Animal Bones Discovered in Search for Missing Girl from 1970

Thu Oct 16 2025 23:29:56 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A recent search in Australia for Cheryl Grimmer, who vanished 55 years ago, has concluded with the discovery of animal bones, disappointing hopes of a breakthrough in the case.

Efforts to uncover the fate of Cheryl Grimmer, a British girl who went missing in Australia in 1970, ended in disappointment as animal bones were identified during a recent search. Volunteers had hoped their findings would lead to answers in the long-unsolved case.

A 'false alarm' has emerged from a volunteer-led search for the body of British girl Cheryl Grimmer, who disappeared in Australia 55 years ago, according to New South Wales Police.

During the search, cadaver detection dogs indicated an area in Balgownie, but it has since been determined that the bones found belong to an animal, prompting the police to conclude the search.

Cheryl, who was only three years old at the time of her disappearance from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970, was believed to have been abducted. The case has remained a mystery, with authorities offering a A$1 million reward for information regarding her suspected murder.

The area investigated was highlighted due to a confession made by a teenage boy; however, the charges against a suspect, known only by the codename Mercury, were dropped in 2019 when a judge ruled out the confession obtained while he was a minor.

Ricki Nash, Cheryl's brother, has called out errors in the original police investigation, indicating lingering frustrations within the family. A petition from the public demanding an inquiry into missing persons cases overseen by the NSW Police has gained significant traction, gathering over 10,000 signatures, yet the state authorities have not committed to any inquiry.