William Tyrrell (born 26 June 2011) is an Australian boy who disappeared at the age of three from Kendall, New South Wales, on 12 September 2014.

His grandmother's house on Benaroon Drive is directly across a bush road from the Kendall State Forest, about 35 kilometres (22 mi) south of Port Macquarie.

His foster mother went inside to make a cup of tea; she became worried after she had not heard him for five minutes and began searching the yard and house.

Shortly after, Tyrrell's foster father returned after going to Lakewood on business and began searching the street and door-knocking neighbours.

[13] "Strike Force Rosann" was established with specially trained investigators from the State Crime Command who were experienced in the unexplained disappearance of young children.

[14] Police later began investigations into finding the drivers of two cars that were seen parked on the dead-end road on the morning Tyrrell disappeared.

The cars, described as a white station wagon and an older-style grey sedan, were parked between two driveways of the acre lot of land.

[15] Reportedly, at 9:00 am, a green or grey sedan car drove past the Benaroon Drive residence while Tyrrell and his sister were riding bikes in the driveway.

[12] The police cleared Tyrrell's family of any involvement in the disappearance and initially believed the boy was abducted by an opportunistic stranger who may have a connection with a paedophile ring.

A Current Affair reported that about twenty registered sex offenders were living in the surrounding area of Kendall where Tyrrell went missing.

[20] Another man who repaired a washing machine at the Benaroon Drive residence faced unrelated historical child sex charges in Victoria and was due to appear in court on 4 July 2016.

The man posted an online video in September 2015 denying any involvement in the Tyrrell disappearance and was not present on Benaroon Drive on the day the boy vanished.

The man sued the New South Wales Police Force for damages in relation to misfeasance in public office, abuse of process and malicious prosecution.

[24] In December of 2022, the Supreme Court of New South Wales awarded him $1.48 million damages plus interest finding that Lead detective Gary Jubelin's pursuit of him was 'malicious' and that fabricated historical sex crimes had been brought with the sole purpose of pressuring the suspect into confessing to the Tyrrell disappearance.

The ramped-up investigation came after a personal plea from Tyrrell's parents to members of State Parliament, Deputy Premier and Minister for Justice, at a private event in late 2015.

[39][40] On 15 November 2021, NSW police announced that they had received new evidence and were renewing the search for Tyrrell in three regions surrounding the town of Kendall, this time with the assumption that they would be finding his remains.

[45] The father of murdered teenager Daniel Morcombe had criticised the NSW government's refusal to allow Tyrrell's parents to speak publicly about their son's disappearance as it was vital in helping to generate information that was then followed up by the police.

But the NSW government released a statement saying its "key priority is to always act in the interests of the safety and wellbeing of children and not in any way to jeopardise ongoing police investigations".

[41] In April 2022, Tyrrell's foster mother was charged with giving false or misleading information about the boy’s disappearance to a NSW Crime Commission hearing.