A major inquiry in New South Wales has revisited the disappearance of three year old Cheryl Grimmer. She vanished from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970, shortly after her family moved from Bristol to Australia.
Despite large search efforts at the time, investigators found no clear leads. The case remained unsolved for decades and continues to raise concerns about early police handling.
Family Speak About Lasting Pain
Cheryl’s brother, Ricki Nash, addressed a parliamentary inquiry and said the family has carried emotional pain for more than five decades. He said early police response failures denied the family answers they still do not have.
He stated that if proper action had been taken in the early years of the investigation, the truth might have been uncovered much sooner.
Other family members also shared similar experiences, describing how missing persons reports were not treated with urgency at the time. One relative of another missing teenager said police initially treated the case as a voluntary disappearance, which reduced investigative efforts.
Other Cold Cases Examined
The inquiry also heard from families connected to other long term missing person cases in the Wollongong region.
One case involved Kay Docherty, who disappeared in 1979 at the age of fifteen. Her twin brother, Kevin Docherty, said both parents passed away without ever learning what happened to their daughter.
Another submission focused on Keren Rowland, who disappeared in 1971 in Canberra while pregnant. Her family believes her case may be linked to broader patterns of unsolved disappearances in New South Wales.
Possible Links to Notorious Serial Crimes
Some of the cases reviewed in the inquiry have been discussed in relation to the crimes of Ivan Milat, who was convicted of multiple backpacker murders in New South Wales between 1989 and 1992.
Milat targeted young travelers along highways between Sydney and Melbourne, with victims later found in Belanglo State Forest. While no official link has been confirmed for the older missing persons cases, families believe earlier investigative gaps may have allowed some cases to remain unresolved.
The inquiry highlights long standing concerns about how missing person cases were handled in earlier decades. Families continue to push for answers, accountability, and a deeper review of cold case investigations across New South Wales.
