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The family of a British toddler who vanished from an Australian beach more than 50 years ago has shared the lasting impact of police failures during an inquiry in New South Wales (NSW) focused on unsolved murders and long-term missing persons. Ricki Nash, brother of Cheryl Grimmer, expressed how different outcomes might have been if authorities had properly investigated the case in 1971. Cheryl, just three years old at the time, disappeared from Fairy Meadow beach near Wollongong in January 1970. Despite extensive efforts to locate her, no meaningful leads ever emerged.
In 2017, a man known by the nickname “Mercury” was charged with Cheryl’s abduction and murder, but his trial eventually fell apart after a confession he made as a teenager was deemed inadmissible in court. Mercury denies any involvement, and the prosecution subsequently dropped the charges. Cheryl’s family had moved from Bristol to Australia nearly two years before her disappearance. Ricki Nash described his sister to the inquiry as “an amazing funny little girl,” emphasizing that she was much more than just a case file.
The inquiry also heard testimony from Kevin Docherty, whose sister Kay went missing near Wollongong in 1979 at age 15. He recalled the heartbreak suffered by their parents, who died within eight years of each other without ever learning what happened to their daughter. Kevin recounted how the family believed police had prematurely labeled Kay as a runaway, resulting in inadequate investigation efforts. Kay’s case, along with others, is being examined for possible connections to Ivan Milat, a notorious Australian serial killer responsible for abducting and murdering seven young backpackers between 1989 and 1992.
Among those participating in the inquiry was the family of Keren Rowland, who disappeared in Canberra in 1971 at age 20 while five months pregnant. They suspect she may have been Milat’s first victim. Dr. Andrea Hughes, Keren’s cousin, criticized decades of investigative failures characterized by “ignorance, poor leadership, parochialism and arrogance.” Forensic criminologist Dr. Xanthe Weston shared insights from her research on Milat, describing him as “egocentric” and noting that following his sister’s death, Milat “compensated by killing.” The inquiry is expected to continue holding further hearings in the coming months, while NSW police have been contacted for comment
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