Nearly a decade after William Tyrrell’s disappearance, the investigation into this long-standing mystery has hit another roadblock following the suspension of a key line of inquiry by NSW Police.

The review of evidence suggesting that the three-year-old’s foster mother might have been involved in the toddler’s disappearance was halted after a police request made to the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Last year, detectives from Strike Force Rosann provided the DPP with a brief of evidence recommending William’s foster mother be charged with offences relating to his disappearance

However, on Tuesday, May 21, a spokeswoman for the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions said the NSW Police Force had asked the prosecutor’s office to “suspend its consideration of their request for advice in this matter” until after scheduled inquest hearings in November and December had taken place.

There is no suggestion that William Tyrrell’s foster mother was responsible for the toddler’s death or disappearance. She has always denied any wrongdoing regarding William’s disappearance.

While the charges will not proceed, their announcement last year marked the first major development in the case since November 2021 when authorities announced renewed search efforts to find William, involving hundreds of police officers, in three specific locations in the Kendall area.

The search operation saw authorities meticulously comb through the Kendall property where William vanished, excavating the garden beneath the upper-level balcony, and examining soil in pursuit of any leads regarding the child’s disappearance. Canine units specialised in detecting human remains were also observed being guided throughout the area, while forensic experts deployed the chemical luminol to illuminate potential traces of blood that might have been present.

Authorities also collected and photographed several pieces of fabric, which were taken away for further forensic testing. Detectives also revealed that they had seized a Mazda on November 9, 2021 to undergo “extensive forensic examinations and analysis”.

As the search efforts neared their end, NSW Police revealed they were “very happy” with the items they had located.

William had been playing in the front yard of his grandmother’s property and was wearing a Spider-Man suit when he vanished on September 12, 2014. Despite extensive investigations and renewed search efforts by hundreds of volunteers and emergency service workers in 2021, he has never been found and his fate has remained a mystery.

-with AAP.