Creature Bones Discovered in Search for Child Who Disappeared Fifty-Five Years Ago
A specific zone flagged in a volunteer-led investigation for the body of a British child who went missing in Australia fifty-five years ago has turned out to be a false alarm, local authorities said.
A volunteer team who used cadaver detection dogs in the quest for Cheryl Grimmer had hoped their finding would mark a breakthrough in the investigation, 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 area belong to an animal, law enforcement stated in reply to questions, noting that the search had "ended."
Authorities suspect Cheryl, who had moved from Bristol with her relatives, was taken from a coastal area in the city in January 1970.
Latest Investigation Steps
Thursday's search took place in a local suburb, on a small pocket of woodland referenced in a admission made by a young male.
In the year 2019, a court case of the suspect, known only by a codename, the pseudonym, who'd been charged with Cheryl's abduction and murder, collapsed. The man, in his 60s then, had rejected any wrongdoing.
Legal authorities later dropped accusations against him as a judge excluded the confession he made as a minor.
Ongoing Mystery
Police have carried out many investigations in the decades since she disappeared, but have uncovered few leads as to what happened to her.
NSW authorities have offered a one million Australian dollar incentive for information on Cheryl's abduction and suspected murder.
Family's Perspective
Her sibling Ricki Nash, 62, has openly discussed what he believes are mistakes in the police investigation going back to the time she went missing.
Mr Nash was seven then. He last saw his sister in the changing rooms at the beach on the day she disappeared.
Public Response
A formal request asking the state parliament to establish an inquiry into cases of disappeared individuals handled by the police force, such as Cheryl's, collected more than 10,000 supporters this summer.
It was debated in parliament, but in a letter addressing those who signed, officials made no commitment to holding an inquiry.
