Creature Remains Found in Search for Girl Who Vanished 55 Years Ago
The "area of interest" identified in a volunteer-led search for the remains of a British child who went missing in the land down under 55 years ago has proven to be a mistaken lead, local authorities confirmed.
A volunteer team who used specialized canines in the search for Cheryl Grimmer had believed their finding would represent a major development in the case, which has stayed a mystery since she disappeared in 1970, when she was three.
But skeletal fragments that were uncovered in the area belong to an animal, police said in response to queries, noting that the operation had "ended."
Investigators believe the young girl, who had moved from Bristol with her family, was abducted from a coastal area in the city in the start of 1970.
Latest Investigation Steps
The recent operation took place in Balgownie, on a small pocket of forest mentioned in a admission made by a young male.
In the year 2019, a court case of the suspect, known only by a codename, Mercury, who'd been indicted with the crimes against Cheryl, ended abruptly. The man, in his 60s then, had rejected any wrongdoing.
Legal authorities later dropped charges against him as a court official disallowed the statement he made as a minor.
Ongoing Mystery
Police have conducted numerous investigations in the decades since Cheryl went missing, but have uncovered limited clues as to what occurred to her.
NSW authorities have announced a A$1m incentive for tips on Cheryl's abduction and suspected murder.
Relatives' Views
Her sibling Ricki Nash, sixty-two, has openly discussed what he believes are errors in the police investigation dating back to the day she went missing.
Mr Nash was seven then. He final sighting of his sister in the changing rooms at the beach on the day she vanished.
Public Response
A formal request asking the local government to establish an inquiry into cases of disappeared individuals handled by NSW Police, such as Cheryl's, collected more than 10,000 supporters this season.
It was debated in parliament, but in a response responding to those who signed, officials made no commitment to conducting an review.
