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‘Cold case Barnes’: Morcombe coroner called in to crack Tyrell case

The coroner who helped solve the lengthy investigation into the murder of teenager Daniel Morcombe has now been recruited to help solve the disappearance of William Tyrell.

Nicknamed ‘Cold Case Barnes’ due to his regular work on unsolved murders, NSW state coroner Micahel Barnes said he had been working with homicide detectives on the basis that William was still alive.

The coroner who helped solve the murder of Daniel Morcombe has been called in to assist with the investigation of missing boy William Tyrell.
The coroner who helped solve the murder of Daniel Morcombe has been called in to assist with the investigation of missing boy William Tyrell.

William was three-years-old when he was last seen in his grandmother’s Kendall front yard on September 2, 2014.

While there is a $1 million reward for information about William’s disappearance, Mr Barnes insisted that it was too early to emulate Daniel Morcombe’s investigation and launch by launching an inquest.

Daniel Morcombe was 13-years-old when he was abducted from a Queensland bus stop in December 2003 and it was suspected that he was murdered almost immediately.

Brett Peter Cowan was charged with the abduction and murder of Daniel Morcombe in 2011.
Brett Peter Cowan was charged with the abduction and murder of Daniel Morcombe in 2011.

It wasn’t until 2011 that his murderer, Brett Peter Cowan, was formally charged with his abduction and murder.

While Mr Barnes does have the ability to order an inquest, he has refrained from doing so as they are traditionally held at the close of a police investigation.