'Someone knows what happened': Coroner at inquest into the disappearance of William Tyrrell begs for silent witnesses to come forward

  • Some evidence in William Tyrrell disappearance 'designed to waste police time'
  • Counsel assisting coroner said 'someone undoubtedly knows more' 
  • William disappeared from foster grandmother's home in 2014, aged three  
  • He has never been found, and the idea he is still alive has not been ruled out

Someone 'undoubtedly' knows more about what happened to William Tyrrell, an inquest into his disappearance and suspected death has been told.

The missing toddler was aged three years and three months when he vanished without a trace from the backyard of his foster grandmother's house in Kendall on the NSW mid north coast on September 12, 2014.

Counsel assisting the coroner Gerard Craddock SC told a directions hearing at the NSW Coroners Court on Wednesday that while a number of pieces of information of 'varying' quality had already come to light some of it had been designed to 'waste police's time'.

Someone 'undoubtedly' knows more about what happened to William Tyrrell, an inquest into his disappearance and suspected death has been told

Someone 'undoubtedly' knows more about what happened to William Tyrrell, an inquest into his disappearance and suspected death has been told

Three-year-old William (pictured) went missing in 2014 from his foster grandmother's home in Kendall

Three-year-old William (pictured) went missing in 2014 from his foster grandmother's home in Kendall

He continued to call for anyone with information to come forward.

'There's undoubtedly somebody out there who knows more and who has not been in contact yet,' he said.

'We ask people to come forward with as much information as they have.'

William Tyrrell was three years old when last seen playing in his foster grandmother's yard at Kendall, south of Port Macquarie, on September 12, 2014. 

Police searched for nine days in neighbouring houses and surrounding bushland before calling off the hunt, but have scoured other areas nearby Kendall in the years since. 

The first person of interest, washing machine repairman Bill Spedding, had police raid his home, taking his mattress, computer and car, and draining his septic tank. 

Three days later, Mr Spedding and his wife publicly denied the accusation, and said the attention had left them on the verge of a breakdown. 

The search for William has taken place over more than four years, but police have not yet been able to determine what happened to the toddler

The search for William has taken place over more than four years, but police have not yet been able to determine what happened to the toddler

William's disappearance has also been linked to his birth family, who have vehemently denied any involvement, and at one point, a pedophile ring.  

Mr Craddock said the police investigation into William's disappearance was ongoing, with many officers still working hard to solve the mystery.

The inquest, which will resume on August 5, has been thorough, with the NSW Cororners Court hearing detail about the volume of the neighbour's radio and unfamiliar cars on the street on the day of his disappearance.

The court heard how neighbours searched neighbourhood cubby houses, swimming pools and drains for a sign of the boy, last seen in his favourite Spiderman costume. 

William's foster mother described in vivid detail how 'silent' it got in her backyard when William, who was pretending to be a tiger, stopped 'roaring'.

She stopped drinking her cup of tea, went to find him, couldn't, and began to panic.

'I couldn't hear a thing. It was silent. There was no wind. No birds. Nothing. Couldn't hear a thing.

'All I could think was why can't I hear him? Why can't I see the red (of his Spiderman suit)?

'I'm standing there and - why can't I see him? Why can't I hear him? It was silence.'

Timeline of William Tyrrell's disappearance

Still missing: William Tyrrell vanished from his foster grandmother's home three-and-a-half years ago

Still missing: William Tyrrell vanished from his foster grandmother's home three-and-a-half years ago

2014 

September 12 - Dressed in a Spiderman outfit, three-year-old William Tyrrell goes missing from the garden while visiting members of his foster family in Kendall, about 40 kilometres 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 a washing machine repairman, who had been due to carry out repairs at the Kendall house at the time the three-year-old went missing.

Detectives take items for testing including a mattress, computer and vehicles. They drain his septic tank. 

January 23 - The washing machine repairman publicly denies any involvement in William's disappearance and says he and his wife are on the verge of a breakdown due to the public attention.

February 19 - Homicide detectives take over the case and say it's likely William was abducted. 

March 2 - Police fruitlessly search an area of 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 pedophile ring. 

September 6 - The Nine Network's 60 Minutes airs a special report into the case, revealing two suspicious cars were parked on the street the morning William went missing. 

September 12 - 'Where's William' week is launched one year after he disappeared. 

2016 

September 12 - A $1million 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 12 - NSW Police announce the start of a four-week forensic search of bushland in Kendall conducted by Strike Force Rosann.

June 14 - William's grandmother scolds police who have failed to find the young boy after four years, and claims their latest search is 'just for show'.

June 26 - The forensic search continues on what would have been William's seventh birthday.

June 27 - Strike Force Rosann announces it will move the search to an 800sqm block of bushland just 4km from where William was last seen alive.

June 5 - The latest search ends with Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin saying the case could soon go to a coroner. 

August - Investigation leader Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin and a sergeant get into a fight in a disagreement during a briefing.

September 13 - Police reveal they found a burned out car wreck belonging to a former person of interest.

December 19 - Coroners say William could still be alive and the inquest will determine if he died or not.

2019

February - DCI Jubelin is removed from the investigation amid a misconduct probe.

March 25 - The inquest into William Tyrrell's disappearance begins.

 

 

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'Someone knows what happened', says William Tyrrell inquest coroner

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