Cheryl Grimmer
Three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was snatched from the changing rooms of a beach shower block in Wollongong, Australia. A suspect was identified in 2017 but charges were dismissed.
On January 12, 1970, the Grimmer family, recent British immigrants to Australia, visited Fairy Meadow Beach near Wollongong, New South Wales. Three-year-old Cheryl went into a shower and changing block with her three older brothers. When the boys came out, Cheryl was gone.
A witness reportedly saw a man carrying a small child from the area, but the description was vague. Despite an immediate search and widespread publicity, Cheryl was never found.
The case lay dormant for decades until renewed investigation in the 2010s. In 2017, a man was arrested and charged with Cheryl's murder based on a witness statement from the 1970s. However, the charges were dismissed when the court ruled that the suspect's interview as a teenager in 1971 was inadmissible.
Cheryl Grimmer's disappearance remains one of Australia's most enduring cold cases. Her family, including her brothers who were present at the time, have continued to seek answers.
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- NamUs (namus.nij.ojp.gov) — the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System accepts information on missing persons cases
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)
- The local police department or sheriff's office in Australia, or the state bureau of investigation
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