A new image created by a high tech US crime lab could help unlock one of Australia’s most haunting mysteries 10 years after William Tyrrell vanished without a trace. There have been no confirmed sightings of the three-year-old toddler since he disappeared from his foster grandmother’s home in Kendall on the NSW mid north coast on September 12, 2014.
World leading forensic imaging experts for US forensic facility Parabon Nano Labs has created and released a computer generated image of what William would look like today at age 13. University of Newcastle Associate Professor in Criminology Dr Xanthé Mallett praised the ageing progression on the image, stating that the forensic medical artists expertly predicted how William may have changed over the years.
The hope is that this image might prompt someone with information about William’s disappearance to come forward and help solve the mystery. Despite the ongoing investigation and efforts to find William, no trace of the boy has been found. Former detective Gary Jubelin, who led the search for William for four years, believes there needs to be a broader review of how the investigation was conducted.
Lessons learned from William’s case were applied to successfully rescue abducted four-year-old Cleo Smith in Western Australia in 2019. The final block of hearings for the inquest into William’s disappearance and the police investigation will be held in the coming weeks. NSW Premier Chris Minns reiterated that there is a $1 million reward for anyone who can provide information leading to William being found.