Witness: William Tyrrell – Episode 11: "What Now?" Detailed Summary

Introduction

In the poignant and investigative podcast series Witness: William Tyrrell, news.com.au delves deep into the mysterious disappearance of three-year-old William Tyrrell from Kendall, on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, on September 12, 2014. Despite a decade passing since William was last seen in his beloved Spider-Man suit, his whereabouts remain unknown. Episode 11, titled "What Now?", released on December 15, 2024, addresses the latest developments in the case, particularly focusing on the recently closed inquest and its implications.

Update on the Inquest

The episode opens with hosts Dan Box and Nina Young delivering unexpected news: the anticipated inquest into William Tyrrell’s disappearance will not proceed as initially planned. Instead of a public hearing expected to shed light on the case, the Coroner's Court has decided to close the evidence and vacate the hearing dates.

Dan Box (00:00): "The inquest isn't going ahead because... the Coroner has closed the evidence in this inquest and vacated the hearing dates."

This decision pivots the direction of the investigation, moving away from an open, public examination to a process that heavily relies on written submissions from involved parties, including the police, biological and foster families, the state government, and persons of interest.

Nina Young (01:22): "What does that mean?"

Dan Box (02:22): "Closing the evidence means she's not going to hear anything else in open court."

Implications of the Inquest Decision

The hosts discuss the ramifications of this decision, highlighting concerns about transparency and thoroughness. With the inquest not proceeding publicly, there is skepticism about whether the police investigation over the past four years has effectively addressed the mystery of William's disappearance.

Dan Box (03:30): "She doesn't want to interrogate that at all... that suggests she's not impressed that they have cracked the case."

Nina Young anticipates that the Coroner may likely return an open finding, stating that despite available evidence, the exact circumstances of William’s disappearance remain unresolved.

Nina Young (07:21): "What do you think this inquest will find?"

Dan Box (07:29): "I think it's inevitable now that the inquest is going to come back with an open finding."

Exclusive Police Perspective: Interview with Mick Fuller

A significant portion of the episode features an exclusive interview with Mick Fuller, the former New South Wales Police Commissioner, providing an insider’s view on the investigation's trajectory and its challenges.

Dan Box (27:15): "Mick Fuller, the police Commissioner... we have spent a good part of this series criticizing the police, hopefully fairly."

Fuller reflects on his tenure and the complexities of high-profile cases like William's. He acknowledges the persistent challenges and the emotional toll such investigations take on all parties involved.

Mick Fuller (28:48): "The sense of purpose that you get helping people, it's very difficult to get that feeling in other walks of life."

Fuller discusses the shift in investigative focus over the years, particularly the police team's emphasis on William's foster mother as a suspect, and defends the integrity and dedication of the investigative team under Detective Chief Inspector Dave Laidlaw.

Mick Fuller (26:49): "Look, statistically... those cases where the victim knows the perpetrator are overwhelmingly the majority."

He also touches upon criticisms received from William's foster parents regarding perceived lack of communication and support, expressing regret if any shortcomings affected their experience.

Mick Fuller (43:21): "Yeah, look, I honestly, if they felt as though that in some way that, you know, I let William down, then, you know, of course that would, you know, I would say sorry for that."

Coroner’s Anticipated Findings and Future Steps

The hosts speculate on the coroner's forthcoming findings, suggesting that an open finding might lead to the case being referred back to the police's unsolved homicide team. However, concerns are raised about the effectiveness of this team, given historical issues like backlogs and missing evidence.

Dan Box (08:15): "Who was involved, what happened. So they're going to come back with what is normally called an open finding, which means, basically, we don't know."

There is also an emphasis on the systemic issues within the child protection system in New South Wales, highlighting severe shortages in foster carers and the overwhelming number of children at risk—issues that the inquest is unlikely to address.

Dan Box (12:08): "There's such a shortage of foster carers... there's about 15,000 children on the New South Wales Child protection register."

Critical Examination of the Investigation Process

Dan Box criticizes the inquest for not examining the police investigation's efficacy over the past four years, questioning whether the focus on a single suspect may have led to tunnel vision and neglected other leads.

Dan Box (10:40): "But the thing is, normally in those cases... asking those questions is how you start to stop this happening again."

The podcast underscores the absence of public discourse surrounding crucial witnesses, such as William's sister, whose account of the day he went missing could hold significant weight in understanding the events.

Dan Box (54:34): "This one crucial witness who has said what she thinks William was doing at the time he went missing, hasn't been heard from in public."

Conclusion and Forward Look

As the episode wraps up, Dan Box and Nina Young acknowledge the unresolved questions surrounding William Tyrrell's disappearance and reaffirm the podcast's commitment to uncovering further truths.

Dan Box (58:26): "We still have questions. So... this inquest may have stopped, but this podcast hasn't."

They outline plans to continue investigating and reporting on new developments, emphasizing the ongoing quest for answers in a case that has captivated and confounded the Australian public for over a decade.

Production Credits

Acknowledging the collaborative effort behind the series, the episode credits Nina Young as Executive Producer, Tiffany Dimack on Sound Design, with production by Emily Pidgeon, Nicholas Adams Jasbar, Phoebe Zakowski Wallace, and Tabby Wilson. Research was conducted by Aidan Patrick, Original Music by Rory O'Connor, legal consultation by Stephen Coombs, and editing by Kerry Warren.

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