The Australian Child Who Vanished Without Leaving a Trace

On 12 January 1970, three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer walked into a shower block at Fairy Meadow Beach in Wollongong, New South Wales. About ten minutes later, she was gone. More than fifty-six years later, her body has not been found, a murder trial has collapsed, and her family is still fighting for a fresh prosecution. This documentary follows the full timeline of one of Australia's longest-running missing child cases: the English migrant family and their hostel by the sea, the first police search, the ransom note and the failed drop at Bulli, the 1971 confession, the 2011 coronial inquest, Strike Force Wessell, the 2017 arrest, the 2019 Supreme Court ruling that excluded the confession, the BBC podcast Fairy Meadow, the 2025 bush search at Balgownie, the NSW parliamentary inquiry, and the Director of Public Prosecutions' decision in September 2026. The man who confessed in 1971 cannot be named in this video. He is known in court as Mercury. He was never convicted, he pleaded not guilty, and he has reportedly said he is innocent. A reward of $1 million remains on offer. If you have any information about Cheryl Grimmer, contact NSW Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. CHAPTERS 0:00 Cold open Chapter One. A Hostel by the Sea Chapter Two. The Shower Block Chapter Three. Four Theories Chapter Four. Ten Thousand Dollars Chapter Five. The Boy in the Interview Room Chapter Six. Forty Years of Quiet Chapter Seven. Strike Force Wessell Chapter Eight. Frankston Chapter Nine. The Ruling Chapter Ten. Fairy Meadow Chapter Eleven. Parliamentary Privilege Chapter Twelve. What Remains