Latest news with #Witness:WilliamTyrrell
Mercury
21-05-2025
- Mercury
Cherylee Masters murder linked to William Tyrrell person of interest Frank Abbott, according to inquest evidence
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News. Tony Masters wants people to know his sister Cherylee was someone who used to play hopscotch and skip, and who loved horses, cats and dogs – she wasn't only the teenager who went missing. If more people knew her story, Tony said, maybe Cherylee wouldn't have ended up the victim of an unsolved murder. Her body was found buried in a shallow grave on the NSW Mid North Coast. 'I just feel like every possible system really let her down,' said Tony. Today, podcast Witness: William Tyrrell can reveal just how badly Cherylee was let down – and it is shocking. After Cherylee's remains were recovered in 2006 they were lost again by the authorities for years, meaning Cherylee's father died before the family could hold a funeral. The police did not attend a memorial service for her, despite being invited, Tony said. The records of an inquest into Cherylee's death also seem to have been misplaced, with the Coroner's Court of NSW now saying ' archives have not had any luck finding this file after numerous searches'. The podcast also reveals new evidence linking Cherylee to a convicted child abuser came to light at the William Tyrrell inquest almost six years ago – but was not followed up with her family by the police. 'I feel annoyed that people knew this,' Tony said. 'I just feel like she surely is now just another number on someone's desk. Or locked away in a room that nobody bothers to go into anymore.' Tony said he has not heard from the NSW Police Force for years, but called them after speaking to us about these revelations, to ask who is handling his sister's case. Months later, he has still not heard back. Earlier this week we revealed other evidence tendered to the inquest into three-year-old William Tyrrell's disappearance allegedly links two other unsolved murder victims to the same convicted child offender, Frank Abbott. Abbott, who is in prison for assaulting two girls and a boy, was named a 'person of interest' by police investigating William's likely death but was not questioned at the inquest. He has privately denied any role in what happened to William and was found not guilty of one of those murders, of 17-year-old Helen Harrison. We are not suggesting the alleged links are true, or that Abbott was in any way involved in either case, just that they are contained in evidence before the inquest and have not been fully investigated. Cherylee Masters was last seen in 2000 when she was 17. Cherylee's remains were recovered in 2006 but authorities then lost them. Seventeen-year-old Cherylee spent much of her life in and out of foster care, said Tony, and had developmental challenges that meant she was mentally closer to a 13- or 14-year-old. She was last seen in 2000, telling friends she planned to hitchhike from the city of Taree down the coast to Maitland. She never arrived. She was reported missing, but a former police officer who oversaw the work of the Taree detectives at this time told us he did not remember Cherylee's case being passed on for investigation. Six years later, her body was discovered in a shallow grave near what is now the Brimbin Reserve Picnic Area, just north of Taree. Police 'couldn't tell us anything – not how they believed she died, not any leads,' said Tony, and it was left to a funeral director to show the family that Cherylee had suffered a blow to the head. The findings of a 2009 inquest into her death make depressing reading, appearing to misspell Cherylee's surname and seeming not to acknowledge evidence she was seen alive in 2000. 'The deceased Cherylee Master (sic), between October 1995 and October 2005, at an unknown place in the state of New South Wales, died of an undeterminable cause in circumstances that I have also not been able to determine,' the coroner wrote. The coronial inquest essentially concluded she died somehow, somewhere, sometime. Cherylee was found buried in a shallow grave six years after she went missing. Ten years after this inconclusive inquiry, a woman called Iris Northam gave a written witness statement to the inquest investigating William's unrelated disappearance. That statement describes a teenage girl who went missing from Taree a few years after the disappearance and murder of another local woman, Margaret Cox, and whose body was found 'in Brimbin Road'. 'I don't remember the girl's name but her father was Rex Nolan,' Mrs Northam said in her statement. Rex Nolan was Cherylee's father. Mrs Northam told us that Abbott also used to work at a local market where Cherylee's father had a stall: ' He helped at the markets out there, where Rex and (Cherylee's stepmother) Karen used to sell stuff.' Her statement alleges that Frank Abbott used to describe how he drove a particular back road north of Taree, close to the site where Cherylee's body was discovered. It also alleges a number of potential links between Abbott and Margaret Cox, whose body was recovered from the Manning River outside Taree in 1996. The detective who took this statement, and who worked on the strike force investigating William's disappearance, said this information would be provided to the force's Unsolved Homicide Team, Mrs Northam told us. Years later, she has not heard back from the police. Another potential witness named in her statement has also not been contacted. Cherylee and Margaret are two of 67 women and children murdered or reported missing between 1977 and 2009 on the NSW North Coast whose cases remain unsolved. Inquest files from some of these cases describe failures in the police investigations. Frank Abbott, then 79, in June of 2014. Abbott is a person of interest in the disappearance of William Tyrrell and has been linked to three other murders including that of Cherylee Masters, according to new evidence tendered at the inquest. Frank Abbott as a younger man in 1994. Picture: Dean Sewell/SMH The Witness: William Tyrrell podcast has also revealed major flaws within the Unsolved Homicide Team, including missing evidence, huge backlogs of cases and files sitting unopened on one senior officer's desk unopened for a year. Mrs Northam said it weighed heavily on her that she had given that evidence to the William Tyrrell inquest and ' even though I did say something to someone … nothing's been done or I haven't heard anything'. Tony Masters now wants to see the police investigate these latest allegations, saying ' you think you would at least inquire and ask around and do a little bit of digging.' Abbott and the Coroner's Court of NSW both declined to answer questions. The NSW Police Force also declined to answer questions, except to release a statement, saying, 'The Margaret Cox and Cherylee Masters matters are with the Unsolved Homicide Team, who are also aware of the Helen Harrison matter. 'Any information that is identified relating to a homicide is assessed and relevant inquiries conducted,' the statement continued. Tony Masters is still waiting for the police to get in touch. | Originally published as Third murder victim linked to William Tyrrell person of interest Frank Abbott, according to inquest evidence
West Australian
19-05-2025
- West Australian
William Tyrrell: Buried near the ‘Bird Tree' on NSW Mid North Coast, according to explosive new claims
Explosive allegations have surfaced pointing to a new location where William Tyrrell's body could be buried. It is believed that William is buried near the 'Bird Tree' on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, according to fresh claims revealed in investigative podcast, Witness: William Tyrrell . The claims were allegedly made by the brother of a convicted pedophile, who was named a 'person of interest' to the investigation. It is reported that the disputed allegation was never heard during the inquest into the three-year-old's disappearance. The Bird Tree is a prominent landmark near Kendall, the area where William was reported missing in September 2014. It is one of a pair of very tall eucalyptus trees, with the other known as Benaroon. William disappeared from Benaroon Drive, which is around a 20-minute drive from the two trees, although reports state the area has not been searched by police. The allegation is one of a series of disturbing claims revealed during a months-long investigation into the former person of interest, Frank Abbott, reports. Among the claims are allegations that Mr Abbott, who is currently in prison for child sex offences, also sexually assaulted other young or teenage individuals. These claims were made independently by three people: one alleged victim, one alleged witness and a third man who said he personally knew the victim. Mr Abbott's history of child abuse convictions was also widely known among his former neighbours in Johns River, a small town not far from Kendall, where William was reported missing. The inquest looking into William's disappearance heard other claims about Mr Abbott, including that he boasted about having killed the three-year-old and burying him in a suitcase. Mr Abbott was not questioned at the inquest. Members of Mr Abbott's family have told they used to visit the Bird Tree as children.
Perth Now
19-05-2025
- Perth Now
Shock new claims surface in William Tyrrell investigation
Explosive allegations have surfaced pointing to a new location where William Tyrrell's body could be buried. It is believed that William is buried near the 'Bird Tree' on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, according to fresh claims revealed in investigative podcast, Witness: William Tyrrell. The claims were allegedly made by the brother of a convicted pedophile, who was named a 'person of interest' to the investigation. It is reported that the disputed allegation was never heard during the inquest into the three-year-old's disappearance. The Bird Tree is a prominent landmark near Kendall, the area where William was reported missing in September 2014. It is one of a pair of very tall eucalyptus trees, with the other known as Benaroon. It is believed that William is buried near the 'Bird Tree' on the NSW Mid North Coast, according to fresh claims. Credit: News Corp William disappeared from Benaroon Drive, which is around a 20-minute drive from the two trees, although reports state the area has not been searched by police. The allegation is one of a series of disturbing claims revealed during a months-long investigation into the former person of interest, Frank Abbott, reports. Among the claims are allegations that Mr Abbott, who is currently in prison for child sex offences, also sexually assaulted other young or teenage individuals. These claims were made independently by three people: one alleged victim, one alleged witness and a third man who said he personally knew the victim. Mr Abbott's history of child abuse convictions was also widely known among his former neighbours in Johns River, a small town not far from Kendall, where William was reported missing. The inquest looking into William's disappearance heard other claims about Mr Abbott, including that he boasted about having killed the three-year-old and burying him in a suitcase. Mr Abbott was not questioned at the inquest. Members of Mr Abbott's family have told they used to visit the Bird Tree as children.
Mercury
17-05-2025
- Mercury
William Tyrrell case: Witness podcast reveals new information in toddler's disappearance
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Life. Followed categories will be added to My News. Shock new details are about to come to light in the case of missing boy William Tyrrell – a case that has gripped Australia and left the public demanding answers. In an interview with the Stellar podcast Something To Talk About, journalists Dan Box and Nina Young reveal groundbreaking information they've uncovered during their lengthy investigation into Tyrrell's disappearance. 'We've found new witnesses, we found some potential connections between this person of interest and some other unsolved cases on the New South Wales mid North Coast that are not William Tyrrell,' Young told Something To Talk About. Box and Young uncovered some 'utterly shocking' information that has never been reported before. 'What struck me throughout, is the evidence we've uncovered, a lot of it was known to police or could have been known to the police if they went asking questions. And time and time again, it seems that they haven't,' Box said. William Tyrrell remains missing without a trace. Picture: News Corp Australia Listen to an interview with the hosts of Witness: William Tyrrell on the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About: The investigative reporters have been covering the three-year-old boy's disappearance since he vanished from his foster grandmother's backyard wearing a Spider-Man suit on 12 September 2014. In October, they launched the chart-topping podcast Witness: William Tyrrell, revealing which questions are still needing to be answered. Four new episodes of the podcast will be released on Monday. Along the way, they've uncovered dark and deeply confronting material, adding to the heavy personal toll. 'It's a darkness that I never expected to [find],' Box said. 'I really struggle with the transition from work to family, and I'm not very good at it. 'Most of my work is murder at the moment: writing scripts, writing articles … so when you're working from home then flip from that to dinner time, it's rolling chaos. 'It does affect your sleep. Nina's had dreams about William Tyrrell. I've got to the point where before I go to sleep, I tell myself, don't think about him, 'cause I won't go to sleep otherwise.' The three-year-old boy vanished from his foster grandmother's backyard in 2014. Picture: Supplied The podcast Witness: William Tyrrell explores the disappearance of the toddler. Picture: Supplied Listen to an interview with the hosts of Witness: William Tyrrell on the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About: Tyrrell's disappearance shocked the nation, destroyed lives and ended careers, and Box reveals that after 20 years of crime reporting, the case has also broken him. Box said: 'It takes a toll. I don't know if I'll do crime reporting again after this.' For Box and Young, it's not just about bringing William home, it's about finding answers to the hundreds of unsolved homicides across New South Wales. 'There are hundreds and hundreds of families whose loved ones were murdered or went missing and have no answers,' Box said. 'I would love for there to be a proper investigation, firstly, into what went wrong with the William Tyrrell investigation, but also an investigation into what went wrong with all these other unsolved homicides. Because the closer you look at them, you realise that things were done wrong in a lot of them.' For more from Stellar and the podcast, Something To Talk About, click here. Listen to the four new episodes of Witness: William Tyrrell, out this week.
