An officer’s keen eye helped solve Daniel Morcombe’s disappearance eight years after the 13-year-old suddenly vanished from a bus stop – and a similar find could help track down William Tyrrell.
During a renewed search for the Sunshine Coast boy at the Glasshouse Mountains in 2011, the officer spotted a simple black thread in the bushland.
The thread helped lead the police to Daniel’s bones, which were found buried beneath leaf and soil at the Glasshouse Mountains, and ultimately helped to convict his killer Brett Peter Cowan.
Forensic investigators will be looking for articles of clothing as they set off on a renewed search for missing boy William Tyrrell in bushland on the New South Wales mid-north coast this week.
William Tyrrell (left) went missing in 2014, and Daniel Morcombe (right) went missing in 2003 before his bones were found in 2011
The thread helped lead the police to Daniel’s clothes (pictured) and bones, which were found buried beneath leaf and soil at the Glasshouse Mountains in 2011
William was just three-years-old when he went missing from his foster grandmother’s home on Benaroon Drive in Kendall, New South Wales, on Friday, September 12, 2014.
Over the ten days that followed, hundreds of local residents and emergency services workers combined to search the rural township for the young boy: looking in forests, creeks and paddocks.
William was not found, and the search did not uncover any evidence relevant to his disappearance.
Almost four years later, police investigations into the boy’s disappearance continue.
Detectives and analysts from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the young boy’s disappearance under Strike Force Rosann.
Lead investigator Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin said at Kendall on Wednesday authorities hold ‘grave fears’ over finding William alive.
‘It has been a very long time,’ he said.
An intense four-week search by forensic crews has begun in bushland on the NSW mid-north coast for missing boy William Tyrrell
For the next four weeks, teams of experts, along with hundreds of emergency services workers, will conduct a sweep of the area from which William vanished
Officers are pictured as they start the new large- scale forensic search for the missing boy, who would soon turn seven
Lead investigator Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin said at Kendall on Wednesday authorities hold ‘grave fears’ over finding William alive
The then three-year-old boy disappeared from hid foster grandmother’s home (pictured) in 2014. He hasn’t been seen since
Det Insp Jubelin believes people do know what happened to the boy and reiterated the $1 million reward for information leading to William’s recovery. Police are pictured at the scene on Wednesday
Police have confirmed there were still persons of interest over the disappearance, but would not detail how many or who they were
Police believe there are people who have information over Williams disappearance who are yet to come forward
Lead investigator Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin is pictured at the scene beside a police bus on Wednesday
The initial search focused only on finding ‘a little boy lost’, Det Insp Jubelin said.
‘The purpose of this is that so if we present evidence to a court, we can show beyond reasonable doubt that Williams disappearance was a result of human intervention and not through misadventure.’
Det Insp Jubelin believes people do know what happened to the boy and reiterated the $1 million reward for information leading to William’s recovery.
‘I strongly believe that there are people out there who have information on this and I want to make a point to those people that if you do have information concerning what happened to William, you are committing an offence if you do not come forward.’
He confirmed there were still persons of interest, but would not detail how many or who they were.
William was playing in the yard of his foster grandmother’s home when he vanished.
Hundreds of locals and emergency services workers spent 10 days looking for him in the rural township, forests, creeks and paddocks to no avail.
On the two-year anniversary of William’s disappearance, New South Wales Police announced a $1million reward for information leading to his return
Dozens of police are seen combing the thick bushland during the new forensic search on Wednesday morning
The boy was playing in the yard of his foster grandmother’s home when he vanished. Above, police at the search site
Dozens of police officers are pictured at the search site near Kendall on Wednesday morning
The new search will coincide with William’s seventh birthday in two weeks’ time.
His foster family have never given up hope of finding William, and on Wednesday posted a message to social media.
‘Today marks 1370 heartbreaking days since William disappeared,’ the post read.
‘William’s loved ones are, and will forever be indebted to the tremendous ongoing commitment of NSW Police; in particular, Strike Force Rosann who have been absolutely relentless in their ongoing investigation in the search.
‘Today marks 1370 heartbreaking days since William disappeared,’ a social media post (pictured) read on Wednesday morning
‘William’s loved ones are, and will forever be indebted to the tremendous ongoing commitment of NSW Police,’ the post read
The initial search was focused only on finding William – a little boy who was lost – and not with a view of deliberate human intervention, police said on Wednesday
New South Wales Police commenced the new four-week forensic search of bushland in Kendall on Wednesday morning
Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin fronts the media scrum at the scene as police start the new large-scale forensic search
Shortly before 10.30am on Friday 12 September 2014, William, then aged three, was playing in the yard of his grandmother’s home when he disappeared
TIMELINE OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF WILLIAM TYRRELL
William Tyrrell went missing from the front yard of his foster grandmother’s home in Kendall, 40km south of Port Macquarie, on September 12, 2014
2014
- SEPTEMBER 12 – Dressed in a Spiderman outfit, three-year-old William Tyrrell goes missing from the front yard of his foster grandmother’s home in Kendall, 40km south of Port Macquarie.
- SEPTEMBER 21 – Police stop searching for the missing boy after scouring surrounding bushland and neighbouring houses.
2015
- JANUARY 20 – Police search the home and business of washing machine repairman William Spedding, who had been due to carry out repairs at the Kendall house at the time the boy disappeared.
- JANUARY 23 – Spedding publicly denies any involvement in William’s disappearance and no charges have been laid against him.
- FEBRUARY 19 – Homicide detectives take over the case and say it’s likely William was abducted.
- MARCH 2 – Police search bushland near Bonny Hills for three days after a tip-off.
- APRIL 17 – William’s foster parents speak publicly for the first time in an emotional video released through police which does not identify them.
- APRIL 17 – Police say the boy may have been a victim of a paedophile ring.
- SEPTEMBER 12 – ‘Where’s William’ week is launched one year after he disappeared.
2016
- SEPTEMBER 12 – A $1 million reward is offered for information leading to William’s return.
2017
- AUGUST 24 – William’s foster child status is revealed after a court ruling.
2018
- JUNE 13 – NSW Police commence a new four-week forensic search of bushland in Kendall.
William was last seen at his foster grandmother’s home on Benaroon Drive in Kendall (map pictured) in September 2014
The boy’s foster family have never given up hope of finding William, and on Wednesday posted a message to social media as police (above) commenced their search
The new search will coincide with William’s seventh birthday in two weeks’ time
Carrying mattocks, picks and shovels, dozens of officers were pictured entering the dense search site on Wednesday morning
‘Since that tragic day on Friday 12 September 2014, hearts across Australia have been broken, but we have and will continue to maintain unwavering faith in NSW Police and carry hope in our hearts that William will be found. He is in our hearts always… Always.’
Last year, on the third anniversary of his disappearance, his foster family maintained hope of finding him alive.
‘William, we will never stop loving you,’ they said in a statement in September 2017.
‘We will never stop looking for you.’
The new large-scale search is being co-ordinated by experts from the NSW Police public order and riot squad.
The new large-scale search is being co-ordinated by search experts from the NSW Police public order and riot squad
Lead investigator Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin (pictured at the search site) addressed media at the site at 11am
Last year, on the third anniversary of his disappearance, William’s foster family maintained hope of finding him alive