Bones, a speargun and children's toys: The chilling items detectives found during intense initial search for William Tyrrell
- William Tyrrell vanished from foster grandmother's Kendall property in 2014
- Suspected abduction is one of the hardest cases to solve, Sydney inquest heard
- Inquest resumed on Wednesday into the three-year-old boy's disappearance
- Toys, bones and speargun found in search but deemed not related to the case
Toys, bones and a speargun were among the items uncovered during an intense, four-week police search for William Tyrrell, an inquest has been told in Sydney.
But none of that was deemed to relate to the three-year-old's mysterious disappearance from his foster grandmother's property in the New South Wales mid north coast town of Kendall in September 2014.
The inquest into the boy's disappearance resumed on Wednesday with a focus on the five-year police effort to find the boy.
William's biological mother was among those who attended the inquest at the NSW Coroners Court at Lidcombe on Wednesday.
William Tyrrell was wearing his beloved Spiderman costume when he vanished five years ago
Detective Sergeant Laura Beacroft helped organise a new forensic search of nearby bushland, fire trails and tracks surrounding the boy's foster grandmother's Benaroon Drive property in June last year.
She told the inquest she understood that was the first time police were looking for evidence of deliberate human intervention and not just signs of misadventure.
Det Sgt Beacroft said she was looking to establish that 'if William was taken, whether it was someone on foot or in a vehicle, and the route within the Kendall State Forest to move from that area'.
'My understanding was it was a new notion,' she said.
The four week search of more than 40 hectares of bushland surrounding the foster grandmother's home involved 40 police officers with cadaver dogs and other authorities.
Many bones, backpacks, toys, shovels and a speargun were uncovered over the 20 days but nothing was found 'indicating William's presence'.
Det Sgt Beacroft concluded it remained possible William was taken away from the area.
Toys, bones and a speargun were among items found by detectives in a new land search in Kendall last year. None of the items found were deemed to relate to William's disappearance
William (pictured) was three years old when he vanished from his foster grandmother's property at Kendall on NSW's mid north coast in September 2014
The inquest which resumed on Wednesday for almost four weeks of hearings, was told William may have been murdered but what happened simply wasn't known.
Police believed the case could be solved but they still lacked any eyewitnesses or forensic evidence, counsel assisting the coroner Gerard Craddock SC told the NSW Coroners Court at Lidcombe.
'Worldwide, these cases have proven the most difficult to solve,' he said in his opening address.
'The offender is a sneaky, complex offender who has hidden their desires for some time and has chosen to act on those desires.'
Jailed people, the elderly and police detectives will be among about 54 witnesses to give evidence during the second tranche of the inquest.
William Tyrrell's biological mother (pictured right with a supporter) leaves the NSW Coroners Court after an inquest into her son's mysterious disappearance five years ago resumed
The inquest will examine police tactics, including their creation of a register of every known vehicle to pass through the area William was last seen and their assessment of hundreds of claimed sightings of the boy.
Mr Craddock stressed any suggestion that those called to give evidence were suspects is 'simply wrong'.
'This is an inquest and not a criminal trial,' he said.
'There has not yet been a conclusive breakthrough (in the police investigation), otherwise someone would have been charged and we wouldn't be here.'
Charged former NSW Detective Gary Jubelin was seen arriving at the inquest in Sydney on Wednesday, despite being sidelined months ago.
Police remain hopeful they can solve the case but there are no eyewitnesses and no forensic evidence, counsel assisting the coroner Gerard Craddock SC told a Sydney inquest on Wednesday (pictured: missing William Tyrrell)
Former NSW Detective Gary Jubelin arrives at the NSW Coroners Court in Sydney on Wednesday
Jubelin was charged with four offences under the Surveillance Devices Act in June, allegedly related to recording someone amid the search for the little boy.
A statement issued by Jubelin's lawyer Margaret Cunneen SC said it was understood the charges related to 'recordings made during the execution of Inspector Jubelin's duties'.
According to a police statement, the recordings were allegedly made at locations in Parramatta and Kendall - where William vanished.
The Sydney inquest in March heard from the first people on the scene and William's biological and foster families.
'My immediate thought was someone has taken him,' his foster mother tearfully told the inquest earlier in the year.
The inquest will continue until August 30.
Timeline of William Tyrrell's disappearance
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 on the NSW north coast.
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 Bill Spedding, who had been due to carry out repairs at the 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 paedophile ring.
September 6 - The Nine Network's 60 Minutes reveal 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 landmark court ruling.
2018
June 12 - NSW Police announce the start of a four-week forensic search of bushland 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 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, with William's biological and foster parents appearing over the course of a week.
The inquest's first batch of hearings focused on William's family situation and the events leading up to his disappearance.
Both his foster and biological parents were quizzed, as were neighbours who helped in the search.
It was disclosed that William's biological parents absconded with him for six weeks in 2012, following a children's court order.
William's biological father slammed authorities for letting them down.
'Authorities f***ed up ... The minister had a duty of care to keep William safe until he was 18. That was not the case at all.'
May: DCI Jubelin quits the Police Force.
June: Four charges of breaching the Surveillance Devices Act are laid against DCI Jubelin. He denies any wrongdoing whatsover
August: The second tranche of inquest hearings began on Wednesday August 7
