THIS JUST IN ~ CURRENT CRIME STORIES #2 (1 Viewer)

ONGOING CRIME BREAKING NEWS!

Starting on January 31ST, 2025, this thread is about CRIME NEWS as it breaks!

 

[Guess Who]

Investigators believe 12-year-old found dead in plastic container was dead for a year, never reported missing

Investigators believe a 12-year-old Connecticut girl was dead for a year before her body was found in a plastic container last week.

www.kptv.com

Investigators believe 12-year-old found dead in plastic container was dead for a year, never reported missing​

Investigators believe a 12-year-old Connecticut girl was dead for a year before her body was found in a plastic container last week.

She was never reported missing, and now questions are being raised about how she could have been dead for so long without anyone noticing.

Oof! Those mugshots

 

[Cousin Dupree]

Investigators believe 12-year-old found dead in plastic container was dead for a year, never reported missing

Investigators believe a 12-year-old Connecticut girl was dead for a year before her body was found in a plastic container last week.

www.kptv.com

Investigators believe 12-year-old found dead in plastic container was dead for a year, never reported missing​

Investigators believe a 12-year-old Connecticut girl was dead for a year before her body was found in a plastic container last week.

She was never reported missing, and now questions are being raised about how she could have been dead for so long without anyone noticing.

I didn't read the article, I can’t deal with that.

Does Connecticut have a Caleey's Law?

 

[Guess Who]

Thieves strike Louvre in daring jewel heist

A theft occurred at the Louvre on Sunday, France’s culture minister said, as the world's most visited museum closed for the day while authorities investigate.

kmbc.com

 

[Tresir]

I couldn't access the kmbc link so found another. This just sounds like something out of a movie plot. Priceless jewels stolen but they dropped Empress Eugenie's crown on the floor as they escaped.

Thieves break into Louvre in daring daytime heist, steal ‘priceless jewellery’

A team of thieves broke into the Louvre in the heart of Paris on Sunday and stole "priceless" historical jewellery, said France's interior minister, as the world-renowned museum closed for the day. French…

www.france24.com

From the link-

The robbery took around four minutes, Dati later told TF1, and it was carried out by professionals.
"We saw some footage: they don't target people, they enter calmly in four minutes, smash display cases, take their loot, and leave. No violence, very professional," she said on TF1.
She said one piece of jewellery had been recovered outside the museum, apparently dropped as they made their escape.
French authorities confirmed they found the 19th-century crown that once belonging to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. The crown features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, according to the museum's website.
Daring heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris

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French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the “major robbery” said the thieves used a crane that was positioned on a truck to enter the building. They stole jewels of “priceless value”.
It was “manifestly a team that had done scouting”, he said, adding that the panes were cut “with a disc cutter”.
The interior ministry specified the location as the Galerie d’Apollon.

Visitors evacuated​

Police sealed off the museum and evacuated visitors. New arrivals were turned away and nearby streets were closed, according to the interior ministry.
A police source said the robbers had drawn up on a scooter armed with angle grinders and used the hoist -- an extendible ladder used to move furniture -- to reach the room they were targeting.
The brazen robbery happened just 800 metres from Paris police headquarters.
Louvre museum authorities could not immediately be reached for comment, according to French media reports.
But the Louvre confirmed that the museum was closed Sunday due to “exceptional reasons”, in a post on X.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I couldn't access the kmbc link so found another. This just sounds like something out of a movie plot. Priceless jewels stolen but they dropped Empress Eugenie's crown on the floor as they escaped.

Thieves break into Louvre in daring daytime heist, steal ‘priceless jewellery’

A team of thieves broke into the Louvre in the heart of Paris on Sunday and stole "priceless" historical jewellery, said France's interior minister, as the world-renowned museum closed for the day. French…

www.france24.com

From the link-

The robbery took around four minutes, Dati later told TF1, and it was carried out by professionals.
"We saw some footage: they don't target people, they enter calmly in four minutes, smash display cases, take their loot, and leave. No violence, very professional," she said on TF1.
She said one piece of jewellery had been recovered outside the museum, apparently dropped as they made their escape.
French authorities confirmed they found the 19th-century crown that once belonging to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. The crown features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, according to the museum's website.
Daring heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris

To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.​

AcceptManage my choices
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the “major robbery” said the thieves used a crane that was positioned on a truck to enter the building. They stole jewels of “priceless value”.
It was “manifestly a team that had done scouting”, he said, adding that the panes were cut “with a disc cutter”.
The interior ministry specified the location as the Galerie d’Apollon.

Visitors evacuated​

Police sealed off the museum and evacuated visitors. New arrivals were turned away and nearby streets were closed, according to the interior ministry.
A police source said the robbers had drawn up on a scooter armed with angle grinders and used the hoist -- an extendible ladder used to move furniture -- to reach the room they were targeting.
The brazen robbery happened just 800 metres from Paris police headquarters.
Louvre museum authorities could not immediately be reached for comment, according to French media reports.
But the Louvre confirmed that the museum was closed Sunday due to “exceptional reasons”, in a post on X.

Wow. Does sound like a movie.

The thing about thefts like this is they need a buyer as the jewelry is too well known to sell openly.

 

[Tresir]

This could be a movie too. Now why would Elon Musk need $600k ? And why did the guy only get a year in prison?

Man claiming to be Elon Musk stole nearly $600k from woman, police say

A man in Florida who claimed to be Elon Musk stole nearly $600,000 from a woman, according to authorities.

www.kptv.com

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB/Gray News) - A man in Florida who claimed to be Elon Musk stole nearly $600,000 from a woman, according to authorities.
Jeffrey Moynihan pleaded no contest to charges against him. He received one year behind bars and nearly 30 years of probation.

​

Jeffrey Moynihan sentenced to one year behind bars and nearly 30 years probation for scamming 74-year-old Texas woman(Source: Brandenton Police Department)
Investigators say Moynihan impersonated Musk and befriended a 74-year-old woman from Texas on Facebook.
They exchanged messages for months. Prosecutors say he scammed her out of $600,000, promising her $56 million in return.
“A lot of times, people that are older may not have such a large social group,” said a representative. “And if you’re home alone, you know, for a day or two or whatever, and someone calls you or sends an email, and it’s a very friendly email, it can really trick people.”
Bradenton Police have dedicated an Elder Fraud Unit to respond to these types of crimes.

 

[GrandmaBear]

This could be a movie too. Now why would Elon Musk need $600k ? And why did the guy only get a year in prison?

Man claiming to be Elon Musk stole nearly $600k from woman, police say

A man in Florida who claimed to be Elon Musk stole nearly $600,000 from a woman, according to authorities.

www.kptv.com

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB/Gray News) - A man in Florida who claimed to be Elon Musk stole nearly $600,000 from a woman, according to authorities.
Jeffrey Moynihan pleaded no contest to charges against him. He received one year behind bars and nearly 30 years of probation.

​

Jeffrey Moynihan sentenced to one year behind bars and nearly 30 years probation for scamming 74-year-old Texas woman(Source: Brandenton Police Department)
Investigators say Moynihan impersonated Musk and befriended a 74-year-old woman from Texas on Facebook.
They exchanged messages for months. Prosecutors say he scammed her out of $600,000, promising her $56 million in return.
“A lot of times, people that are older may not have such a large social group,” said a representative. “And if you’re home alone, you know, for a day or two or whatever, and someone calls you or sends an email, and it’s a very friendly email, it can really trick people.”
Bradenton Police have dedicated an Elder Fraud Unit to respond to these types of crimes.

Hard to say. They don't give enough detail to know. Like what his charges were. Did he plead no contest as he had a deal? What sentence did his charges allow for? Did he have a clean record prior? Like I said, they don't give enough info.

If she had $600K I think its safe to assume she likely also owned her own home. Just an assumption. She is 74. Maybe she had more money than that, maybe not but either way, those are circumstances that she could probably live pretty comfortably for the rest of her life. I know I could with those circumstances and I'm quite a bit younger. So WHY would she have interest in getting a hard to believe $56 million?

I'm not blaming her, I'm just wondering how people fall for this stuff. First rule of thumb is if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Believing he is Elon is really gullible. Heck gullible isn't enough a good enough word for it. Believing that is ridiculous. Usually older women fall for it as they are looking for company, a relationship, having lost their husband of many years either through death or divorce but he was claiming to be ELON for goodness sakes.

I hate to say it but if not full time care, her money at least should be managed by someone from hereon out. She is way too trusting and gullible.

I'd like to know how it started. A dating site is my guess. He was in Florida and she was in TX. I wonder if he found others. It is said some don't come forward from the shame they feel falling for such things.

 

[Cousin Dupree]

Wow. Does sound like a movie.

The thing about thefts like this is they need a buyer as the jewelry is too well known to sell openly.

A lot of the time the thieves already have buyers set up. It's happened with paintings before.

 

[GrandmaBear]

A lot of the time the thieves already have buyers set up. It's happened with paintings before.

Yeah that's kind of what I meant, they have some buyer out there who is behind it all is my guess. They could even be from another country. It also has to be some with some major, major $$$. I wonder if they will hear about it for losing the one piece.

 

[Tresir]

DM article with full details of the Louvre jewel heist. Includes pictures of the stolen heirlooms and plans showing how they did it. This would be the equivalent of our Crown Jewels being stolen from Buckinham Palace/Windsor Castle/the Tower of London or wherever they keep them.

Moment 'thief in a hi-viz' breaks into glass cabinet at Louvre

A gang of several 'highly organised criminals' arrived outside the world's most visited museum at around 9.30am local time on Sunday while thousands of tourists enjoyed a day out in Paris.

www.dailymail.co.uk

One of the pieces stolen, an emerald-and-diamond encrusted crown of Empress Eugenie, was recovered after it was dropped and damaged while the men fled on mopeds.
The gang, who remain at large, escaped with a total of eight pieces.

+23

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Empress Eugenie's emerald-and-diamond crown, pictured, was recovered soon after the gang fled the scene on mopeds - it was found dropped and damaged beneath a window

+23

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Empress Eugenie's brooch, pictured, which contains 2,438 diamonds, was stolen in the raid

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Thieves also got away with an emerald necklace, pictured, from the Marie-Louise set

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A pair of emerald earrings, pictured, from the Marie-Louise set, were stolen in the theft

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The tiara, pictured, from the jewellery set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Horten, was taken

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The gang swiped the necklace, pictured, from the sapphire jewellery set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense

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One earring, part of the pair, pictured, from the sapphire jewellery set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortens, was nabbed

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The pictured brooch, known as the reliquary brooch, was taken by thieves in the Louvre raid.

 

[Cousin Dupree]

New York police seek woman for questioning after baby is abandoned at Penn Station subway stop

New York City police released images of a woman wanted for questioning after an infant girl with her umbilical cord still attached was abandoned at a busy midtown Manhattan subway station.

apnews.com

 

[Tresir]

Watch ex President Sarkozy go to jail for 5 years.

Watch: A 'big moment' for France as Sarkozy jailed

The BBC's Paris Correspondent Hugh Scofield says the former French president will reside in a small cell.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[GrandmaBear]

16 bodies found this year in bayous around Houston.

He interviews one family who I think deserve an actual investigation into the death of their son.

It doesn't seem to me that he was likely the victim of a serial killer (because of the circumstances) but others may be and I gather the area is wondering about it, they talk about it some.

 

[Cousin Dupree]

 

[Guess Who]

Two dead in mass shooting in North Carolina: What we know

Several of the victims are "critically injured," according to Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins.

www.newsweek.com

 

[Tresir]

They have caught two of the Louvre burglars but haven't retrieved any jewels yet.

Louvre heist: Suspects arrested over theft of jewels, prosecutor says

Four thieves broke into the world's most-visited museum in broad daylight, stealing eight items worth €88m (£76m; $102m).

www.bbc.co.uk

Suspects arrested over theft of jewels at Louvre museum in Paris​

00:32​

Media caption,
Watch: Two people leave Louvre in lift mounted to vehicle
ByJake Lapham

• • Published
    26 October 2025, 09:05 GMT

Updated 21 minutes ago
Two suspects have been arrested over the theft of precious crown jewels from Paris's Louvre museum, French media say.
The Paris prosecutor's office said one of the men had been taken into custody as he was preparing to take a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Items worth €88m (£76m; $102m) were taken from the world's most-visited museum last Sunday, when four thieves wielding power tools broke into the building in broad daylight.
France's justice minister has conceded security protocols "failed", leaving the country with a "terrible image".
The Paris prosecutor's office said in a statement that the arrests had been made on Saturday evening, without specifying how many people had been taken into custody.
One of the suspects was preparing to travel to Algeria, police sources have told French media, while it's understood the other was going to Mali.
Specialist police can question them for up to 96 hours.
The Paris prosecutor criticised the "premature disclosure" of information related to the case, adding that it hindered efforts to recover the jewels and find the thieves.
The thieves reportedly arrived at 09:30 (06:30 GMT), shortly after the museum opened to visitors.
The suspects arrived with a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d'Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) via a balcony close to the River Seine.
Pictures from the scene showed the ladder leading up to a first-floor window.
Two of the thieves entered by cutting through the window with power tools.
They then threatened the guards, who evacuated the premises, and cut through the glass of two display cases containing jewels.
A preliminary report has revealed that one in three rooms in the area of the museum raided had no CCTV cameras, according to French media.
French police say the thieves were inside for four minutes and made their escape on two scooters waiting outside at 09:38.
The museum's director told French senators this week that the only camera monitoring the exterior wall of the Louvre where they broke in was pointing away from the first-floor balcony that led to Gallery of Apollo.
CCTV around the perimeter was also weak and "ageing", Laurence des Cars said, meaning that staff failed to spot the gang early enough to stop the theft.
Experts have also expressed concern that the jewels may have already been broken up into hundreds of pieces.
Gold and silver can be melted down and the gems can be cut up into smaller stones that will be virtually impossible to track back to the robbery, Dutch art detective Arthur Brand told the BBC.
Security measures have since been tightened around France's cultural institutions.
The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France following the heist. They will now be stored in the Bank's most secure vault, 26m (85ft) below the ground floor of its elegant headquarters in central Paris.

Image gallerySkip image gallery

1. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   A tiara worn by the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, was taken
2. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   The Marie-Louise necklace and a pair of earrings were among the eight items stolen
3. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   A large jewel-encrusted bow which also belonged to the Empress is also among items unaccounted for
4. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   Thieves took a number of items which were previously worn by Queen Marie-Amelie, who was married to King Louis Philippe I
5. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   One of a pair of earrings which previously belonged to the 19th century Queen are also missing
6. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   Marie-Amelie's crown was taken, though another worn by Princess Eugenie was apparently dropped during the thieves' escape

1 of 6
Previous imageNext image
Slide 1 of 6, A gold tiara encrusted with diamonds and pearls stolen from the Louvre, A tiara worn by the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, was taken
End of image gallery

Related topics​

 

[GrandmaBear]

They have caught two of the Louvre burglars but haven't retrieved any jewels yet.

Louvre heist: Suspects arrested over theft of jewels, prosecutor says

Four thieves broke into the world's most-visited museum in broad daylight, stealing eight items worth €88m (£76m; $102m).

www.bbc.co.uk

Suspects arrested over theft of jewels at Louvre museum in Paris​

00:32​

Media caption,
Watch: Two people leave Louvre in lift mounted to vehicle
ByJake Lapham

• • Published
    26 October 2025, 09:05 GMT

Updated 21 minutes ago
Two suspects have been arrested over the theft of precious crown jewels from Paris's Louvre museum, French media say.
The Paris prosecutor's office said one of the men had been taken into custody as he was preparing to take a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Items worth €88m (£76m; $102m) were taken from the world's most-visited museum last Sunday, when four thieves wielding power tools broke into the building in broad daylight.
France's justice minister has conceded security protocols "failed", leaving the country with a "terrible image".
The Paris prosecutor's office said in a statement that the arrests had been made on Saturday evening, without specifying how many people had been taken into custody.
One of the suspects was preparing to travel to Algeria, police sources have told French media, while it's understood the other was going to Mali.
Specialist police can question them for up to 96 hours.
The Paris prosecutor criticised the "premature disclosure" of information related to the case, adding that it hindered efforts to recover the jewels and find the thieves.
The thieves reportedly arrived at 09:30 (06:30 GMT), shortly after the museum opened to visitors.
The suspects arrived with a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d'Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) via a balcony close to the River Seine.
Pictures from the scene showed the ladder leading up to a first-floor window.
Two of the thieves entered by cutting through the window with power tools.
They then threatened the guards, who evacuated the premises, and cut through the glass of two display cases containing jewels.
A preliminary report has revealed that one in three rooms in the area of the museum raided had no CCTV cameras, according to French media.
French police say the thieves were inside for four minutes and made their escape on two scooters waiting outside at 09:38.
The museum's director told French senators this week that the only camera monitoring the exterior wall of the Louvre where they broke in was pointing away from the first-floor balcony that led to Gallery of Apollo.
CCTV around the perimeter was also weak and "ageing", Laurence des Cars said, meaning that staff failed to spot the gang early enough to stop the theft.
Experts have also expressed concern that the jewels may have already been broken up into hundreds of pieces.
Gold and silver can be melted down and the gems can be cut up into smaller stones that will be virtually impossible to track back to the robbery, Dutch art detective Arthur Brand told the BBC.
Security measures have since been tightened around France's cultural institutions.
The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France following the heist. They will now be stored in the Bank's most secure vault, 26m (85ft) below the ground floor of its elegant headquarters in central Paris.

Image gallerySkip image gallery

1. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   A tiara worn by the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, was taken
2. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   The Marie-Louise necklace and a pair of earrings were among the eight items stolen
3. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   A large jewel-encrusted bow which also belonged to the Empress is also among items unaccounted for
4. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   Thieves took a number of items which were previously worn by Queen Marie-Amelie, who was married to King Louis Philippe I
5. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   One of a pair of earrings which previously belonged to the 19th century Queen are also missing
6. 
   
   Image source,Louvre Museum
   Image caption,
   Marie-Amelie's crown was taken, though another worn by Princess Eugenie was apparently dropped during the thieves' escape

1 of 6Whe
Previous imageNext image
Slide 1 of 6, A gold tiara encrusted with diamonds and pearls stolen from the Louvre, A tiara worn by the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, was taken
End of image gallery

Related topics​

Boy it ISN'T ike any movie. The guards frighten and leave?? Are they not armed guards? Trained? No panic button?? Or alarm to raise?

Where are the different height laser beams protecting jewels that will trigger alarms??

Aging security cameras and just one in this area pointed away from there?? When they are protecting things like the Mona Lisa and Eugenie's jewelry dating from way back in time? Well not protecting I guess is what I mean.

They used tools to cut the door and then they cut the glass of TWO display cases. Could no one hear this?? Like guards for instance?? Or a guest? The museum was OPEN. A lift wasn't noticeable and was allowed to get that close? Are there no outside guards? Clearly cameras aren't great and their staff are not monitoring them, lazy perhaps? Too busy eating candy bars or donuts, or playing on their phones?

How lax the security was sounds almost unbelievable for what should have been highly protected at all times.

It does leave them with a terrible image, can't disagree with that one. How many failures in security are there just in this one event? Several to be explained away. It's rather unbelievable they could be THAT sloppy or such pieces that poorly protected. And now some irreplaceable historic pieces are gone likely for good.

 

[Tresir]

Boy it ISN'T ike any movie. The guards frighten and leave?? Are they not armed guards? Trained? No panic button?? Or alarm to raise?

Where are the different height laser beams protecting jewels that will trigger alarms??

Aging security cameras and just one in this area pointed away from there?? When they are protecting things like the Mona Lisa and Eugenie's jewelry dating from way back in time? Well not protecting I guess is what I mean.

They used tools to cut the door and then they cut the glass of TWO display cases. Could no one hear this?? Like guards for instance?? Or a guest? The museum was OPEN. A lift wasn't noticeable and was allowed to get that close? Are there no outside guards? Clearly cameras aren't great and their staff are not monitoring them, lazy perhaps? Too busy eating candy bars or donuts, or playing on their phones?

How lax the security was sounds almost unbelievable for what should have been highly protected at all times.

It does leave them with a terrible image, can't disagree with that one. How many failures in security are there just in this one event? Several to be explained away. It's rather unbelievable they could be THAT sloppy or such pieces that poorly protected. And now some irreplaceable historic pieces are gone likely for good.

I guess we have been watching too many movies. However catching two of them so quickly is a plus. One was caught at the airport heading to Algeria.

The news just said the jewels may all be dismantled now as it easier to fence them and they cannot then be identified. They are hoping they have caught them in time to prevent that, but so far no further info.

ETA the article states the Louvre has now moved most of its valuables to the Bank of France. "Shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted" comes to mind. Also, why tell the world where they are now?

What they should have had on display are copies, with the originals tucked away in the bank vaults.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Yeah that's a plus so long as they have the right guys but it is only 1/2 the bunch.

Is the lift something they would have had to rent or does just everyone have one lying around in their back yard? Lol.

I don't know that it's too many movies or books, this still seems like a completely bumbled lack of security and many errors even without movies.

 

[Tresir]

Seems they may have located remains in this old Australian case.

From the first link below -

'Area of interest' found in search for girl who vanished 55 years ago​

Image source,Grimmer family
Image caption,
Cheryl Grimmer was three when she disappeared from Fairy Meadow beach in January 1970
ByPhil Mercer
Reporting fromWollongong, New South Wales

• • Published
    4 hours ago

A volunteer team using cadaver detection dogs to search for the body of a British child who disappeared in Australia more than 50 years ago has found an "area of interest".
The group hopes their finding is a breakthrough into Cheryl Grimmer's case and have reported the location to New South Wales Police, who are now on the scene.
Authorities suspect the three-year-old, who'd emigrated from Bristol with her family, was abducted from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970.
"A search will be conducted tomorrow with the assistance of specialist officers as part of ongoing inquiries," police told the BBC in an emailed statement.
Today, bathed in the sun, the beach looks as idyllic as it must have been all those years ago. From the sand dunes, looking inland, the terrain gradually climbs into dense bushland.
A short drive up into the hills, there's a small pocket of woodland on the edge of an upmarket suburb that could reveal a terrible secret.
Balgownie was the location mentioned in a confession made by a teenage boy - also from England - a year after the toddler vanished. Decades later, a judge disallowed that admission.
In 2019, a trial of the suspect, known only by a codename, Mercury, who'd been charged with Cheryl Grimmer's abduction and murder, collapsed. The man, in his 60s, had denied any wrongdoing.

Image source,Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Image caption,
The volunteer search team used dogs trained to detect human remains

• Missing Cheryl Grimmer: Family's anger over police decision not to contact witnesses
  
  • • Published
      2 days ago
  • • Published
      5 February 2022

Fairy Meadow

In 1970, three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was taken from an Australian beach. No-one knows what happened. Fifty years on - can the mystery be solved?

Listen on Sounds​

Cheryl's brother Ricki Nash was seven when his little sister vanished. He last saw her in the changing rooms at Fairy Meadow.
"This should have been done 55 years ago," he said as the specialist team with dogs trained to detect human remains began its work. "My question is, why wasn't it?
"Yes it's extraordinary. The police have never canvassed this area in detail even though they had a confession. Not just a confession, a very detailed one."
He has spent a lifetime craving answers, but doesn't want to find them here among the tall trees, creek and bushes.

Image source,Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Image caption,
Ricki Nash, who was seven when his little sister vanished, has spent a lifetime craving answers
"We always live with the hope that someone took her that couldn't have a child, raised her well. One day she'd grow up, find out she didn't belong to that family. We've had people over the years do that to me and to our family: knock on the door and say that they are Cheryl and your heart rate goes at a million-to-one.
"We were hoping for it to be Cheryl one day. So, to be here looking for a body or part thereof, I mean, it's not a good thing," Mr Nash told the BBC.
Nine-year-old Rufus is the principal search dog. His handler is Chris D'Arcy, the president of Search Dogs Sydney, a charity, who'd offered to help the Grimmer family after attending a missing persons seminar in Wollongong. He'd also heard the BBC's Fairy Meadow podcast, presented by Jon Kay, which has been downloaded five million times.
The canine team has had success in previous cold cases dating back more than half a century. Last year, they found human remains in a lake in northern New South Wales.
Now, Mr D'Arcy's team believes it has made a potential breakthrough in the Grimmer case.
"What we believe we have located is an area of interest and will pass the information on to the authorities," he said. "The dog showed a distinct change in behaviour."
Ricki Nash said the news made him "tremble".
"If it is Cheryl out there – she has been there for 55 years now – she shouldn't have been," he said.

Image source,Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Image caption,
The search for Cheryl Grimmer continues after more than 50 years
Balgownie was mostly farmland in 1970. Frank Sanvitale, a former detective who worked on the Grimmer case, has come to support members of Cheryl's family. They have become close and share deep frustrations about the broader police investigation over the decades.
"To find something after 55 years, I'm hoping we do, but the chances are one in a million," he explained. "It would be like winning four lotteries in a row. You've got to use a bit of common sense and be sensible and logical about it."
The retired investigator has challenged the individual or group responsible for the toddler's disappearance to come forward.
"What about doing something for Cheryl, that little girl you took away and owning up to what you did and [giving] families here in Australia and in England… some peace," he said.

Image source,Melanie Grimmer
Image caption,
"My family has been through so much and it is a continuous fight," says Ricki Nash's daughter Melanie
Tragedy sends ripples of grief through families. Ricki Nash's daughter, Melanie Grimmer, has four children. She is also anxiously waiting for news of the search at a command post on the side of the road.
"I know my dad hopes that nothing is found. I hope she's found, I hope the baby girl comes home. My family has been through so much and it is a continuous fight," she told the BBC. "I feel sick in my stomach being here."
Much has changed since 1970. But one thing remains steadfast - the determination of a grieving family to uncover the truth.

Missing Cheryl Grimmer: 'Area of interest' found in search of girl who vanished 55 years ago

Police suspect three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer, originally from Bristol, was taken from a beach in Australia.

www.bbc.co.uk

Missing Cheryl Grimmer: Family's anger over police decision not to contact witnesses

Three came forward after the BBC's Fairy Meadow podcast but police didn't interview them.

www.bbc.co.uk

Apparently the suspect has recently been named in parliament but it still cannot be released.

Link-

Cheryl Grimmer: Person of interest in British girl's disappearance named in parliament

Cheryl Grimmer was abducted from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970.

www.bbc.co.uk

The identity of a key person of interest in the disappearance of a British girl more than 50 years ago has been revealed by an Australian politician.
A member of New South Wales Legislative Council used parliamentary privilege to name the man known as Mercury, who the BBC cannot identify for legal reasons.
Authorities believe three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was abducted from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in 1970. Despite extensive searches, there were no leads.
Then in 2017, Mercury was charged with Cheryl's abduction and murder after officers discovered a confession made by a teenager in 1971. But a judge ruled it was inadmissible and the case was dropped. Mercury says he is innocent.
In parliament on Thursday, Jeremy Buckingham read out Mercury's real name - still legally protected because he was a minor at the time - and his teenage confession, calling for a new investigation into Cheryl's murder.
"The family of Cheryl Grimmer have been through so much anguish over such a long period of time," he said.
"[Mercury] is a free man living with his identity suppressed from his neighbours and no one has been punished for Cheryl Grimmer's abduction and murder."
Cheryl's family - some of whom were in the public gallery on Thursday as Mercury was named - has been pushing for a fresh inquiry since the trial fell over six years ago. Last week they gave Mercury an ultimatum, urging him to explain to the family how he knew information contained in his confession or be publicly identified.
"He has been given the opportunity to declare his innocence or guilt, yet he has chosen to remain silent," Linda Grimmer, wife of Cheryl's brother Paul, told reporters after the name was revealed in parliament.
She said the family was not "seeking to harm Mercury or his family" with this move.
"What we want is now the truth. We hope that by speaking out today, members of the public who may hold information will come forward so that Mercury can be questioned in a court of law and justice for Cheryl can finally be served."
Cheryl was last seen running into a changing room block on 12 January 1970, after a day at the beach with her family, who had only recently migrated to Australia from Bristol as so-called Ten Pound Poms.
Last week, the family released a lengthy document detailing the missteps they say were made by authorities in NSW in the search for Cheryl.
The family was recently told that a four-year-long review of the case found there was no new evidence that could lead to a conviction - even though the BBC's Fairy Meadow true crime podcast in 2022 unearthed three new potential witnesses.

Fairy Meadow

In 1970, three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was taken from an Australian beach. No-one knows what happened. Fifty years on - can the mystery be solved?

Listen on Sounds​

NSW Police have defended their investigations, reiterating that homicide detectives are still looking into Cheryl's disappearance - and that a A$1m ($649,000, £486,000) reward for information remains on offer.
The family, alongside a volunteer team using cadaver detection dogs, has recently been searching an "area of interest" they hoped would be a breakthrough in the case. But police said that a subsequent inspection of the area only found animal bones.
Earlier this month, the NSW parliament announced an inquiry into long-term missing persons cases in the state - including Cheryl's. It will look into how investigations have been carried out and ways to improve outcomes.

• New witness in Fairy Meadow missing girl mystery
  
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      20 November 2023
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      29 May 2024