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What happened to the little boy in the Spiderman costume?
Duncan McNab, Crime Editor
Tuesday, 25 June 2019 7:45 am
William Tyrrell disappeared on 14 September 2014 from his foster grandmother's home in Kendall, NSW. Credit: AAP/AAP
It's a photograph that haunts us all - a delighted three-year-old William Tyrell in his vivid red Spiderman outfit.
And today a new inquest begins at the Coroner's Court in New South Wales with one goal: to find out what happened to the innocent three-year-old boy who vanished in September, 2014.
It's expected that one 'mystery man' – who has never been publicly reported about before – will be the centre of attention.
Frustratingly, despite hundreds of polices interviews and several persons of interest being identified, no charges have been laid in relation to the young boys disappearance.
This inquest could change all of that.
WHAT HAPPENED TO WILLIAM?
William had lived with his sister and foster parents since he was nine months old.
William was last seen around 10:30am, playing in the yard of the Benaroon Drive home that is close to a forest.
The people of Kendall responded rapidly to news William's disappearance with residents, police and emergency services scouring the town, farms, forest and the rivers before nightfall, but there was no trace of the little boy.
Police quickly assumed the worst – William hadn't wandered off on an adventure, he'd been kidnapped.
Strike Force Rosann was set up to spearhead the investigation. Rosann was led by Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin, and was one of the largest investigations in NSW history utilising not only detectives and analysts but also the force's senior forensic psychologist.
Over the next two years there were around 3,000 calls to Crime Stoppers and around 1,000 alleged sightings of William in NSW and around 300 interstate and overseas.
Each sliver of information was followed up in the hope of that eureka moment in an investigation, but sadly that moment remains elusive.
REWARD REMAINS UNCLAIMED
On the second anniversary of William's disappearance the NSW Government announced a $1 million reward for information that leads to finding William.
The reward remains unclaimed and is one of seven $1 million rewards in NSW. At the announcement Gary Jubelin said, 'William's disappearance has left a noticeable mark on the whole community and, as the lead investigator, I will say that we are frustrated, but that frustration is driving us, and each and every member of the team is committed to reaching a resolution.'
In July 2018, following information they'd received, police conducted a month long meticulous search of bush land near Kendall, but the search was unsuccessful.
A Coronial Inquest run by Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame into William's disappearance and suspected will begin today at the new Coroner's Court in Lidcombe.
Cases like William's are referred to the Coroner when the police officer in charge of the investigation is satisfied 'no further enquiries can be made as to whether a missing person is alive or deceased.'
Over the coming days the Inquest will hear evidence from William's family and those close to him, followed by evidence from the police investigation including the possibility that William was targeted and abducted by a predator or predators.
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