Australia - Sydney, Lilie James, water polo coach, murdered at elite school, assassin sports assistant Paul Thijssen suicided, 25 Oct 2023

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iamshadow21

iamshadow21

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www.abc.net.au

Prestigious Sydney school a crime scene after staff member found dead in suspected murder

The body of Lilie James was found in the toilet area of the gym and a crime scene was established on the grounds. Investigating detectives are also searching for Ms James' colleague Paul Thijssen.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au

Homicide detectives are investigating after being called to St Andrew's Cathedral School on Kent Street just before midnight.

The body of water polo coach Lilie James was found in the toilet area of the gym and a crime scene was established on the grounds of the 138-year-old independent Anglican school in the heart of the city.

Ms James, aged in her early 20s, was employed at the school, which has 1,440 students.

...

Superintendent Fileman said investigating officers were searching for a man, also aged in his 20s, who was also employed by the school.

The ABC has confirmed his identity as Paul Thijssen.

...

A second crime scene has been established at Diamond Bay Reserve in Vaucluse, where items "associated with the homicide" were found and police have cordoned off an area near a cliff.
 

Tl;dr of this article, apparently, she'd just broken up with him. Also, the cliff site is at The Gap, which anyone from the greater Sydney area knows has a reputation similar to Beachy Head in the south of England for those wanting to end things. I don't think there's much doubt he's going to be found in the water, unless he left the items there to make police think that's what he did, and he's actually on the run. Sounds like amongst the other evidence from the crime scene, they have CCTV footage of the moments leading up to the murder. I doubt the actual event is recorded, since she was found in a toilet area, but I assume there would be enough to be sure who was with her when she died.

MOO
 
*sigh* I never enjoy giving the Mail the clicks, but as in many cases, this time they have far more information and photos than the rest. There's a lot about both the victim and the suspect, but also crucial evidence from the crime and the aftermath that haven't been covered by other sources.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Horrific new details emerge about suspected murder of Lilie James

A 21-year-old female water polo instructor at a prestigious Sydney school was bashed to death with a hammer - as police are still hunting for her suspected killer.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

Important stuff, IMO:

* The murder weapon is (allegedly) a hammer.
* Paul Thijssen called police four hours after the crime. Content of the phone call is unknown to the Mail. The phone call was traced to The Gap, the secondary location on the clifftop.
* A backpack and some of his belongings were found there, including Apple Airpods.
* An item 'linked to the homicide' was also recovered. They haven't said what, but it's probably not a stretch to assume it may be the hammer.
* They also towed a Silver Lexus.
* A police rescue helicopter was continuously circling, presumably looking for his body in the water along that section of coastline, or other items he may have thrown down the cliff.
* The CCTV shows him following her into the bathroom, then leaving the scene OVER AN HOUR later. Lilie never again leaves the bathroom.
* A couple of people who know him are bucking the trend of talking about how wonderful he is, suggesting he had a darker side.

On the way that it has been talked about, I think the fact that the word 'confronting' has been used to describe the scene by police is an indication of just how brutal this murder was. Police see death a lot, not just homicides, but suicides, and accidents involving cars and trucks and trains. The suspect was with her for over an hour before he left. This wasn't a blitz attack that lasted ten seconds and then he legged it. I don't know what he did to her, but I have a strong suspicion there won't be an open casket. I only hope he didn't sexually assault her, first or after. I hate that my mind goes there, but I've read about a lot of horrible crimes over the years, and I've seen it before. I hope it was quick enough that she didn't know about it and as close to painless as a bludgeoning can be. Nobody deserves this.

MOO
 
And I know the articles all just said 'Sydney' or 'Sydney CBD' , but until I saw that map, I had no idea how central that school was. For those who don't know - the line across the water below the number one is the Harbour Bridge. The horseshoe shaped green bit is the Botanic Gardens. The top left of that green bit, behind that shadow triangle attached to the text box is where the Opera House is. It is almost right on top of Town Hall Station, probably a minute or two's walk from the QVB. I knew there was a Cathedral there - it's lovely! Don't know if I've ever been inside, but the outside is very nice. Made of that beautiful golden sandstone the early Sydney buildings were made from before the quarries ran out. Had no idea there was a school attached to it.

MOO
 
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TootsieFootsie said:
Leaving or not wanting a relationship can be a very dangerous time for a woman :(
Click to expand...
That comment about his arrogance made my skin crawl, made me suspect he couldn't abide the narcissistic injury of someone leaving him rather than the other way around. That he could react so violently after the ending a relationship of just over a month is horrifying.

MOO
 
It’s understood Mr Thijssen - who comes from a privileged family - moved to Australia from the Netherlands in 2015 and began studying at St Andrew’s.


At The Gap his backpack was found with EarPods but his phone wasn’t mentioned and ‘silver Lexus’ was towed away.

Call me super suspicious but it is possible he created this.
This is very close to where Melissa Caddick supposedly jumped to her death.
 
St Andrew’s Cathedral is a private day school for children from Kindergarten to Year 12.

The Anglican school charges tuition fees up to $36,770 a year.

More than 1400 students attend the school, which was founded in 1885 as a choir school for nearby St Andrew’s Cathedral.

It is ranked 157th in NSW in the 2022 HSC, with 660 exams sat by year 12 students and 72 distinguished achievements awarded.

 
they'll get you said:
It’s understood Mr Thijssen - who comes from a privileged family - moved to Australia from the Netherlands in 2015 and began studying at St Andrew’s.


At The Gap his backpack was found with EarPods but his phone wasn’t mentioned and ‘silver Lexus’ was towed away.

Call me super suspicious but it is possible he created this.
This is very close to where Melissa Caddick supposedly jumped to her death.
Click to expand...
Well, they did find her foot, disarticulated postmortem, so in all likelihood, she did go in. The coroner thought so, and that's their job. But if I was going to fake a suicide in Sydney, that's the first place I'd think of. Not the Bridge - too many cameras, constant traffic. But The Gap, in the middle of the night? Who'd see you go in? Nobody.

The phone call, though. If he was on the phone when he jumped? They might have an idea how likely he is that he's in the water versus running around. They've done the whole 'no risk to the public' speech. Given the brutality of the crime and his trusted access to vulnerable people (children as young as five), I don't think they'd trot that line out if they seriously thought he there was a possibility he was still in a position to hurt anybody.

MOO
 
Police have established a second crime scene at Diamond Bay in Vaucluse.

1698362723511.jpeg


www.9news.com.au

CCTV shows suspected killer in hours after Lilie James' murder

www.9news.com.au www.9news.com.au
 
Five weeks. Hard to believe he could have formed such a perspective of such deep and abiding ownership over her, her body, her soul, her time, her thoughts. But he obviously did, and even his Silver Lexus didn't compensate. Whatever he owned , whatever attributes he had, assets he had, his expensive education, his healthy , trouble free life , a well fed life, with access to unlimited funds, his circle of equally well fed expensively educated well shod friends , living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, working in one of the most beautiful locations in that beautiful city, none of this made the slightest bit of difference.

He wanted to kill her, he did kill her, he killed her with his bare hand, wielding a hammer , striking her over and over again, in a ladies toilet in a childrens school.

Just up and killed her.
 
Trooper said:
Five weeks. Hard to believe he could have formed such a perspective of such deep and abiding ownership over her, her body, her soul, her time, her thoughts. But he obviously did, and even his Silver Lexus didn't compensate. Whatever he owned , whatever attributes he had, assets he had, his expensive education, his healthy , trouble free life , a well fed life, with access to unlimited funds, his circle of equally well fed expensively educated well shod friends , living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, working in one of the most beautiful locations in that beautiful city, none of this made the slightest bit of difference.

He wanted to kill her, he did kill her, he killed her with his bare hand, wielding a hammer , striking her over and over again, in a ladies toilet in a childrens school.

Just up and killed her.
Click to expand...
Another selfish gutless male, what’s wrong with these guys, it’s such a waste of a girl with so much potential.
 
I've been thinking and reading about this case quite a lot since yesterday. I live in Melbourne, not Sydney, but it's really hard to take murder cases like this in Australia. The fact it took place at a school feels like a new level of brutality that is hard to explain. Given that the victim and the perpetrator are in my age bracket, that really hits home as well.

And as a man, I'm really sick of the scourge of violence against women in this country, perpetrated by either partners, proven or alleged (Hannah Clarke, Karen Ristevski) or complete strangers (Jill Meagher, Euridyce Dixon). There are many such cases more than I've listed here. Something really needs to change to end this culture of male entitlement and aggression when rejected. This type of thing should never happen. And my heart breaks for Lilie's family and school community. Such a sad, enraging case. IMO MOO
 
So far in 2023, a woman has been murdered every five days and yet men continue to remain silent on the issue.

www.whiteribbon.org.au

Domestic Violence Deaths Australia 2023 | White Ribbon

Looking for the latest information on domestic violence deaths in Australia in 2023? Encourage men to not be silent on this issue. Click here to stay informed.
www.whiteribbon.org.au www.whiteribbon.org.au
 
in an eerie twist, a close friend has claimed the pair were spotted at the same park together just three weeks before the brutal murder.

Concerned parents at the scene told news.com.au their child was close friends with Ms James and claimed she had been seen at the same park with her suspected killer “three weeks ago”.

Police investigating Ms James’ murder raced to the edge of the cliffs at Diamond Bay Reserve under lights and sirens after a body was found in the water just after 8am on Friday.

 
MrJ said:
I've been thinking and reading about this case quite a lot since yesterday. I live in Melbourne, not Sydney, but it's really hard to take murder cases like this in Australia. The fact it took place at a school feels like a new level of brutality that is hard to explain. Given that the victim and the perpetrator are in my age bracket, that really hits home as well.

And as a man, I'm really sick of the scourge of violence against women in this country, perpetrated by either partners, proven or alleged (Hannah Clarke, Karen Ristevski) or complete strangers (Jill Meagher, Euridyce Dixon). There are many such cases more than I've listed here. Something really needs to change to end this culture of male entitlement and aggression when rejected. This type of thing should never happen. And my heart breaks for Lilie's family and school community. Such a sad, enraging case. IMO MOO
Click to expand...
I admire your post, immensely. Not an easy perspective to take, but you nailed it with the male entitlement and the aggression, the overkill, the viciousness and brutality . He took his time, an hour or so, it's unspeakable, incomprehensible, yet, for us all to survive, we have to observe it, study it, try and hold it up to the light and examine it.

Where to start with this one ..... she didn't borrow money off him ,she hadn't stuck him with parental duties, and fees, she didn't damage his car, she had not, as far as is known , disobeyed him publicly, she hadn't laughed at him, she had not betrayed him sexually, and that's her call not his, she merely, and simply, chose, and as is perfectly obvious, chose wisely, not to continue this small, insignificant relationship, if it can be called even that, she was honest, and most likely polite about it.

In the scale of things, it was not , it could not be such a big deal, such a life and death matter, where did that rage come from, from what deep turgid toxic well had it been bubbling away .??
 
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I do honestly believe that this ... well.. this habit, of men killing women, habit may not be the correct word, but it is so commonplace, so predictable, ( statistically, another Lilie will be murdered, probably in Sydney, next week, around Wednesday) this habit, then , is something only men can alter, can fix. I just don't think women can even remotely, even in the tiniest particular, be of any agent of change in this hideous, terrifying statistic. How , I do not know. But surely, it can only begin to change if enough men themselves get sickened by it, so sickened of it, so repulsed by it that they take it up with other men as a cultural deliberation. That those lone quiet voices of men become the majority sound. .. .... .
 
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