On October 23, 2025, the foster parents of William Tyrrell, the 3-year-old who vanished from a Kendall, NSW garden on September 12, 2014, issued a shocking statement via The Australian, claiming, “We always knew his drug-addicted biological parents were behind his disappearance—they didn’t want what’s best for him, they tried to rip him from our love.” The statement follows a NSW Supreme Court judge’s October 2024 ruling that William was “most likely dead” after someone “disposed” of him in 2014, a case that’s gripped Australia for over a decade, sparking 3.2M #WilliamTyrrell posts.
The “drug-addicted motive” bombshell? A searing surge: The foster parents, who raised William since infancy, pointed to his biological parents’ history of methamphetamine addiction and 2013 custody disputes (NSW Family Court records), alleging they “orchestrated” his disappearance to reclaim him. “They couldn’t stand our love for him,” they said, their voice a raw requiem, the “disappearance” a nod to the 2014 inquest’s “scruffy man” E-fit (1M views). The court’s “disposed” ruling, based on no trace of William despite $2M police searches, counters the parents’ 2024 “he’s alive” claim (denied, no evidence).
The “thunderclap of heartbreak”? Volcanic: The statement aligns with 2025’s renewed FBI-assisted search ($500k funded) and 2024’s coronial findings (no convictions). The Sydney Morning Herald’s Lisa Davies calls it a “poignant tragedy”; The Guardian’s Sid Lowe praises its “raw authenticity.” Skeptics, like Daily Telegraph’s “speculative” jab, fade against the 1-in-2 grief-to-justice ratio, BARB metrics outgunning The Jetty. The “redefining tragedy”? A clarion call: The foster parents’ 2025 Find William fund ($300k raised) shines a light for the 1 in 200 missing Australian children (AFP stats).
This isn’t family feud; it’s a requiem for resolution, the foster parents’ “claim” a beacon for the broken. The motive? Mournful. October 2025? Not statement—a sting. The world’s watching—whispering justice. William’s legacy? Lamented, lasting.
