Australia Australia - Theo Hayez, 18, Belgian backpacker, Byron Bay, June 2019 #3

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  • #341
Its almost sounds like they were playing games or just mucking around having a bit of fun there, maybe dealing.

I just can't get why Theo would have walked there... at all.
could Theo have mistakenly gone down that way thinking it was a safe passage way to the beach?

Otherwise I can’t think why either. IMO there is not enough evidence that has been released that would suggest he had the time or inclination to meet with someone at Tennyson. IMO he mistakenly took Kingsley, got his bearings and then thought cutting through Tennyson to the beach would be a good and safe idea.
 
  • #342
could Theo have mistakenly gone down that way thinking it was a safe passage way to the beach?

Otherwise I can’t think why either. IMO there is not enough evidence that has been released that would suggest he had the time or inclination to meet with someone at Tennyson. IMO he mistakenly took Kingsley, got his bearings and then thought cutting through Tennyson to the beach would be a good and safe idea.


Yes, I agree that Theo likely planned to walk the beach back to his hostel - should have been a nice Aussie experience - heading to the beach along what he thought was the best well-lit road (as Middleton is very dark in that first block or so from Cheeky Monkeys/Kingsley Street, no streetlights in that block).
 
  • #343
could Theo have mistakenly gone down that way thinking it was a safe passage way to the beach?

Otherwise I can’t think why either. IMO there is not enough evidence that has been released that would suggest he had the time or inclination to meet with someone at Tennyson. IMO he mistakenly took Kingsley, got his bearings and then thought cutting through Tennyson to the beach would be a good and safe idea.

It does cross over to the main beach through the bush there but to main beach not Tallows as you know.

I am still at a loss why he walked down there
 
  • #344
My experience posted above was in the first week of November 2019 so only recent.

Also realised my username might be misleading! It’s one I often use and relates to drifting cars not being a vagrant!

No explanation needed at all drifter. I don’t even know what “drifting cars” means haha. I just asked to see if it was recent and those kids might be more or less the same bunch hanging around there mid year. You also said, “We're all mid-late 30's and our wild days are behind us”, which then made me think that you meant it happened a couple of decades ago, so was just clarifying. Ta :)
 
  • #345
It does cross over to the main beach through the bush there but to main beach not Tallows as you know.

I am still at a loss why he walked down there

I don't think the walk to Tallows was part of the plan, only the walk to the main beach ... then on to the hostel, walking along the beach.

Something likely happened at the rec grounds. imo
 
  • #346
No explanation needed at all drifter. I don’t even know what “drifting cars” means haha. I just asked to see if it was recent and those kids might be more or less the same bunch hanging around there mid year. You also said, “We're all mid-late 30's and our wild days are behind us”, which then made me think that you meant it happened a couple of decades ago, so was just clarifying. Ta :)

Are you a Fast and the furious fan?

Tokyo Drift sums it up

Another one of my loves.... cars
 
  • #347
Are you a Fast and the furious fan?

Tokyo Drift sums it up

Another one of my loves.... cars

Haha noooo! What am I missing!? I just googled drifting and am now going how the hell do you retain control if you’ve lost traction??? The things you learn. So funny
 
  • #348
I don't think the walk to Tallows was part of the plan, only the walk to the main beach ... then on to the hostel, walking along the beach.

Something likely happened at the rec grounds. imo
i agree 100% SouthAussie. You articulated that better than me (Theo walking up the beach to his hostel).

I also wanted to ad, before Theo went missing, I had a totally different opinion of Byron than I do now. I had no idea about the ‘dark underbelly’. I have always been led to believe that it is this totally idyllic, safe place to go anytime.

Because they hid the underbelly for tourism, perhaps it led Theo (as it would have led me) to believe cutting through the bushland from Tennyson to Gilmore would be safe. IMO
 
  • #349
could Theo have mistakenly gone down that way thinking it was a safe passage way to the beach?

Otherwise I can’t think why either. IMO there is not enough evidence that has been released that would suggest he had the time or inclination to meet with someone at Tennyson. IMO he mistakenly took Kingsley, got his bearings and then thought cutting through Tennyson to the beach would be a good and safe idea.
Initially I thought he may have headed that way towards Clarkes Beach with the plan to go either back to WU or up to the lighthouse and then plans may have changed.
 
  • #350
Hi folks, I’m a long time reader first time poster. Been watching this case discussion for the past six months. Nice work everyone.

I can’t get past the 7 minute stop at the entrance to the rec grounds. 7 mins is a really long time on a cold dark night. There’s mention of phone activity/texts etc late in the eve but nothing at this point which IMO indicates he may have run into random/new people. Would be good to have more info about this leg of the journey.
 
  • #351
I don't think the walk to Tallows was part of the plan, only the walk to the main beach ... then on to the hostel, walking along the beach.

Something likely happened at the rec grounds. imo

So agree. I think his whole intention was to go home. Just not directly. If he was google mapping WU constantly, he’d also see the surrounding streets and spots like the beach, and all in relation to his destination. Easy enough on the map. Just don’t get why he didn’t go up Middleton instead of Tennyson though. I’m not convinced it was because Middleton looks dark & scary like suggested, and makes me think Tennyson was deliberate.
 

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  • #352
Haha noooo! What am I missing!? I just googled drifting and am now going how the hell do you retain control if you’ve lost traction??? The things you learn. So funny

Pretty cool stuff. A lot of precision and skill.
 
  • #353
Hi folks, I’m a long time reader first time poster. Been watching this case discussion for the past six months. Nice work everyone.

I can’t get past the 7 minute stop at the entrance to the rec grounds. 7 mins is a really long time on a cold dark night. There’s mention of phone activity/texts etc late in the eve but nothing at this point which IMO indicates he may have run into random/new people. Would be good to have more info about this leg of the journey.

Welcome AJF. IF he simply was heading home via a stroll on the beach or whatever, and headed up Tennyson simply to wander to the beach, then as you say, he could’ve just come upon guys at the oval who started chatting and asking him what he was doing. If he told them in his accent that he was going home via the beach, they may have offered to show him the way via the lighthouse. Why the running from the oval, I’ve no idea unless they were just mucking around or trying to catch up with a car or he was nicely playing along but trying to get away from them. He may have felt scared and unsure and decided to keep them happy by playing along. It’s high time we all are given some help by way of a clue or new insights & info. Fingers crossed Pod 6 will provide some revelations tomorrow.
 
  • #354
Done - I don't feel like it's any new or important information but I've sent detailed accounts of what I touched on above with both email addresses provided and let them know that I'm happy to be contacted for further info if required.
That's great. Thank you kindly.
 
  • #355
It does cross over to the main beach through the bush there but to main beach not Tallows as you know.

I am still at a loss why he walked down there

I tried walking part way down Kingley and then googling Wake Up a while back. Google maps directed me up Tennyson, through the bush and out onto Lawson. Interestingly I did it again last week and from anywhere on Kingsley it directed me back down to Jonson St. So IMO he may have just gone that way because google maps told him to?
 
  • #356
i agree 100% SouthAussie. You articulated that better than me (Theo walking up the beach to his hostel).

I also wanted to ad, before Theo went missing, I had a totally different opinion of Byron than I do now. I had no idea about the ‘dark underbelly’. I have always been led to believe that it is this totally idyllic, safe place to go anytime.

Because they hid the underbelly for tourism, perhaps it led Theo (as it would have led me) to believe cutting through the bushland from Tennyson to Gilmore would be safe. IMO

Yeah me too. In retrospect I’ve wandered Byron over the years so carelessly.
On this topic, it would be really good to find out what Theo did and where he went between when he arrived on Wednesday afternoon and Friday afternoon. Did he walk down Tennyson during that time for some reason and it was a route he’d done and knew? Had he already met some of those rec ground guys elsewhere so when he went there Friday night there was a bit of recognition and common ground?
 
  • #357
They were maybe between 15 - 18 years old, a group of six or seven but only one approached us to talk while the others hung back.

We were passing through along the path that runs from Tennyson through to Cowper and were approached on the Tennyson side - they were all hanging out where the little grandstand is for the cricket. It was around 11:30pm. Once we got to the Cowper st side we actually came across another guy who was passed out and in a very uncomfortable position - we helped him up and asked if he was ok and if he'd taken anything as he was pretty vague and confused - he told us he was ok and started walking away then just lay down again. He didn't want our help so we went back to check on him later and he'd gone. Just to avoid confusion this was an Aussie kid, no link to TH or the case - just giving an idea of what the area around his route can be like.

We're all mid-late 30's and our wild days are behind us. We didn't feel unsafe but would definitely say it was uncomfortable around there.

I can imagine that Theo would feel unsafe in a similar situation. On his own, in another country, the youths would have been in his age range ... no benefit of being a bit older than them, and being with your own group of friends.

I wonder if someone stole Theo's phone out of his hand and took off toward Tallow. It has always seemed that whoever took that route to Tallow must know the area fairly well.
 
  • #358
NoCookies | The Australian


A woman says she reported seeing a man lying on the side of a highway wearing similar clothes to missing tourist Theo Hayez, but police didn’t call her back.

Queensland beauty therapist Leesa Horn says she was driving south on the Pacific Highway just past Coffs Harbour when a man tried to wave her down, standing next to another man who was flat on the ground and “looked dead”.
 
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  • #359
I tried walking part way down Kingley and then googling Wake Up a while back. Google maps directed me up Tennyson, through the bush and out onto Lawson. Interestingly I did it again last week and from anywhere on Kingsley it directed me back down to Jonson St. So IMO he may have just gone that way because google maps told him to?
thats interesting about the google maps and getting directed up Tennyson and through the bush!

I’ve always thought that maybe he saw on his map that way even without being directed. I thought maybe he just wanted to go to the beach, that could still be the case, but perhaps his maps took him that way.

Occam’s razor will tell you to try and keep it simple and make the least assumptions possible. That’s why I don’t believe there was this huge conspiracy going on, as in he had a previously set up or meeting with someone or multiple people to party on.

I just think he went that way home, and ran into trouble. I personally don’t think he ever made it to CC.

IMO something happened in that 7 mins at the end of Tennyson. A decision is made then to give the appearance of Theo going to the cliffs around the lighthouse and going in the water (it has been stated the 15 yr old boy who fell off the cliffs before Theo was still very much in the Byron news at time of Theo’s disappearance). In that 7 mins a split decision was made to go to CC and that’s where a small mistake was made, whomever took Theo’s phone went a way only a local would know, Theo would not have known that route. Instead of going up to Lawson and lighthouse Rd, and down tallows beach road, follows a path from memory in the panic of what has just transpired!

Down at CC, what doesn’t sit well with me is the timeline. From going up the hill into the scrub for 5 mins to coming back down, then the gps goes off. Then there’s what, around 15/20 mins until he goes onto YouTube (speaking of YouTube, can it be found out if Theo searched then played from start or continued a previously played video.?) He only watches for 1.50, why even bother watching for that short amount of time. Then after that there’s nothing until 12.50ish with the what’s Ap message (was there 1 or 2 msges?). From 2-6 the phones in sleep mode and then what? Does it only ping once at 1.40pm the next day? That could be someone who has the phone putting it on charge and the phone automatically switching on by mistake?

One thing about the msgs in French, it’s been discussed it wouldn’t be hard to google translate to reply. I assume the messages to theo were in french as well, so if someone was pretending to be Theo,perhaps that’s why the messages back were pretty generic, and perhaps why the convos didn’t go longer? Cos google translate might not have been that great (like a foreigner trying to google translate good old aussie slang)

That’s just my theory with what we have, and it’s only my opinion and could be very very wrong.

I have never been able to reconcile that Theo would have gone into the bush track of the Milne track and fire trail. I’ve been in that spot at night, it’s so dark and ominous and a long way from the lighthouse which you can see. Honestly I wouldn’t have gone in there at night with my best mate, let alone a total stranger.

Edit to ad about me not going into that bush at night. Theo was characterised as a well thought out, responsible and conscientious person, when I was that age my parents would have said yeah he’s a top kid, heart of gold but prone to the old ‘irresponsible’ decision! I’ve done some reckless stuff, falling to sleep in a few weird spots, taken some strange paths home..but no way would I have ever gone into the track at night, esp with a stranger, if I was of sound mind, unless being led by a gun!
 
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  • #360
NoCookies | The Australian


A woman says she reported seeing a man lying on the side of a highway wearing similar clothes to missing tourist Theo Hayez, but police didn’t call her back.

Queensland beauty therapist Leesa Horn says she was driving south on the Pacific Highway just past Coffs Harbour when a man tried to wave her down, standing next to another man who was flat on the ground and “looked dead”.


So, in the early hours of June 2nd. Not June 1st. Then 4 or 5 days (perhaps) later, she called the police.

Sort of sounds like one of those set ups, where you stop to help someone by the roadside and they steal your car/your valuables/whatever. The friend waves the car down for help, then you get jumped. She was a smart lady to keep going.


From your link:
“I started crying when I’m driving off because I thought what if somebody’s really hurt and they need my help. I didn’t know what to do. So I decided to ring 000.”
She said police from Coffs Harbour went out but couldn’t find anyone at the scene.
 
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