Australia Australia - Daniel Thomas, 2, Myrtleford, 17 Oct 2003

Homicide detectives believe missing toddler Daniel Thomas was abducted from the house of his babysitter, who left him alone for three hours last Friday afternoon when he went missing.

Detective Senior Sergeant Rowland Legg said yesterday it was unlikely the sick two-year-old could have wandered from the house in Myrtleford, in north-eastern Victoria.

Daniel, an asthmatic, was wearing heavy bandages to cover severe eczema when last seen at the house in Standish Street.

Senior Sergeant Legg said that the babysitter had told police she left Daniel for three hours to keep a doctor's appointment in nearby Wangaratta.

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Senior Sergeant Legg said the babysitter had told police Daniel had been left alone in the house.

Daniel's age and poor health were other reasons police suspected foul play, he said.

Daniel is described as Aboriginal in appearance with dark hair, and was wearing a bandage on his forehead.

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Detective Senior Sergeant Roland Legg said the brief to the coroner would include allegations the child was tortured.

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The family of a two-year-old found buried beneath a house might finally get some answers when a Victorian coroner delivers a finding on Thursday....

Last year's inquest into the mystery featured plenty of finger-pointing as sensational accusations flew at both his mother, Donna Thomas, and babysitter, Mandy Martyn...

The Wangaratta inquest also heard claims Daniel suffered abuse at the hands of both Ms Thomas and Ms Martin...

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The death of Myrtleford toddler Daniel Thomas in 2003 was caused by his babysitter, Mandy Martyn, who inflicted injuries on him, the Victorian coroner has found.

The coroner found the two-year-old's mother was also partly responsible for not protecting her son...

In two seperate conversations secretly recorded by police after the discovery, Ms Martyn told her drug counsellor and carer she had buried the toddler's body under the house. But she said she was not the last one to see the young boy alive and denied killing him.

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