‘Threat’ made after William Tyrrell vanished

Never-before-heard details of a strange phone call made soon after William Tyrrell disappeared can now be revealed, and it points towards an alarming truth.

EXCLUSIVE

A woman received an “anonymous threat” urging her to have an alibi for her partner for the morning William Tyrrell went missing, according to a person who reported the claims to Crime Stoppers.

The person who made the report in 2016 – just two years after William vanished – has told news.com.au he never heard back from police, saying the apparent disinterest in potentially “significant” information was “p*ss poor”.

“It’s been in my head for eight years or more,” John* said.

Missing boy William Tyrrell went missing in September 2014.

William was last seen in the town of Kendall, NSW.

“I’m just hoping it hasn’t been 10 years when this could have been something they followed up on and they haven’t.”

John came forward after news.com.au’s investigative podcast Witness: William Tyrrell revealed similar instances of potential witnesses not hearing from police after reports to Crime Stoppers.

Five people previously told news.com.au police failed to respond to their intel, including purported sightings of William and alleged observations of a car and driver about which detectives had previously appealed for information.

John said he felt compelled to contact Crime Stoppers after a conversation with a woman, Amy*, referencing William’s disappearance from the town of Kendall on September 12, 2014.

He said Amy had raised unprompted the case of the missing three-year-old and said: “I didn’t do anything”.

She went on to talk about her partner Matt*, who she claimed had been in Kendall on the day the boy was last seen, according to John.

“She said the day that the kid went missing, (Matt) had gone into Kendall (with a relative),” John said.

“They came back pissed as newts and were talking in code.”

A week after William went missing, John claims, Amy received a phone call from a person she did not recognise telling her she needed to have an alibi for her partner.

John said he reported this to Crime Stoppers in 2016 but did not hear back, and kept a written record of his call.

He said he followed up this tip weeks or months later “and they said they’d looked into it and there wasn’t a reason to follow up on it”.

“I thought it was p*ss poor. I thought ‘you guys are the ones to know’ [but] everyone I’ve mentioned it to seems to think it’s pretty significant,” he said.

“What got me was she just threw it at me – ‘I didn’t do anything’.

“It was nothing to do with what our conversation was about but she just felt a need to tell me she had nothing to do with William Tyrrell. And so I asked why?”

Crime Stoppers declined to comment due to operational reasons and the ongoing nature of the William Tyrrell investigation, which is under the purview of the NSW Homicide Squad’s Strike Force Rosann.

It is not common practice for Crime Stoppers to call or email back an informant, with police officers tasked to analyse tips received by the hotline, and follow up accordingly.

News.com.au has passed on John’s details to the NSW Coroner’s office, which is conducting an inquest into William’s disappearance due to restart on Monday.

He is among several readers who have contacted news.com.au since its story reporting on frustration of people who put in tips to Crime Stoppers relating to the Tyrrell case.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb this week said Crime Stoppers was a crucial asset for investigators. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

On Thursday the NSW Police and Crime Stoppers NSW marked the 35th anniversary of working in tandem, with Police Commissioner Karen Webb saying the hotline was “one of our most important tools in solving crime and keeping the community safe”.

“It is hard to quantify the difference it has made over the years, but there is no doubt it has been profound,” she said.

Homicide Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said Crime Stoppers was a vital tool in solving serious crimes such as murders.

“Our victims don’t have the ability to tell their story, share evidence or reach out to detectives. That is why the information that’s comes from the public is so important.”

NSW Crime Stoppers chief executive Peter Price AM said the organisation was “crucial to solving crime”.

“We are very proud of what has been achieved,” Mr Price said.

The foster mother of William Tyrrell (left) has spoken out about the investigation. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Strike Force Rosann detectives are now focusing their investigation on William’s foster mother, who has strongly denied any involvement.

She has not been charged with any offences relating to William.

The foster mother this month released a statement to news.com.au claiming investigators had “done nothing to try to discover who took William” for the past five years.

“I believe that if the police had properly investigated this case, instead of persecuting me, they may well have found the person responsible for William’s disappearance.”

*The names of John, Amy and Matt have been changed.