The family of Cheryl Grimmer, a British girl who disappeared from an Australian beach over five decades ago, has issued a stark ultimatum to a key person of interest. They have demanded that he come forward with answers regarding the case, or they will publicly reveal his identity.
Cheryl, who was just three years old, is believed to have been abducted from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970. While a suspect was charged with her abduction and murder, the trial collapsed due to the inadmissibility of a confession made when he was a minor. The individual, known only as “Mercury” due to his age at the time of the confession, denies any wrongdoing.
Ricki Nash, Cheryl’s brother, stated on Friday that “Mercury” has until Wednesday night to respond. He expressed the family’s frustration and desire for the truth to emerge, especially regarding how the person of interest obtained information that was part of his confession.
Jeremy Buckingham, a politician in New South Wales, has offered his support and is prepared to use parliamentary privilege to name the individual when the state parliament reconvenes on Thursday.
Cheryl disappeared on 12 January 1970, while on holiday with her family, who had recently emigrated from Bristol. She was last seen entering a ladies’ changing room at Fairy Meadow beach. When her brother, who was tasked with looking after her, returned with their mother just 90 seconds later, Cheryl was gone.
Despite extensive searches at the time, no leads were found. In 2017, charges were brought against a man in his 60s, based on a confession made by a teenage boy in 1971. However, a judge later ruled this confession inadmissible as evidence, leading to the dropping of charges.
The Grimmer family has voiced significant dissatisfaction with the handling of the case by New South Wales authorities over the past 55 years, citing alleged incompetence and negligence. They have made repeated requests for a new prosecution or inquest, which have so far been unsuccessful.
NSW Police maintain that homicide detectives are actively investigating Cheryl’s disappearance and that a reward of A$1 million remains available for information.
Adding to the family’s efforts, three potential eyewitnesses came forward after the BBC’s “Fairy Meadow” true crime podcast gained significant attention in 2022. Despite these new leads, the family was informed that a four-year review of the case yielded no new evidence for a conviction, with the new potential witnesses not having been formally interviewed.
The family, along with volunteers and cadaver detection dogs, recently conducted a search of a specific area they believed might yield a breakthrough, but police stated only animal bones were found. The family disputes this conclusion and is pursuing independent analysis of soil samples collected from the site.
“Cheryl disappeared more than 55 years ago. It’s time for answers, it’s time for accountability,” the family stated, emphasizing their continued pursuit of justice. An inquiry into long-term missing persons cases in NSW has also been announced, which will examine investigative practices and potential improvements.
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