William Tyrrell’s heartbroken foster mother has revealed the final words she heard the little boy say before he disappeared from a home in New South Wales almost five years ago.
In chilling testimony delivered this week as part of a new inquiry into the toddler’s disappearance, the mum recalled listening to the three-year-old playing outside at his foster grandmother’s home in Kendall, NSW, on that fateful day in 2014.
According to The Australian, the woman, who cannot be named, told the court she and William had travelled to the small town to visit her mother when the unthinkable happened. She explained she had heard little William playing outside in the yard before everything went silent.
“He is roaring like a tiger. He runs around the corner, and I hear another roar. And then … nothing,” she reportedly said.
“And I think, that’s really weird. It’s just too quiet. I get up, and I walk around, and I go: William, where are you? You need to talk to me. I can’t see you. But he’s just gone.”
The mum also recounted details of a number of vehicles she had seen parked outside her mum’s home on the same day William went missing. According to The Australian she said she “locked eyes” with a “big man” in one of the cars and he gave her a “challenging look”.
The foster mother’s testimony marked the beginning of the inquest into William’s disappearance, with reports on Monday that the investigation will focus on a new person of interest.
According to The Sun Herald and the Sunday Age, the inquest, will hone in on a man who had never before been discussed in relation to the case.
The inquest, which is being run by Deputy State Coroner Harriet Graham, began by focusing on William’s family with further evidence containing at least 15,000 items reportedly handed over to Graham on Monday morning.
From this, investigators will reportedly show that the three-year-old was kidnapped from his foster grandmother’s home and did not wander into nearby bushland as was initially suggested.
The inquest follows news earlier this month that the top detective leading the search for William was removed from the case. Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin was taken off the case for alleged misconduct. He was interviewed by Professional Standards over claims he used a mobile phone to record a person without a warrant, according to 7 News. Jubelin made no comment about the matter.
Jubelin had been assigned to William Tyrrell’s case shortly after the young boy went missing from his foster grandmother’s home and had played a significant role in the investigation.