Cheryl Grimmer Mystery: Did a NSW MP just expose her killer in Parliament?
Cheryl Grimmer vanished from a beach in New South Wales in 1970. Image Source: Grimmer Family
More than five decades after three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer vanished from a New South Wales beach, her mysterious disappearance has resurfaced in headlines after a chilling confession, long kept secret, was read aloud in NSW Parliament under parliamentary privilege.
The revelation came as MP Jeremy Buckingham publicly named the man who, as a 17-year-old, had confessed to abducting and killing Cheryl in 1971. Though his name remains suppressed for legal reasons, Buckingham’s emotional speech has renewed calls for justice and a fresh police investigation into one of Australia’s most haunting cold cases.
The Day Cheryl Grimmer Vanished From Fairy Meadow Beach
On January 12, 1970, the Grimmer family, British migrants newly settled in Australia, spent the afternoon at Fairy Meadow Beach near Wollongong. Cheryl, just three years old, was last seen running into a changing block after a swim. Moments later, she was gone.
Despite frantic searches and nationwide appeals, no trace of Cheryl was ever found. A year later, a 17-year-old boy confessed to abducting and strangling her, but police dismissed his story at the time. It wasn’t until 2016 that the confession resurfaced, prompting a new investigation and the man’s arrest under the pseudonym “Mercury.”
However, in 2019, the case collapsed when the court ruled the confession inadmissible, citing retrospective child interview protection laws.
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The Confession That Shocked Parliament
During the session in Parliament, MP Jeremy Buckingham broke down several times as he read from the confession, describing in disturbing detail how the teen abducted Cheryl, strangled her, and buried her in nearby bushland.
“I took her by the hand and put one hand around her mouth… she started to scream… I put my arms around her throat and strangled her,” Buckingham read, voice breaking.
He said he felt compelled to speak out because “no one has been punished for Cheryl Grimmer’s abduction and murder.”
While the confession has existed in police archives for decades, it was suppressed by the courts, leaving the Grimmer family in torment, and the alleged perpetrator a free man living anonymously in Australia.
The Grimmer Family’s Agony and Renewed Pleas for Justice
Cheryl’s family members, including her brother Ricki Nash and sister-in-law Linda Grimmer, were present in Parliament as the confession was read. The family had earlier issued an ultimatum for “Mercury” to come forward and explain how he knew information from the confession, or risk being named publicly.
“We’re not seeking to harm Mercury or his family,” Linda Grimmer told reporters. “We just want the truth. Someone out there knows what happened to Cheryl.”
For more than 50 years, the Grimmer family has fought tirelessly for answers, criticizing what they describe as police missteps and lost opportunities. Despite ongoing searches, including one using cadaver dogs at Bulli Pass, no remains have been found.
Authorities Call for a Fresh Investigation
Following Buckingham’s speech, calls for a new police investigation have intensified. The MP has since tabled a motion for a parliamentary inquiry into long-term missing persons, with the Cheryl Grimmer case at its center.
NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley expressed sympathy for the family, calling the case “heart-wrenching” and acknowledging their “five decades of pain and uncertainty.”
Police continue to maintain that the case remains open, with a $1 million reward for information still available.
A Case That Continues to Haunt Australia
The Cheryl Grimmer disappearance remains one of Australia’s oldest and most emotional mysteries, a case that has tested the justice system, raised ethical questions about legal privilege, and highlighted the deep scars left by unresolved crimes.
As public attention surges once again, the Grimmer family hopes that this latest revelation will bring the closure they have long been denied. For now, the truth remains buried, like Cheryl herself, still waiting to be found.
FAQ: Cheryl Grimmer Case Explained
1. Who was Cheryl Grimmer?
Cheryl Grimmer was a three-year-old British girl who disappeared from Fairy Meadow Beach in Wollongong, NSW, on January 12, 1970, shortly after her family migrated from Bristol to Australia.
2. What happened to her?
She was allegedly abducted from a shower block near the beach. A teenager confessed to killing her a year later, but his statement was dismissed and later ruled inadmissible in 2019.
3. Who is “Mercury”?
“Mercury” is the pseudonym for the man who confessed to Cheryl’s abduction and murder. His identity is legally protected because he was a minor at the time of the alleged crime.
4. Why was the confession inadmissible?
In 2019, a judge ruled that the 1971 confession could not be used because of retrospective child protection laws regarding police interviews with minors.
5. What did the MP reveal in Parliament?
NSW MP Jeremy Buckingham used parliamentary privilege to read out the suppressed confession and publicly name the alleged perpetrator, urging a new investigation.
6. Has anyone been convicted for Cheryl’s murder?
No. Despite a confession and several inquiries, no one has ever been convicted or officially held responsible for Cheryl’s disappearance.
7. What is Cheryl Grimmer’s family asking for now?
The family is demanding a fresh inquiry and for “Mercury” to explain how he knew specific details from the confession that were never public.
8. What is parliamentary privilege?
It’s a legal immunity that allows MPs to speak freely in Parliament, even about suppressed information, without facing legal consequences.
9. Is the case still open?
Yes. NSW Police have confirmed that the case remains active, with a $1 million reward still offered for any credible information.
10. Could there be a new trial?
If new evidence or witnesses emerge, possibly through public tips after this revelation, the case could potentially be reopened or retried.