William Tyrell went missing on a Friday morning almost seven years ago. Photo / Supplied
William Tyrell went missing on a Friday morning almost seven years ago. Photo / Supplied
NSW Police says investigators remain committed to finding missing boy William Tyrrell, who vanished on the state's mid north coast in 2014, amid reports a new person of interest has been identified.
As the seventh anniversary of William's disappearance approaches on Sunday, police stressed a $1m reward remained in place for an information that could solve the mystery of his fate.
The boy was 3 years old when he went missing from his foster grandmother's home in Kendall, about 36km from Port Macquarie, on September 12, 2014.
He was last seen wearing his beloved Spider-Man costume, which has become synonymous with the high-profile missing person's case that captivated the nation.
On Tuesday The Daily Telegraph reported investigators were closing in on a person of interest previously ruled out in the case and are set to interview the suspect.
NSW Police would not confirm the report but said Strike Force Rosann detectives were not resting in their pursuit of William and who might have taken him.
"The NSW Police Force remains committed to finding William Tyrrell and investigations by the homicide squad's Strike Force Rosann, led by Detective Chief Inspector David Laidlaw, are ongoing," the police said in a statement.
"Strike force detectives are continuing to conduct interviews, searches and other investigative activity, including those under coronial orders, as well as reviewing all material with the assistance of various experts."
Police believe the boy is dead and a coronial inquest into his fate was launched in 2019.
The exhaustive investigation into his disappearance was one of the largest undertaken in NSW, and more than 600 persons of interest were identified.
The former lead detective on the case, celebrated veteran cop Gary Jubelin, was stood down in 2019 after being charged with illegally recording former suspect Paul Savage on a mobile phone.
The timeline of William's disappearance on September 12, 2014. Photo / Supplied
Jubelin argued in court he did so to protect his lawful interest but was convicted and fined $10,000. He unsuccessfully appealed the decision.
Several theories have been thrown up as to William's disappearance, including that he may have been kidnapped by a paedophile ring operating in the area.
Police will mark the seven-year anniversary of William's disappearance this weekend as part of an ongoing public appeal for information about the case.
William's mystery has been thrust back into the spotlight due to the striking similarities with the manhunt for NSW toddler Anthony "AJ" Elfalak, which culminated in a miraculous rescue on Monday.
Three-year-old AJ was missing for almost four days before being found by a police helicopter in a creek just 470m from his home in Putty, in the Hunter Region.
Some of the investigators involved in the search for William joined in the hunt for AJ.
