Forensic teams searching for missing three-year-old William Tyrrell have searched the rural home of a tradesman who is understood to have given a quote at the boy's grandmother's house just days before he disappeared.
William vanished from his grandmother's house in Kendall, about 10 kilometres from Laurieton on the NSW mid-north coast, on September 12. He had been playing with his sister at the end of a cul-de-sac located near bushland.
On Wednesday detectives carried out a search at a rural property in Bonny Hills, 20 kilometres from Kendall.
The property is leased by 63-year-old William Harrie Spedding, a pawn shop owner and white goods repairman.
An excavator was called in and the property's septic tank was drained. Police seized a number of items from the home.
Mr Spedding is understood to have given a washing machine repair quote to William's grandmother four days before the boy disappeared.
William was not staying at the home at the time.
On Tuesday police executed a search warrant at a Laurieton pawn shop which is believed to be operated by Mr Spedding.
A small mattress and computer equipment were among the items seized
While police say they have spoken to a number of people about William's disappearance, no-one has been detained or charged.
It is understood an anonymous phone call helped lead them to the Bonny Hills property.
Mr Spedding had posted three messages about William's disappearance on his Facebook page.
On September 13, a day after the boy went missing, Mr Spedding shared a photo of William with the message: "Keep a lookout for him".
On September 30, he shared a photo with the message, "Still missing so everyone keep looking," while on December 2 he shared another photo, saying: "Don't give up looking".
Laurieton local Kerry Buttsworth owns a butchery across the road and said he saw one of Tuesday's searches unfold.
"We saw them taking a lot of gear out of the place. There was computers," he said.
"I believe there was a mattress taken out, and there was quite a few bags of stuff taken out. [It was] put in a police car and taken away."
A caravan in Laurieton was also inspected after reports an infant was heard crying there around the time William disappeared.
The ABC has been told a man and a woman from Victoria had hired the caravan and their details have been passed on to detectives.
Superintendent Paul Fehon from Port Macquarie police said the raids were not considered to be a major breakthrough.
"This is a line of enquiry that we are taking as part of the normal investigation phase for an investigation of this nature," he said.
"A number of items have been taken from both premises and they will be forensically examined as part of a normal police investigation.
"Investigators searched a number of premises in the Laurieton and surrounding areas [on Tuesday] as part of the ongoing investigation into the search for young William Tyrell.
"Forensic investigators will continue a search at one of those premises [on Wednesday]. Police will be continuing to follow up all aspects of investigations."
"This is a line of enquiry that we are taking as part of the normal investigation phase for an investigation of this nature," he said.
"A number of items have been taken from both premises and they will be forensically examined as part of a normal police investigation.
"Investigators searched a number of premises in the Laurieton and surrounding areas [on Tuesday] as part of the ongoing investigation into the search for young William Tyrell.
"Forensic investigators will continue a search at one of those premises [on Wednesday]. Police will be continuing to follow up all aspects of investigations."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-21/tradesmans-home-the-focus-of-search-for-william-tyrrell/6029822
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