In a dramatic turn of events, the identity of a key person of interest in the 1970 disappearance of three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer has been revealed in the New South Wales parliament. The man, referred to as Mercury, was named by Jeremy Buckingham, a member of the Legislative Council, using parliamentary privilege. Mercury’s identity had been legally protected until now. Cheryl vanished from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong, Australia, on January 12, 1970, while her family was packing up after a day at the beach. Despite extensive searches, no trace of her was ever found. In 2017, Mercury was charged with her abduction and murder based on a teenage confession from 1971. However, the case was dismissed after a judge ruled the confession inadmissible. Mercury maintains his innocence. Cheryl’s family, who migrated to Australia from Bristol as part of the Ten Pound Poms scheme, has endured decades of anguish. They have been pushing for a fresh investigation since the case collapsed six years ago. Last week, they issued an ultimatum to Mercury, urging him to reveal his identity and clarify the details of his confession. The family has also criticized the handling of the case by NSW authorities, releasing a document detailing alleged missteps. Despite a four-year review of the case concluding there was no new evidence to secure a conviction, the family remains hopeful. Recent searches using cadaver detection dogs in an “area of interest” yielded only animal bones. Meanwhile, NSW Police have defended their efforts, emphasizing that homicide detectives continue to investigate and a A$1 million reward for information remains active. In a broader context, the NSW parliament has announced an inquiry into long-term missing persons cases, including Cheryl’s, to evaluate investigative practices and improve outcomes.