The little boy disappeared from the front yard of his foster grandmother’s Kendall home shortly after 10.30am on 12 September, 2014.

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He was just three years old.

Within hours, hundreds of locals joined emergency services crews scouring nearby bush, creeks and paddocks.

When he couldn’t be found, police feared William had been kidnapped and formed Strike Force Rosann to search for suspects.

A decade later, that Strike Force is still active and William’s vanishing is one of the country’s most prominent missing persons cases.

There have been multiple searches and false alarms; a recovery reward set at a landmark $1 million; court cases involving his former foster parents; compensation paid to a former suspect; and a coronial inquest that started in 2019 and is not set to resume until the end of this year.

And still there is no trace of the little boy last seen in his favourite Spiderman costume.

This National Missing Persons Week, state and federal police are jogging memories in the hope it will lead to fresh information about William, or any of the 2600 people on Australia’s list of ”long-term missing”.

That list includes Stephen Krech, who was last seen at his sister’s home in Hannam Vale on 13 June, 1994.

Some people have been on the list for so long that they would be nearing 100, including Victor Noakes who disappeared from Wauchope on 8 September, 1989.

He would be 97-years-old, if still alive.

This year’s Missing Persons Week theme is “Always Searching”.

Australian Federal Police Forensics Commander Joanne Cameron, said the cases of eight women who disappeared between 1975 and 2023, are a particular focus.

“With the important ongoing conversation and public focus on combating violence against women, the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre has chosen these cases to remind the public that the police are committed to following every lead,” she said in a statement to the media.

Those eight women are:

– Laura Haworth: missing since January, 2008, last seen in Queanbeyan, NSW.

– Anne Marie Jeffery: missing since August, 2020, last seen in Lake Arragan, NSW.

– Angie Lee Fuller: missing since January, 2023, last seen in Alice Springs, NT.

– Tanya Buckland: missing since August, 2013, last seen in Warwick, Queensland.

– Susan Goodwin: missing since July, 2002, last seen in Port Lincoln SA.

– Nancy Grunwaldt: missing since March, 1993, last seen in Scamander, Tasmania.

– Julie Garciacelay: missing since July, 1975, last seen in North Melbourne, Victoria.

– Chantelle McDougall: missing since July, 2007, last seen in Nannup, WA.

Missing Persons Week wraps up this weekend but Cmdr Cameron wants people to share information at any time, no matter how small.

“It could be the missing piece of the puzzle that brings peace to their family.”

Going missing is not a crime but the subjects of reports are encouraged to attend their nearest police station to show they are safe and well.

Anyone else with information about a missing person can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.

Information should not be left on NSW Police social media pages.

By Sue STEPHENSON