SEVEN years ago on September 12, 2014, a three-year-old William Tyrrell went missing from his foster grandmother's yard in Kendall.
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He has not been seen since.
He has also not been forgotten.
When three-year-old Anthony 'AJ' Elfalak went missing from his family's Putty property in the Hunter this week, years of heartache over the Tyrrell case resurfaced.
AJ's family were reunited with their son on Monday (September 6) after PolAir helicopters found him in bushland just 500m from his home drinking water from a creek.
AJ's father described it as a "miracle". It was that, and more.
While one little boy was found and back safe in the arms of his family, another remains "lost".
"Where is William Tyrrell?" is a question we will continue to ask while ever we have no answers.
The little boy wearing the Spiderman suit is an image recognised internationally and defines one of Australia's most baffling missing child cases.
The wait for the findings of a coronial inquest conducted into the disappearance of William continues, with no date confirmed to finalise the exhaustive court process. There is also no indication Strike Force police are any closer to finding the piece of evidence that proves without a doubt what happened to the child.
Mystery, theories, rumour, accusations and innuendo continue to shroud the boy's disappearance with NSW Police this week reconfirming the seven-year investigation by Strike Force Rosann has not wavered and that police on the case are determined to find the family answers.
"The NSW Police Force remains committed to finding William Tyrrell with the Homicide Squad's Strike Force Rosann continuing to conduct investigations into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance," Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said in a statement issued on the anniversary of William's 10th birthday on June 26.
"Detectives are reviewing all evidence obtained since William's disappearance and have recently sought the assistance of numerous experts to ensure no stone is left unturned."
A NSW Police spokesperson said the investigation is now in the command of Detective Chief Inspector David Laidlaw.
"Their focus continues to be finding William Tyrrell and providing answers to his families," the spokesperson said.
In March 2019, a coronial inquest commenced into William's disappearance, which remains ongoing.
With the inquest still to be finalised, Supt Doherty says the homicide squad continue to update the deputy state coroner. Regular updates are also being provided to William's loved ones.
The Strike Force continues to pursue leads and persons of interest and encourages anyone who may have information to still come forward.
Police have formed the view the disappearance of William Tyrrell was as a result of human intervention.
The investigation originally led by Gary Jubelin left no stone unturned in the days and weeks that followed.
Hundreds of local residents and emergency service workers combined to search the rural community of Kendall, looking in scrub, creeks and paddocks for William.
Since that time, Strike Force Rosann detectives have conducted extensive investigations, including several co-ordinated searches of bushland near Herons Creek and Kendall.
In September 2016, the NSW government announced a $1 million reward for information that leads to the recovery of William Tyrrell, which remains on offer.
The Strike Force returned to Kendall in 2018 for another forensic search of the area.
Then Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin said at that time that while there was no evidence of William being in the location, there is a person who knows why investigators were searching this area.
The Strike Force wanted absolute certainty they have the investigation covered should it result in an arrest or go to an inquest, he said.
Det Ch Insp Jubelin said the purpose of the evidence, "whether it's presented to a court - coroner or criminal - is to prove that beyond reasonable doubt, William's disappearance was the result of human intervention and not misadventure".
William was taken into foster care at 11 months old.
Police have previously ruled out his foster and biological families as having played a role in his disappearance.
Mr Jubelin was stood down from the investigation and later resigned from the police force in 2019 after allegations of misconduct.
He failed in his appeal against convictions of illegally recording conversations during the William Tyrrell investigation, but said he couldn't live with himself if he didn't "go hard".
The lengthy coronial inquest exploring all the evidence into the disappearance of the toddler ended in October 2020 with an emotional plea by his 10-year-old sister - "I will find my brother and not give up until he is found".
The inquest, which began in March 2019, considered thousands of pieces of evidence collected by Strike Force Rosann, statements by persons of interest and recollections by family and neighbours of the morning William vanished.
Overseen by Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame, the inquest aims to determine if William's disappearance is a result of misadventure or by the hands of another person or persons.
It concluded in Lidcombe Coroner's Court in Sydney on October 8, 2020.
The coronial inquest findings were to be handed down by Deputy State Coroner Grahame in June 2021. A new date has not been determined.
Anyone with information should contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.
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