The case of the missing New South Wales boy William Tyrrell is to be handed to the coroner and an inquest proposed for next year.
On the fourth anniversary of William’s disappearance, NSW police announced that investigators have been speaking with the coroner and an inquest before the deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame has been proposed.
In a statement, police said investigators in the case “would like to acknowledge the continued strength and courage of William Tyrrell’s families today … Over the past year, investigators have continued to explore lines of inquiry in an effort to find out what happened to William, including a large-scale forensic search.”
The deputy coroner had requested a brief of evidence, the statement said, which would be provided by the end of the year.
The inquest would be “an opportunity to test information and evidence gathered by Strike Force Rosann and further the investigation”, police said. “This is another step in ensuring answers are provided to William’s loved ones.”
William was playing in his grandmother’s yard at Kendall on the NSW mid-north coast when he vanished on 12 September 2014. He was three years old. Despite a huge search, no trace of him has been found.