Creature Bones Found in Search for Child Who Vanished 55 Years Ago
The "area of interest" flagged in a community-driven investigation for the remains of a British girl who went missing in Australia 55 years ago has turned out to be a false alarm, local authorities said.
A group of searchers who used specialized canines in the search for Cheryl Grimmer had believed their discovery would mark a breakthrough in the case, which has remained a mystery since she vanished in the year 1970, when she was just three years old.
But bones that were uncovered in the area belong to an non-human creature, police stated in reply to queries, noting that the search had "concluded."
Authorities suspect Cheryl, who had emigrated from Bristol with her family, was taken from a coastal area in Wollongong in the start of 1970.
Latest Investigation Steps
Thursday's search happened in a local suburb, on a tiny section of forest mentioned in a confession made by a young male.
In the year 2019, a trial of the accused, known only by a alias, the pseudonym, who'd been charged with the crimes against Cheryl, ended abruptly. The man, in his 60s then, had rejected any wrongdoing.
Legal authorities later withdrew charges against him as a court official excluded the confession he made as a minor.
Unsolved Case
Authorities have carried out numerous searches in the decades since she disappeared, but have uncovered limited leads as to what occurred to her.
Local officials have announced a A$1m reward for information on the case of Cheryl's disappearance and presumed death.
Family's Perspective
Cheryl's brother Ricki Nash, 62, has openly discussed what he thinks are errors in the official inquiry dating back to the time she disappeared.
Mr Nash was seven then. He last saw his sister in the locker area at Fairy Meadow on the date she disappeared.
Public Response
A formal request asking the local government to establish an investigation into missing persons investigations handled by NSW Police, such as Cheryl's, gathered more than ten thousand signatures this season.
It was discussed in the legislature, but in a response responding to those who signed, officials made no promise to conducting an inquiry.
