Animal Bones Found in Search for Child Who Disappeared 55 Years Ago
A specific zone identified in a community-driven search for the remains of a British child who vanished in Australia 55 years ago has proven to be a mistaken lead, New South Wales Police confirmed.
A group of searchers who used cadaver detection dogs in the search for the missing child had believed their discovery would represent a breakthrough in the investigation, which has stayed a unsolved puzzle since she disappeared in 1970, when she was just three years old.
But bones that were uncovered in the location belong to an non-human creature, police said in response to queries, adding that the search had "ended."
Authorities believe the young girl, who had emigrated from Bristol with her family, was abducted from a coastal area in Wollongong in January 1970.
Recent Search Efforts
The recent operation happened in a local suburb, on a tiny section of forest referenced 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 indicted with the crimes against Cheryl, ended abruptly. The man, in his 60s then, had rejected any involvement.
Legal authorities later withdrew charges against him as a court official excluded the confession he made as a minor.
Ongoing Mystery
Authorities have carried out many searches in the years since she went missing, but have found few clues as to what happened to her.
NSW authorities have announced a one million Australian dollar reward for tips on Cheryl's abduction and suspected murder.
Family's Perspective
Her sibling Ricki, 62, has openly discussed what he believes are mistakes in the official inquiry dating back to the time she went missing.
He was seven then. He final sighting of his sister in the locker area at Fairy Meadow on the day she vanished.
Public Response
A petition asking the local government to set up an inquiry into cases of disappeared individuals handled by NSW Police, such as this one, gathered more than ten thousand signatures this season.
It was discussed in the legislature, but in a letter responding to petitioners, officials made no promise to holding an review.
