other specialist squads within the State Crime Command to investigate many such persons as low-priority targets so that the rest are being questioned by "Strike Force Rosann". ''
The Australian
''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...
'' reported that it is possible detectives have already interviewed the person or persons involved.
2018 search
On 12 June 2018, police announced that they will undertake a "large-scale forensic search" in bushland around Kendall, which will last for three to four weeks and be run by search experts from the
Public Order and Riot Squad
The Public Order and Riot Squad (PORS) is the full-time riot squad of the New South Wales Police Force. PORS reports via the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command to the Deputy Commissioner Investigations and Counter Terrorism.
History
...
.
2021 search for remains
On 15 November 2021, NSW police announced that they had received new evidence and were renewing the search for Tyrrell in three regions surrounding the town of
Kendall, this time with the assumption that they would be finding his remains.
Parents, legal matters and criticism
Tyrrell was in foster care at the time of his disappearance which prevented his biological parents from being named for legal reasons. The legal reasons bound by the legislation prevented them being identified publicly or holding any press conferences for the purpose of appealing publicly about their missing son.
On 24 August 2017, the New South Wales Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that Tyrrell's status as a
foster child
Foster care is a system in which a underage, minor has been placed into a ward (law), ward, group home (Residential Child Care Community, residential child care community, Treatment centre, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-ce ...
and the fact he disappeared while in state care with foster parents was "one of legitimate public interest". His parents were previously allowed to speak during a ''
60 Minutes
''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique styl ...
'' interview on the condition that they did not show their faces.
The father of murdered teenager
Daniel Morcombe
Daniel James Morcombe (19 December 1989 – 7 December 2003) was an Australian boy who was abducted from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland on 7 December 2003 when he was 13 years old. Eight years later, Brett Peter Cowan (born 18 September 1969), ...
had criticised the NSW government's refusal to allow Tyrrell's parents to speak publicly about their son's disappearance as it was vital in helping to generate information that was then followed up by the police. They also feared the decision may have hindered the police investigation during the crucial weeks following Tyrrell's disappearance. But the NSW government released a statement saying its "key priority is to always act in the interests of the safety and wellbeing of children and not in any way to jeopardise ongoing police investigations".
Current status
Despite various search efforts and
forensic testing, police do not know what happened to Tyrrell.
In June 2015, Detective Inspector Gary Jubelin commented that the investigation into the disappearance of Tyrrell remains a priority for the NSW Police Force and said that the investigators would treat the case as though he was alive, until they had evidence proving otherwise.
On 20 February 2016, a police spokesperson said that the ongoing investigation was one of the biggest investigations being run by homicide and that they have not given up hope of finding Tyrrell alive.
On 15 November 2021, Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett stated that "It's highly likely that if we found something it would be a body. We are looking for the remains of William Tyrrell, no doubt about that".
In April 2022, Tyrrell's foster mother was charged with
giving false or misleading information about the boy’s disappearance to a
NSW Crime Commission
The New South Wales Crime Commission is a statutory corporation of the Government of New South Wales. It is constituted by the Crime Commission Act 2012, the object of which is to reduce the incidence of organised crime and other serious crime ...
hearing. She was found not guilty in November 2022.
See also
*
Murder of Tiahleigh Palmer
Tiahleigh Alyssa Rose Palmer (sometimes known as Tia or Tiah) was a 12-year-old Australian girl who lived in Logan City, Queensland. She was murdered on 30 October 2015. Her remains were found six days later and her foster father, Rick Thorbur ...
*
Disappearance of Cleo Smith
Cleo Smith, a four-year-old Australian girl, disappeared on 16 October 2021 from a campsite in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia (WA). Police allege that she was abducted by a 36-year-old man from Carnarvon. She was found alive and we ...
*
Murder of Daniel Morcombe
*
List of people who disappeared
Lists of people who disappeared include those whose current whereabouts are unknown, or whose deaths are unsubstantiated. Many people who disappear are eventually declared dead ''in absentia''. Some of these people were possibly subjected to enfo ...
References
External links
Where's William? website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyrrell, William
2014 in Australia
2010s missing person cases
Crime in New South Wales
Missing Australian children
September 2014 events in Australia