William Tyrrell’s biological grandmother makes shock disappearance confession: ‘I hid them’

Shocking revelations have emerged that William Tyrrell was reported missing years before he disappeared on September 12, 2024.

William, who was three years old when he disappeared more than a decade ago, had gone into hiding two years earlier by his grandmother, Natalie Collins.

Ms Collins said she was behind his first disappearance after a court ordered he be taken from his biological parents: her son Brendan Collins and Karlie Tyrrell.

“So I hid them,” Mrs. Collins said news.com.au’s podcast Witness: William Tyrrell.

“I hid them for three months after I knew (NSW government officials) were going to take William away… I arranged it all.”

William was just seven months old in February 2012 when the court ordered that his biological parents’ belongings be taken away.

The Department of Family and Community Services was concerned about domestic violence and substance abuse within the boy’s family, a court heard.

William’s mother was at the hearing and so knew her son would be placed under the parental responsibility of a NSW Government minister.

William, who was three years old when he was last seen more than a decade ago, had also been taken into hiding by his grandmother, Natalie Collins, more than two years earlier (pictured)

But when authorities came to pick William up from her home that afternoon, the family was in hiding with Mrs. Collins, who said she was the “mastermind” of the disappearance.

A police strike force called Duncraig was set up to find William, and after many failures and wrong turns he was later found in 2012 and the boy was placed with foster parents.

That couple, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, reported him missing in 2014.

William has never been seen since and no one has been charged in the disappearance.

The second disappearance ten years ago led to the creation of the Rosann strike force.

Ms Collins said given William’s second disappearance, the NSW government “didn’t do its job properly” and should not have taken him from his biological family.

She said, “This shouldn’t be happening to foster kids these days…I have a son in rehab, I have one in jail and my family is full.

“I lost my son and I lost myself along the way.”

The podcast also spoke with a government official who was there when William was taken from his mother before being placed with his foster parents.

He also wonders if taking William away from Mrs. Tyrrell was the right thing to do.

“We take children from families all the time,” said the man, who wished to remain anonymous, breaking into tears. ‘You do it. It’s part of the job.

The three-year-old was last seen playing hide and seek with his sister outside this home before his disappearance

“What makes me angry is… that we took William away from Karlie to protect him. I can still see myself walking into that damn unit… And there was William on the floor.

“And I just think…did we do the right thing? Would he still be alive? Maybe.’

The man said he still thinks about William Tyrrell regularly. ‘Not from day to day, but it does affect me. Because it keeps coming back.’

The investigation into William’s suspected death will resume in November.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Communities and Justice for comment.