Former William Tyrrell detective Gary Jubelin defends foster mother

The former lead detective in the William Tyrrell case has defended the missing toddler’s foster mother while conceding his team did not investigate a now seized Mazda.

The former lead detective in the William Tyrrell investigation has defended the missing toddler’s foster mum after police narrowed their probe to her as the sole suspect in the case.

Gary Jubelin, who was in charge of the investigation into William’s disappearance from early 2015 until 2019, publicly defended the boy’s foster family on Thursday, shutting down a new line of inquiry that his carers could have been responsible.

During a wide-ranging interview on breakfast radio, Mr Jubelin called William’s foster mother a “very decent human being.”

Gary Jubelin. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“It’s a strange relationship when you’re investigating a crime … friendship, you could define it as friendship but it’s a relationship built on professional association,” Mr Jubelin told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

”My impression is that she’s a very decent human being … I’m always looking out for something suspicious but I’ve got to say I have not picked up on that.”

He later added: “There’s no evidence that concerns me that the foster mother or foster father were involved in William’s disappearance … if that’s changed, I’m not aware of it.”

“I saw no signs of William’s (foster) mother being involved in it.”

Mr Jubelin revealed he had “interrogated” the family, including planting a listening device in their car, but nothing had come of it.

“They were eliminated (as suspects),” he said.

William disappeared from his foster grandmother’s Kendall home on the morning of September 12, 2014.

Police on Wednesday at one of several search sites in Kendall.

Police searching for clues.

The newest search site is 1km from the Kendall home William disappeared from. Picture: Mick Tsikas

There is no suggestion the foster mother is guilty and no charges have been laid, but police are investigating.

Mr Jubelin also revealed his investigation team hadn’t examined the Mazda seized by investigators from Gymea earlier this week, which once belonged to William’s foster grandmother.

“I don’t recall us examining (the Mazda),” he said.

He also shut down a theory that the three-year-old had fallen from the balcony of his foster grandmother’s Kendall home, claiming it had already been looked into and a theory surrounding the toddler’s shoes.

The Mazda which once belonged to William’s foster grandmother.

“We investigated every theory, if he died of an accident, if William was run over on the driveway or fell over and hit his head on a rock or fell off the balcony … that was the most obvious place, it was looked at.”

“The shoe issue was raised and I believe that was one of the things that was explored when I went back to the parents and interrogated them … the shoes weren’t on at the time of the photo but William was capable of putting the shoes on … these type of things create suspicion but you might find there’s nothing in it.”

The photo of barefoot William.

Mr Jubelin also hit back at claims from Police Commissioner Mick Fuller earlier this week that time had been “wasted” investigating suspects who were found to have no link to William’s disappearance, and that the investigation was “a shambles”.

“There’s criticism that came out from the commissioner that we were chasing people that prove to be not suspects, what frustrates me about that is a lack of understanding of what a homicide investigation is. Homicide is about exploring all the possibilities, you have to investigate everyone,” Mr Jubelin said.

“I take issue when I hear comments that the investigation was in shambles … there was not one ounce of criticism in the whole four years I ran that investigation.”

He added he found it “strange” so much of the investigation into William was becoming public, but urged the public to resist the temptation to be “armchair detectives”.

“The way it’s playing out publicly is a bit strange … nominating one suspect is unusual.

“I do hope they get a breakthrough … and I caution everyone to just take a step back and stop being armchair detectives. There’s a lot of speculation.”