The disappearance of three-year-old British girl, Cheryl Grimmer, remains a mystery even after 55 years since she went missing during a family outing at the beach.
Cheryl and her family, consisting of parents Carole and Vince, along with brothers Ricki, Stephen, and Paul, relocated from Bristol to Australia in 1968 for a fresh start. However, less than two years later, the young girl vanished at the age of three.
On January 12, 1970, the day of her disappearance, Cheryl had been enjoying a beach morning with her mother and brothers while their father, Vince, was serving in the Australian army at the time.
Around 1:30pm that day, under the scorching sun, Carole decided it was time to leave. As the children headed to the shower block, Carole gathered their belongings from the beach.
Cheryl’s older brother, Ricki, then seven, informed their mother that Cheryl was not coming out of the shower cubicle. By the time Carole reached the scene, Cheryl had disappeared.
The family experienced a moment of panic, leading to a frantic search for Cheryl. Carole had to rush to the nearest house to call the police as there was no phone at Fairy Meadow beach.
A massive manhunt was launched by officers, who initially considered four theories, including Cheryl hiding, being swept into the ocean, falling into a waterway, or being abducted.
Despite having three main suspects, the police could not definitively identify any based on witness reports. However, a local teenager confessed to the murder a year after Cheryl’s disappearance, but lack of evidence led to the case being closed.
In 2016, the case was reopened, and the suspect, known as Mercury, was arrested and charged the following year, pleading not guilty in 2019.
Despite the scheduled trial, the case was dismissed, and Mercury’s 1970s interviews were deemed inadmissible, leaving Cheryl’s family still seeking justice.
A recent development in the case saw Australian parliament member Jeremy Buckingham reveal Mercury’s real name, urging for a fresh investigation into Cheryl’s murder.
Cheryl’s family, who lost both parents without closure on her disappearance, demanded answers from Mercury, giving him an ultimatum to reveal more information from his confession or face public identification.
Ricki, Cheryl’s brother, still regrets leaving her that day 55 years ago, vowing to continue the family’s quest for truth and justice.
He recounted the pain his parents endured and his own guilt for leaving