Charges are not likely to be laid over William Tyrrell’s disappearance until after an investigation into the boy’s death, which will again put the long-running case on hold almost a decade after his disappearance.
A review of evidence that the three-year-old’s adoptive mother may have been involved in his disappearance has been suspended following a police request to the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions.
William Tyrrell disappeared off the New South Wales north coast in September 2014.
Investigators had provided a report for prosecutors to consider possible charges against the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who they believed may have disposed of William’s body after his accidental death.
The adoptive mother has always denied having anything to do with William’s disappearance.
The boy disappeared while playing at his adoptive grandmother’s house in Kendall, on the New South Wales north coast, on September 12, 2014.
Despite police being called within an hour and a decade-long investigation involving hundreds of persons of interest and dozens of searches, no trace of the boy, last seen wearing a Spider suit, has been found. -Man.
A spokeswoman for the director said on Tuesday that NSW Police had asked the prosecution to “suspend consideration of its application for advice in this matter” until after investigative hearings scheduled for November and December.
William Tyrrell’s adoptive parents, who cannot be identified for legal reasons
The investigation into William’s disappearance began in March 2019, but was adjourned in October 2020.
An inquest directions hearing in February heard the coroner was awaiting an update on the police report provided to the state’s senior prosecutor before the inquest was restarted.
The brief was submitted in August seeking advice on the reasonable prospects of achieving a conviction.
The coroner was due to present its long-awaited findings in June 2021, but that date was delayed to allow lawyers for various parties more time to make their submissions.
In November of that year, police began a new month-long search for William’s remains that ended without any obvious progress.
No one has been charged in the case and a $1 million reward for information remains in place.