Australia Australia - Theo Hayez, 18, Belgian backpacker, Byron Bay, June 2019 #2

[Vail]

Vinden computerhackers een spoor naar verdwenen Theo Hayez?

The Australian federal police are putting hackers to work to collect information about people who have disappeared in Australia. The hackers are given 6 hours to try to discover new traces, based on information that is publicly available on the web, but that may well be hidden. They are so-called "ethical hackers": specialized in testing the security of computer systems. They are not criminals after your bank details.

The day is organized as a competition and in the end there are prizes to be won, such as vouchers or an advanced cyber security course . But unlike other virtual games, the goal here is to find real missing people.

...

The question that is on everyone's lips is whether the hackers today will also find more information about the latest conversations that Theo had via Whatsapp. In a press conference, Theo's father made an emotional appeal to the company to release information about those conversations, because there is hope that it might contain crucial information about his disappearance. But because those messages are strictly protected, with so-called "end to end encryption", even Whatsapp has no access to the content.

 

[Via Marple]

The Australian federal police are putting hackers to work to collect information about people who have disappeared in Australia. The hackers are given 6 hours to try to discover new traces, based on information that is publicly available on the web, but that may well be hidden. They are so-called "ethical hackers": specialized in testing the security of computer systems. They are not criminals after your bank details.

The day is organized as a competition and in the end there are prizes to be won, such as vouchers or an advanced cyber security course . But unlike other virtual games, the goal here is to find real missing people.

...

The question that is on everyone's lips is whether the hackers today will also find more information about the latest conversations that Theo had via Whatsapp. In a press conference, Theo's father made an emotional appeal to the company to release information about those conversations, because there is hope that it might contain crucial information about his disappearance. But because those messages are strictly protected, with so-called "end to end encryption", even Whatsapp has no access to the content.

But if hackers could hack into a relevant phone's whatapp contents, and that phone was indeed in communication with Theo's that night, they would find what they wanted.

Police would have to have some suspicious phones in mind, to begin with, I would guess.

Just found an Australian report:
Hackers To Help Police Find Missing Persons In World-First

Somewhat conflicting to say that -
====
The National Missing Persons Hackathon is a world-first operation and will put hackers to the ultimate test -- gathering open-source intelligence on long-term missing persons using only information that is publicly available on the internet. BBM
====

While saying
====
The participants are 'ethical hackers' -- someone who hacks into a computer in order to test its security, as opposed to gaining access to a system for criminal or malicious purposes. BBM
====

Edit for additional quotes

 

[tarabull]

Family believes grey cap belongs to missing Belgian backpacker

• 2 hours ago

 

[insanity]

Family believes grey cap belongs to missing Belgian backpacker

• 2 hours ago

Its paywalled. Can you summarise please.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Not paywalled for me for some reason.


"On July 7, a grey cap was discovered during a search of bushland near Tallows Beach, close to one of the last locations where his mobile phone "pinged" following his disappearance.

On Saturday, an update about the cap was posted on a Facebook page dedicated to the search for Mr Hayez.

"Although no DNA results have been released publicly and may not be for some time, the family is certain that it is Theo’s hat," the post said.
"The hat found was the exact same model and colour (grey, not black), shows the same wear and tear on the brim, and the position precisely matches one of his last known GPS locations"

 

[jash]

Family believes grey cap belongs to missing Belgian backpacker

• 2 hours ago

The brim looks so clean for being outside in the elements for over a month (hat was found on July 7th).

 

[Via Marple]

The brim looks so clean for being outside in the elements for over a month (hat was found on July 7th).

Don't know if it is again some photo effect... I had heard that it was soggy and dirty when found.

The dead leaves and dirt around it look quite dry though.

 

[mussopossum]

That's interesting given that the first area of search after the ping was made public was in the bushland at Clarke's Beach. I'm wondering if the Cape tower only might serve that.

Yeah was interesting and did not notice it till i just had to resize thse pics to post here. The closer to the cliff / rock area on beach it pinged Byron Con, on the sand near the water Tallow beach.

 

[mussopossum]

The brim looks so clean for being outside in the elements for over a month (hat was found on July 7th).

I still have an open mind it was planted there. At least that was my initial thought when it was leaked that it had been found. Back then I thought it may have been a similar hat that someone may have put there for whatever sick reason.

Just like when a firebug lights fires for attention.

I still do have an open mind that it was planted there, even after Theos family have said it was his.

To my knowledge, I thought that area was searched extensively both by police and volunteers in the beginning, then it suddenly appears later.

I have my own thoughts on this however im unable to discuss these due to the terms and rules here so will just keep those to myself.

 

[mussopossum]

The problem with investigating a potential serial killer is it takes time and a lot of investigation. More victims will, unfortunately, present a pattern and people will have information. Time and personality reveal the unsub IF they are revealed at all. Some psychopaths desire recognition and will get in touch with the police. This is how BTK got caught. They also insert themselves into investigations (a lot of them). Time. Investigation and following all leads.

Also a pattern will emerge, the similarity between the victims, IE backpackers, only males no female victims, locations, times of the year or months, connections, nationalities etc.

 

[Aron.Wor]

I am sure something will.
I believe my line of sight is clear in this case, and I can't see an accident.

 

[Aron.Wor]

The cap is misdirection, I believe.

 

[Via Marple]

I still have an open mind it was planted there. At least that was my initial thought when it was leaked that it had been found. Back then I thought it may have been a similar hat that someone may have put there for whatever sick reason.

Just like when a firebug lights fires for attention.

I still do have an open mind that it was planted there, even after Theos family have said it was his.

To my knowledge, I thought that area was searched extensively both by police and volunteers in the beginning, then it suddenly appears later.

I have my own thoughts on this however im unable to discuss these due to the terms and rules here so will just keep those to myself.

It is certainly possible to plant a cap there, for whatever reason.

But my quick research back when it was found, showed me that the style was not readily available in retail, here in Aus at that time.

That is not to say someone could buy it online and later plant it there. But that would involve quite a bit of planning, and by someone who had come across Theo before, to know the colour (that it was not black).

It might have been more likely that it was Theo's cap. If Theo himself didn't drop it there, then someone had it in their possession since his disappearance, and placed it there afterwards.

That's MOO MOO

Edit to add, it might even have been cleaned/washed, that's why DNA was lost.

 

[Aron.Wor]

Yeah, there were people all over the location of the disappearance.
If there is an unsub and the unsub took a trophy but become conspicuous, they might attempt to cause misdirection by placing the cap in a location that would suggest TH was near a cliff. Therefore people would postulate it was a terrible accident.

 

[mussopossum]

It is certainly possible to plant a cap there, for whatever reason.

But my quick research back when it was found, showed me that the style was not readily available in retail, here in Aus at that time.

That is not to say someone could buy it online and later plant it there. But that would involve quite a bit of planning, and by someone who had come across Theo before, to know the colour (that it was not black).

It might have been more likely that it was Theo's cap. If Theo himself didn't drop it there, then someone had it in their possession since his disappearance, and placed it there afterwards.

That's MOO MOO

Edit to add, it might even have been cleaned/washed, that's why DNA was lost.

I remember back when the hat was released in MSM asking if it had been seen that some searched online, marketplace Ebay etc and found a few same colours as Theos so it was mentioned that although there were not ample there were a couple out there for sale. My point wasnt that someone bought one then planted it for whatever reason, it was that someone that was either with him at the time that night and dropped it there later for whatever reason. Someone that I was chatting to commented though that they thought would be hard for someone to know that exact spot to go back to when it had been pitch black at the time and they also would not have known his route that night so they made a valid point and I am now not thinking so much it was planted.

IMO the inconclusive DNA reported may not necessarily mean Theos DNA is inconclusive, I am wondering more if it means someone elses DNA was also found on the hat and there is no match on the police data base making the testing and results inconclusive or any DNA supplied by Theos family was not a conclusive full match on the hat

Must be awful for his family.

 

[BusterXP]

It is certainly possible to plant a cap there, for whatever reason

It's a possibility for sure. There was at least one involved in the search who was very prominent and had a fallout.
Remember that knowledge that this cap was found wasn't meant to be public. The information was leaked.

 

[BusterXP]

But if hackers could hack into a relevant phone's whatapp contents, and that phone was indeed in communication with Theo's that night, they would find what they wanted.

Police would have to have some suspicious phones in mind, to

That's the difficulty - there's no phone to hack into and the messages are saved encrypted on the devices.
The Police would need a warrant to take possession of any other phone. Might get in through a back-door but that would then be illegal and not ethical.
If there are backups in Google Drive then I'd look at those re past messages. The backup isn't encrypted but is in a database format.
I reckon this approach is a lost cause. It will satisfy those with little knowledge of what can be done that the magic of hacking didn't reveal anything.

 

[mussopossum]

I know that things have been quiet and the thread has been quiet.

We have seen a lot of posts regarding Theos possible movements after leaving CM that night from the route that had been posted on MSM when the cap was found.

Based on what we know via MSM and the verified information via Theos family and Facebook search page, Why do you think Theo walked the direction he did that night and potentially ended up at Tallow Beach.

We know the route is not 100% accurate however, we only have this as a guide at this time with verification from Theos family and NSW police of his hat being located in bushland in the vicinity of this area.

Why would he have walked there that night?

Did he go there intentionally or was he looking for someone (to meet up) or something else and ended up heading to far and detoured to the beach

If he collapsed on the beach for whatever reason near the water, would he have been seen as high tide came in at daylight (did surfers frequent the beach early morning or walkers that would have seen something on the sand?)

If no sign of Theo after leaving CM, Where was he when his phone pinged that last time on the beach?
If he drowned that night or washed out with the tide early morning his phone must not have been on him? So where is that?

I am wondering if anybodys thoughts have changed or any new thoughts.

 

[Aron.Wor]

From the beginning, I have postulated that TH went in that direction for a specific reason. I'm not a judgemental person. I study people, and I have no issues with personal behaviors that cause no harm to other people. Why TH went in that direction is only important because of the outcome.
For whatever reason, TH did take that route and I believe it was planned, even if at last minute, and that someone else was the reason why he took that route. So no new thoughts from me.
I wish I could actually be more helpful than offering worse case scenarios, but the only thing that actually makes sense is that someone else was involved.
If you take the word of TH's family, that he was a thoughtful and organized traveler, it makes no sense for him to take that path, or take the risk of having an accident in BB Aus. Was he at such a state of intox that he failed to perceive any reasonable danger? It'd didn't appear that way from footage.

 

[Watergate]

Has anyone explored the possibility there's a connection between Theo's disappearance and backpackers Hugo Palmer and Erwan Ferrieux the previous Feb?
I know it was vaguely mentioned over the summer months in some articles but it didn't develop.
Does anyone have any updates beyond bones found linked to Erwan Ferrieux? It would NOT be unfair to say there's a high incidence of Caucasian males both European and native registered as missing along NSW from early 2000. Previous to Hugo Palmer and Erwan Ferrieux, a British tourist Aaron Payne disappeared south of Sydney without a trace Oct 2018. A gap of 3/4 months between them all.