A British toddler named Cheryl Grimmer disappeared without a trace 55 years ago while her family was at the beach. Despite extensive searches, Cheryl has never been found.
Cheryl, along with her parents Carole and Vince, and brothers Ricki, Stephen, and Paul, relocated from Bristol to Australia in 1968 for a fresh start. Tragically, less than two years later, three-year-old Cheryl went missing during a routine beach outing.
On January 12, 1970, at Fairy Meadow beach, Cheryl was last seen with her family before vanishing. Her mother, Carole, decided it was time to leave, and as she gathered their things, Cheryl’s older brother, Ricki, realized his sister was missing from the shower area.
A frantic search ensued, with authorities exploring various theories, including that Cheryl had wandered off or been abducted. Witnesses reported seeing a man with Cheryl before she disappeared, but no concrete leads emerged at the time.
A teenager known as Mercury later confessed to Cheryl’s murder in the early 1970s but was not charged due to insufficient evidence. The case was reopened in 2016, leading to Mercury’s arrest in 2017. However, the trial was dismissed, leaving the family without closure.
Recently, Australian parliament member Jeremy Buckingham disclosed Mercury’s real name and called for a fresh investigation into Cheryl’s murder. The family, who has endured decades of uncertainty, demands answers and justice for Cheryl’s tragic fate.
Cheryl’s parents passed away without knowing their daughter’s fate. Her brother, Ricki, who blames himself for leaving Cheryl alone that fateful day, continues to seek the truth about what happened to his little sister.