William Tyrell

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Nsw Police Force (AU)

Missing From:

Kendall, New South Wales

Summary:

William Tyrrell was an Australian boy who disappeared at the age of three from Kendall, New South Wales, on 12 September 2014. He had been playing at his foster grandmother's house with his sister, and was wearing a Spider-Man suit at the time of his disappearance. He is presumed dead by authorities.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On Friday, September 12, 2014, three-year-old William Tyrrell was playing outside his foster grandmother's home at 48 Benaroon Drive in Kendall, New South Wales. His foster mother and older sister were nearby, his foster father was expected home within minutes, and William was crawling through the grass pretending to be a tiger. Tyrrell's foster mother went inside to make a cup of tea; she became worried after she had not heard him for five minutes and began searching the yard and house. His family and neighbors began searching almost immediately, and at approximately 10:56 or 10:57 that morning, his foster mother called Triple Zero to report him missing. According to the official investigation, William was last seen between 10:00 a.m. and shortly thereafter. More than a decade later, William has still not been found.

Additional Details:

For the first seven years of the investigation, Tyrrell was believed to have been abducted. On 12 September 2016, a reward of A$1 million was offered for the recovery of Tyrrell and did not require the arrest, charging or conviction of any person or persons. Frank Abbott is a convicted pedophile and person of interest in William Tyrrell's disappearance. Abbott's friend, Ray Porter, confessed that he drove Abbott and William miles away just a day after the boy went missing. Local repairman Bill Spedding, who was earlier named by police as a person of interest in the case, had come to the foster grandmother's home to fix a broken washing machine three days before William disappeared. Bill Spedding was categorically cleared of any involvement in William's disappearance and received almost $1.5 million in damages after police pursued him for made-up historical sexual abuse claims. Dozens of people came in and out of William's foster grandmother's house in Kendall, contaminating the scene. On 17 November, major media reported that Tyrrell's foster mother and now-deceased foster grandmother were being treated as persons of interest in his disappearance. The inquest is examining a police theory that William died in an accidental fall and that his foster mother disposed of his body in nearby bushland. The foster mother has denied the allegation. Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame has closed the evidence in this inquest, but is yet to fix a date to deliver the findings. Since William's disappearance, there have been more than 600 persons of interest. Despite exhaustive police efforts, including several large-scale searches across Kendall and surrounding bushland in 2021 and 2022, no trace of William has ever been found.

Case Last Updated:

Nov 03, 2026