New search for William Tyrrell could take months as hessian bag sent for testing

A renewed search for the remains of William Tyrrell could take months, with police on day six having searched as little as 10 per cent of the area they want to.

NSW Police search an area of bush near the former home of William Tyrrell’s foster grandmother in Kendall in NSW on 18 November 2021.

NSW Police search an area of bush near the former home of William Tyrrell’s foster grandmother in Kendall in NSW on 18 November 2021. Source: AAP

The renewed search for the remains of missing three-year-old William Tyrrell could take months, with investigators on day six having scoured only a fraction of the scrub near where the pre-schooler disappeared.

As the end of the first week of the "high intensity" search draws near, police have searched an estimated 10 to 20 per cent of the areas of interest - or about one kilometre squared.
At that rate, the painstaking effort could take up to nine weeks to complete.

Police have so far combed bushland and drained a creek in an area a kilometre from the Kendall property where the boy's foster grandmother lived and where he was last seen seven years ago.

A hessian bag was found and collected for forensic testing on Saturday, with at least two other pieces of fabric placed in evidence bags and sent off earlier in the week.

Investigators have also scanned a concrete slab at the property, laid after the boy disappeared, but have since confirmed nothing of note was found.
An area being searched by police at Kendall, NSW
Police are combing bushland near Kendall in NSW for any trace of missing boy William Tyrell. Source: AAP
Strike Force Rosann officers are testing theories William may have fallen from a balcony at the property, sifting through a garden below, and earlier this week seized a Mazda that previously belonged to the foster grandmother, who has since died.

It comes after police this week also charged the boy's former foster parents over an unrelated alleged assault on a different child.

The pair is due to face court at Hornsby on Tuesday.

The findings of a coronial inquest into William's disappearance, which concluded last year, are yet to be handed down.

A $1 million reward for information on the case still stands.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP, SBS

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world