Four-week search for missing boy begins with 50 officers going over dense bushland area
THE sound of chainsaws this morning opened day two of the bushland search where William Tyrrell disappeared nearly four years ago..
NSW
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THE sound of chainsaws this morning opened day two of the bushland search where William Tyrrell disappeared nearly four years ago.
State Emergency Services crews have joined specialist police to help cut through dense undergrowth so a forensic search can cover every inch of a 3sqkm area around the former home of William’s foster grandmother in the mid north coast town of Kendall.
MORE: William Tyrrell’s dad breaks his silence
Police will examine bags of “objects foreign to the area”, understood to include a toy, pulled from the bush yesterday to determine whether they have any connection to William.
Police have vowed they will not give up searching for the little boy.
“Until we know conclusively that William is not alive, we will treat it with the possibility that he still is alive — but obviously we do have grave concerns,” Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin said.
A four-week search began with more than 50 Public Order and Riot Squad officers digging their way through dense undergrowth on the mid-north coast.
They emerged at one point with evidence bags, saying they were “erring on the side of caution” by retrieving a number of items.
Three-year-old William was wearing a Spider-Man suit while playing outside his grandmother’s Kendall home when his giggles fell silent about 10.30am on September 12, 2014.
Hundreds of police and volunteers searched 18 sqkm around the town in what police said was a search for a “lost little boy”.
This latest search of just 3 sqkm is a police-only forensic investigation to find evidence about what happened to William.
“The purpose of this is so if we present evidence to a court, whether that be the coroner’s court or criminal court … that we can show beyond reasonable doubt that William’s disappearance was a result of human intervention and not through misadventure,” Insp Jubelin said.
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It could be the last bid to find William before the case is referred to the coroner, with Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame expected to visit the search this week.
“I don’t want this to be interpreted as the investigation coming to an end, we are committed to finding out what’s happened to William,” Insp Jubelin said.
Officers and sniffer dogs were fitted with tracking devices to meticulously map the ground covered.
Insp Jubelin said police had a list of suspects and appealed for anyone with information to speak up.
“I dare say that with the intense interest in William’s disappearance that someone watching this now might be feeling very uncomfortable,” he said.
“And if someone close to that person notices that, that’s the type of information we’d be seeking.
“We’re mindful it’s over 3½ years since William disappeared and we haven’t solved this matter. We’re going to continue on until we do solve this matter.”
William Tyrrell timeline
2014
SEPTEMBER 21 — Police stop searching for the missing boy after scouring surrounding bushland and neighbouring houses.
2015
JANUARY 20 — Police search the home and business of a washing machine repairman, who had been due to carry out repairs at the Kendall house at the time the boy disappeared.
JANUARY 23 — The washing machine repairman publicly denies any involvement in William’s disappearance and no charges have been laid against him.
FEBRUARY 19 — Homicide detectives take over the case and say it’s likely William was abducted.
MARCH 2 — Police search bushland near Bonny Hills for three days after a tip-off.
APRIL 17 — William’s foster parents speak publicly for the first time in an emotional video released through police which does not identify them.
APRIL 17 — Police say the boy may have been a victim of a paedophile ring.
SEPTEMBER 12 — “Where’s William” week is launched one year after he disappeared.
2016
SEPTEMBER 12 — A $1 million reward is offered for information leading to William’s return.
2017
AUGUST 24 — William’s foster child status is revealed after a court ruling.
2018
JUNE 12 — NSW Police announce the start of a four-week forensic search of bushland in Kendall.
Detectives and analysts from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding William’s disappearance under Strike Force Rosann.
The search is expected to last at least four weeks.
