It’s been 10-and-a-half years since William Tyrrell vanished from his grandmother’s home in Kendall, NSW, and the mystery of what happened to him still hasn’t been solved.
But now a podcast has aired what it calls “utterly shocking” claims from an anonymous source who alleges they have information that might reveal where the little boy may be buried.
The source also alleges that convicted sex offender Frank Abbott, a “person of interest” for the police investigating, was “involved” in what happened to the little boy.
The new season of Witness: William Tyrrell spoke to two unnamed men, currently living in a house where Frank, 84, once resided.
These men claim they heard revealing details about the case from Frank’s now deceased brother Jeffrey “Bluey” Abbott.
“[They] told me Bluey once said Frank was involved in what happened to William and that he’s buried at the Bird Tree,” shares podcast host, Dan Box.
Frank is currently in prison for unrelated child sex offences and also allegedly boasted to the man about killing William and dumping his body in a suitcase at Big Bird Mountain.
DENIED ROLE
The “Big Bird” tree is one of the largest blackbutts in NSW and lies just 10km from William’s foster grandmother’s house on Benaroon Drive in Kendall, on the mid north coast of NSW.
The findings of the ongoing coronial inquest into William’s disappearance were set to be handed down in 2021 after it began in 2019.
However, it was adjourned in October 2020 when police carried out a review of the case.
By then police believed William’s foster mother disposed of the boy’s body after he accidentally fell from a balcony and died.
The woman, who cannot be named, has repeatedly denied this theory.
“I didn’t take William, I haven’t dumped his body… I’ve not touched him,” she told the inquest in November last year. “I don’t know where he is… if you want to dig up that entire house of mum’s, dig it up.”
Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame is set to release her findings later this year.
Frank Abbott watched witnesses give evidence at the 2020 tranche of hearings into William’s disappearance and also last year via AV link from Long Bay prison.
He also reportedly requested to give evidence during the coronial inquest, but was not called as a witness.
This was despite a string of recorded phone calls made by Frank in prison being tendered into evidence.
On those recordings he is heard saying the police think he “might have done this one” in reference to his potential involvement in William’s disappearance.
Frank has previously denied any role in William’s disappearance.
FINDING ANSWERS
Former homicide detective Peter Hogan told Witness how the Bird Tree is one area that has never been investigated by police but needs to be.
“A thorough investigative search is required to be conducted by police at Bird Tree to locate William’s remains, or rule out the location,” he said.
“You can’t ignore the possibility he might be buried there.”
In November 2021, police undertook an extensive forensic search for William’s body around the Benaroon Drive property and nearby bushland.
During this search, police along with volunteers from the Rural Fire Service and cadaver dogs combed through bushland for any traces of William, and only found two pieces of fabric.
But these threads were later forensically analysed and deemed insignificant to the investigation.
If still alive, William would be turning 14 next September.
Despite these searches, hundreds of police interviews conducted and these new claims, there’s still no forensic evidence or eyewitnesses who can definitively prove what happened to the missing boy.
A $1 million reward remains on offer for information that leads to William’s recovery.
