The family of Cheryl Grimmer, a British girl who went missing in Australia over 50 years ago, has expressed intentions to publicly name a significant person of interest unless he chooses to respond to their inquiries. Cheryl, aged three at the time, disappeared from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong on January 12, 1970.
A suspect was previously charged with her abduction and murder, but the trial in 2019 was discontinued after a confession made when he was a teenager was ruled inadmissible. The suspect, referred to as “Mercury,” maintains his innocence. His identity is protected due to his minor status at the time, although a local politician has offered to disclose the name under parliamentary privilege to support the Grimmer family’s push for renewed investigation.
Cheryl’s brother, Ricki Nash, has indicated that Mercury has until Wednesday evening to approach the family, emphasizing the need for him to clarify how he obtained details that were part of his confession. On January 12, 1970, Cheryl was playing on the beach when she ran into the women’s changing rooms, and when her brother returned with their mother 90 seconds later, she was missing. The family had recently migrated to Australia from Bristol.
In 2017, police charged a man in his 60s with Cheryl’s kidnapping and murder, following the discovery of a confession from 1971. However, due to judicial ruling, this confession could not be used in court, leading to the charges being dropped. The Grimmer family has criticized the New South Wales authorities for not adequately addressing their requests for renewed investigations or inquests into Cheryl’s case.
NSW Police have stated that homicide detectives continue to investigate the case, noting the availability of a A$1 million reward for information. They recently reported that the comprehensive review of the case found no new evidence leading to a conviction, despite the emergence of potential eyewitnesses after the release of a true crime podcast in 2022. The family, dissatisfied with this response, is actively pursuing further investigations, including soil sample analyses, and has been involved in searches using cadaver detection dogs. Additionally, the NSW parliament has announced an inquiry into long-term missing persons cases, including that of Cheryl Grimmer.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1e374lgn0wo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss