Creature Remains Discovered in Hunt for Child Who Vanished 55 Years Ago
The "area of interest" identified in a community-driven search for the remains of a British child who vanished in Australia 55 years ago has turned out to be a false alarm, local authorities said.
A group of searchers who used cadaver detection dogs in the search for Cheryl Grimmer had believed their finding would represent a major development in the case, which has stayed a mystery since she disappeared in the year 1970, when she was three.
But bones that were uncovered in the location belong to an non-human creature, law enforcement said in response to questions, adding that the search had "ended."
Authorities believe Cheryl, who had moved from her UK hometown with her relatives, was taken from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in the start of 1970.
Recent Search Efforts
The recent operation happened in a local suburb, on a tiny section of woodland mentioned in a confession made by a young male.
In 2019, a court case of the suspect, known only by a alias, the pseudonym, who'd been charged with Cheryl's abduction and murder, ended abruptly. The man, in his sixties then, had rejected any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors later withdrew accusations against him as a judge excluded the statement he made as a juvenile.
Unsolved Case
Police have carried out numerous searches in the years since she went missing, but have found limited leads as to what happened to her.
Local officials have announced a one million Australian dollar reward for information on Cheryl's abduction and suspected murder.
Family's Perspective
Cheryl's brother Ricki, sixty-two, has openly discussed what he thinks are mistakes in the police investigation dating back to the day she disappeared.
Mr Nash was seven then. He last saw his sibling in the locker area at the beach on the date she vanished.
Community Action
A petition asking the local government to set up an inquiry into missing persons investigations handled by the police force, such as Cheryl's, collected more than ten thousand signatures this summer.
It was discussed in parliament, but in a letter responding to those who signed, officials made no commitment to conducting an review.
