It haunts the Grimmer family.
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Indeed it haunts the Illawarra.
How could a little girl be taken from a local beach and so many years on it remains unresolved.
While the search for three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer has been futile, the family's quest for justice remains.
Taken from Fairy Meadow Beach in 1970, the family and community held hope of a breakthrough when someone was finally arrested, extradited and charged over the alleged murder.
That suspect was due to face trial in the NSW Supreme Court this month.
However he walked free once the detailed 1971 confession to the crime was ruled inadmissible.
The Director of Public Prosecutions decided, in less than two hours, against appealing that decision.
Now the family's only hope remains with NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman.
Now, only he can decide whether justice will continue to be pursued for Cheryl and her family.
In the final of a three-part series with the Illawarra Mercury, Cheryl's brother Ricki Nash said the family felt let down by the system.
"The legal system has given approval to rip him out of his normal life based on evidence put forward after 50 years, they extradite him, incarcerate him for two years, then in 90 minutes say 'no we are not going to proceed any further'," Ricki Nash told the Mercury.
"Their care factor for us, the victim's family is zero. They build us up over the last two years and give us hope and then rip it out after 90 minutes of deliberation."
Now the family's hopes for justice rest with Mr Speakman.
He has an enormous decision to make.
The family and this region await to see whether the pursuit for answers and justice will continue or may well be lost possibly forever.
To see the other two in the three-part series with Ricki Nash, go online to illawarramercury.com.au