Animal Remains Found in Hunt for Girl Who Vanished 55 Years Ago
A specific zone identified in a volunteer-led investigation for the body of a British child who vanished in the land down under fifty-five years ago has proven to be a mistaken lead, local authorities said.
A group of searchers who used cadaver detection dogs in the quest for Cheryl Grimmer had believed their finding would represent a major development in the investigation, which has stayed a unsolved puzzle since she disappeared in the year 1970, when she was three.
But skeletal fragments that were found in the location belong to an non-human creature, law enforcement said in response to questions, noting that the operation had "ended."
Investigators believe Cheryl, who had moved from Bristol with her family, was abducted from a coastal area in the city in January 1970.
Latest Investigation Steps
Thursday's search took place in a local suburb, on a tiny section of forest referenced in a confession made by a young male.
In 2019, a trial of the accused, known only by a alias, Mercury, who'd been charged with the crimes against Cheryl, collapsed. The man, in his 60s then, had denied any involvement.
Legal authorities later dropped accusations against him as a court official excluded the confession he made as a juvenile.
Unsolved Case
Authorities have conducted many searches in the decades since she disappeared, but have found few leads as to what occurred to her.
Local officials have announced a one million Australian dollar incentive for information on the case of Cheryl's disappearance and presumed death.
Relatives' Views
Cheryl's brother Ricki, 62, has publicly highlighted what he thinks are errors in the official inquiry dating back to the day she disappeared.
Mr Nash was seven years old then. He final sighting of his sibling in the changing rooms at Fairy Meadow on the date she vanished.
Public Response
A petition asking the local government to set up an inquiry into cases of disappeared individuals overseen by NSW Police, such as Cheryl's, gathered more than 10,000 signatures this summer.
It was discussed in parliament, but in a letter addressing those who signed, officials made no commitment to holding an review.
