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

[Rocket333]

I hear you Rocket, thinking Theo might have willingly gone from oval to beach, with someone he felt comfortable with. I’ll play out a scenario in which that might happen, to see what it might look like...

I often think about how Theo didn’t obviously stand out like a backpacker but looked more like an Aussie tradie surfer.

Maybe the slab gang engaged with him because he looked like one of them?

Perhaps Theo sat, shared a bong with them and showed them pictures on his phone, hence phone being passed around.

Maybe the group heard police or something from YAK/homeless camp that made them decide to take the gathering elsewhere, hence the running off and cutting through oval.

Truly, I’d imagine Theo taking the opportunity to safety split and head home at this point but let’s just say he followed them willingly.

They made a stop on Cowper then went to beach with Theo keeping eye on distance from hostel. Once on the beach, he heads straight into lantana alcove.

This does not make sense to me. If he needed a bathroom, he could have done it anywhere in bush before beach or behind any bush on the beach. How would he even see or know where the lantana alcove was? Wasn’t it pretty dark?

I keep thinking he might’ve mistaken the alcove as a path out. I’ve been on a beach at night and have struggled to make out the entry point from all the shadows of the grass, rocks and dunes.

Or perhaps he hooked up with one of the gang there? They knew the spot and led him there.

I get stuck here and don’t know how it might progress.

IDK. It’s not particularly consistent with what family say of Theo’s character, nor what we know about youth gang, but it is possible.

Another scenario is that Theo was heading to town or the beach through the YAC track and car park, and some kids at the field or at the end of Tennyson started up a chat which lead him to the slabs. He was probably yarning and mucking around with them. Maybe playing a game on the concrete, or just continuing to muck around and laugh. He doesn’t hand over his phone as he’s cautious of losing it and needs it. He tells them he’s heading back to wake up and wants to see the beach, and maybe the lighthouse. They say we’ll go with you and show you it from Tallow Beach as it’s good there, and you can walk home from there. He says ok and goes along with them. They all run cos they’re up for fun and he might’ve said he doesn’t want to be out for long. They zoom through the streets and down the fire trail. He pauses before heading into the beach track and keeps running with them. He gets to the beach and heads off on his way but comes to a dead end and attempts to reach the Cosy Corner trail above. He paused in the lantana to escape the kids who are still around but they find him so he descends back to the beach and chills out there. They nick his phone. They accompany him out through the same track ( hat lost) and to somewhere nearby.

 

[inaccessiblerail]

Hi! First post here after reddit sucked me into this case, but I was just google mapping everything and noticed Cosy Corner Beach has one review on google maps - a 1-star review with the text "I almost died here" from 17 hours ago. Reviewer also appears to have been at the Cheeky Monkey, likely the same night.

Probably nothing but it was a jarring thing to read in light of reading all night about Theo's case.

Google Maps

 

[Aron.Wor]

@Rocket333 and @sparks030405

Can you shoot me a PM please

Satan....... The Judge.

 

[Aron.Wor]

@Rocket333 and @sparks030405

Can you shoot me a PM please

Such a common piece of graffiti though.

 

[BusterXP]

Hi! First post here after reddit sucked me into this case, but I was just google mapping everything and noticed Cosy Corner Beach has one review on google maps - a 1-star review with the text "I almost died here" from 17 hours ago. Reviewer also appears to have been at the Cheeky Monkey, likely the same night.

Probably nothing but it was a jarring thing to read in light of reading all night about Theo's case.

Google Maps

Might be unrelated but 2 swimmers/surfers were rescued from there a day or so ago.
Two men rescued from Cape Byron – Echonetdaily

 

[mussopossum]

Hi! First post here after reddit sucked me into this case, but I was just google mapping everything and noticed Cosy Corner Beach has one review on google maps - a 1-star review with the text "I almost died here" from 17 hours ago. Reviewer also appears to have been at the Cheeky Monkey, likely the same night.

Probably nothing but it was a jarring thing to read in light of reading all night about Theo's case.

Google Maps

Welcome,

Very interesting indeed

 

[mussopossum]

Yes, it is a nice self-claimed pat on the back for The Australian and their podcast. Though I guess it does outline a little of the podcast contents for those who do not wish to listen to 6+ hours of podcast.

BUT still no mention/picture/description of Theo's still-missing phone! The one item that would help this investigation so much.

Looks like it's in this one.

What is interesting is how all the overseas MSM on Theo seem to have the OPPO R17 listed almost always. But why not AU where it really is more essential info








Search Results

Theo Hayez's Google data with destiny
The Australian - 17 Nov 2019
When Belgian teenager Theo Hayez disappeared in Byron Bay on May 31, ... on the far north coast of NSW via his smartphone, an Oppo R17 .








Search Results

Theo Hayez's Google data with destiny
The Australian - 17 Nov 2019
When Belgian teenager Theo Hayez disappeared in Byron Bay on May 31, ... on the far north coast of NSW via his smartphone, an Oppo R17 .

 

[SouthAussie]

Looks like it's in this one.

View attachment 220218

What is interesting is how all the overseas MSM on Theo seem to have the OPPO R17 listed almost always. But why not AU where it really is more essential info








Search Results

Theo Hayez's Google data with destiny
The Australian - 17 Nov 2019
When Belgian teenager Theo Hayez disappeared in Byron Bay on May 31, ... on the far north coast of NSW via his smartphone, an Oppo R17 .








Search Results

Theo Hayez's Google data with destiny
The Australian - 17 Nov 2019
When Belgian teenager Theo Hayez disappeared in Byron Bay on May 31, ... on the far north coast of NSW via his smartphone, an Oppo R17 .

My point being ... does anyone know what an Oppo R17 looks like? If I told you I had a Sony Xperia XP would you know what that looks like?

What is - and has been - the problem with publishing a pic of a phone exactly like Theo's every time there is an article? It has a unique looking back cover, it is bright purple. Show people. We are visual learners.

If there is anything that could help this case, it is Theo's phone. Any walker, or fisherperson, or someone-who-knows-someone could stumble upon it. Do they know that it is still missing?

Trying to trace his footsteps is great. Trying to work out where he walked is great. If that leads to his remains.
Because I don't think that anyone is going to come forward and speak anytime soon, if they haven't already.

 

[BusterXP]

My point being ... does anyone know what an Oppo R17 looks like? If I told you I had a Sony Xperia XP would you know what that looks like?

What is - and has been - the problem with publishing a pic of a phone exactly like Theo's every time there is an article? It has a unique looking back cover, it is bright purple. Show people. We are visual learners.

If there is anything that could help this case, it is Theo's phone. Any walker, or fisherperson, or someone-who-knows-someone could stumble upon it. Do they know that it is still missing?

Trying to trace his footsteps is great. Trying to work out where he walked is great. If that leads to his remains.
Because I don't think that anyone is going to come forward and speak anytime soon, if they haven't already.

I know now because of it being featured in the posters.
Prior to that I had never heard about Oppo.
Since then I've seen Woolworths deals advertised for Oppo phones.
I think it's likely that the phone was discarded. If it was binned then that would have been collected before Theo was reported missing.

 

[SouthAussie]

I know now because of it being featured in the posters.
Prior to that I had never heard about Oppo.
Since then I've seen Woolworths deals advertised for Oppo phones.
I think it's likely that the phone was discarded. If it was binned then that would have been collected before Theo was reported missing.

I am not saying that the phone is still around. But what if it is? What if it is laying on the headland somewhere? Or what if it is laying somewhere else which is not exactly in Byron Bay? What if a person hasn't seen a poster (I haven't, but I am very far from Byron Bay)?

I seriously think that the phone is the best chance of finding out what happened to Theo, what he was up to (if anything), what he was looking at online, if he was communicating on any forums .....

Because I think there is a good chance that in all those unaccounted for minutes, between the activities that we think we know about, he was doing other things online.

 

[CKTC]

The person who posted it on the LFTH Fbook page said, “...the judge was at clarkes beach and the graves im not sure maybe near that pagan symbol on the road round the water tower. check google earth,”

The water tower is up at the top of Paterson. On the podcast I think it said the graves were in the bush off Tallow Beach Rd, behind the houses on Light house Rd. Different locations I think.

 

[Pod]

Does anyone know if the ‘graves’ were actually checked? I apologise if it has already been spoken about, I haven’t had a chance to read every message posted.

 

[SouthAussie]

I am just going to correct something I said here yesterday ... Baillee Schneider's case has not gone to inquest yet. The Coroner (in Victoria) has reviewed the case file and recommended that homicide get involved. So the case has been assigned to respected cold case detective, Detective Sergeant Paul Rowe, for review and further investigation.

"A decision on whether one (an inquest) will be held will be made after Detective Rowe completes his inquiry."

So, I guess that is another possibility that could happen in Theo's case, if the Coroner feels suspicious when Theo's case file is reviewed.

 

[T-dawg420]

I was having a thought last night. Not sure if it’s been discussed but what if there was a local or locals on the concrete slab that night could speak French to some degree?

Obviously you don’t need to be French to speak French. A person could have French speaking relatives, or more specifically French could have taught at a high school they attended?

If Theo did go with someone or a group from Tennyson to CC maybe speaking French could have been the ‘trusting agent’ he needed?

Of course hard to prove cos if there was people on the Tennyson slab, then they could be from anywhere not only in Australia but the world.

Theo’s understanding of English wasn’t that great according to the podcast, what if he met someone that spoke French?

 

[SouthAussie]

I was having a thought last night. Not sure if it’s been discussed but what if there was a local or locals on the concrete slab that night could speak French to some degree?

Obviously you don’t need to be French to speak French. A person could have French speaking relatives, or more specifically French could have taught at a high school they attended?

If Theo did go with someone or a group from Tennyson to CC maybe speaking French could have been the ‘trusting agent’ he needed?

Of course hard to prove cos if there was people on the Tennyson slab, then they could be from anywhere not only in Australia but the world.

Theo’s understanding of English wasn’t that great according to the podcast, what if he met someone that spoke French?

Very possible. I learned French in high school in Australia. Did three years of it. I can read and write it, better than I can speak it, but I can still speak the basic greetings and fairly simplistic things.

 

[Rocket333]

.

Because I think there is a good chance that in all those unaccounted for minutes, between the activities that we think we know about, he was doing other things online.

Did you have any particular “other things” in mind?

 

[Rocket333]

I was having a thought last night. Not sure if it’s been discussed but what if there was a local or locals on the concrete slab that night could speak French to some degree?

Obviously you don’t need to be French to speak French. A person could have French speaking relatives, or more specifically French could have taught at a high school they attended?

If Theo did go with someone or a group from Tennyson to CC maybe speaking French could have been the ‘trusting agent’ he needed?

Of course hard to prove cos if there was people on the Tennyson slab, then they could be from anywhere not only in Australia but the world.

Theo’s understanding of English wasn’t that great according to the podcast, what if he met someone that spoke French?

Yeah it has been raised - the French speaker making him feel comfortable and potentially using his phone etc. Hard to know without more info.

 

[feralflower]

I was having a thought last night. Not sure if it’s been discussed but what if there was a local or locals on the concrete slab that night could speak French to some degree?

Obviously you don’t need to be French to speak French. A person could have French speaking relatives, or more specifically French could have taught at a high school they attended?

If Theo did go with someone or a group from Tennyson to CC maybe speaking French could have been the ‘trusting agent’ he needed?

Of course hard to prove cos if there was people on the Tennyson slab, then they could be from anywhere not only in Australia but the world.

Theo’s understanding of English wasn’t that great according to the podcast, what if he met someone that spoke French?

I think it is actually highly likely that he could have met a French speaking backpacker or local, there are French speaking locals in Byron Bay, about 0.8 percent of population speak French at home, then of course plenty others from surrounding areas, lot of people head to Byron for weekends. I just feel there is a local involved, due to the knowledge of the bush mostly but who knows could be more backpackers who have been in the area longer, know it well. Note that Theo would have met a few people at Wake Up, but bonded with the French speaking one, added him on FB. If he met a French speaking person near Tennyson it would most definitely be a "trusting agent" as you describe. Language barriers would also create less trust to be walking off into black scrub with someone. If you cannot communicate fluently it would create more hesitation. When you can't communicate fluently you are naturally pulled to people you can talk with easily and get pretty excited about finding someone who speaks your language, instant bonds can be formed this way. Yes can bond instant between two different language speakers but generally speaking these friendships are built slower, though if a girl involved could sway this too. The energy of feeling attracted to someone could produce an instant pull. Though Theo dancing and ignoring the girl who was trying to dance with him tells me he was not after a girl, and a bit late to be taking an interest in someone when leaving in a few days. Would think if he was after a one night stand he be more likely to take interest in the girl trying to dance with him. But maybe not his type. IF Theo did walk to CC with someone then most definitely he had trust. Finding a French speaking person would do this, form a quick bond with ease of communication. Could also explain the phone usage later, and a wrong lead forms which appears almost definite it was Theo on his phone yet nobody can say this surely. Only going by strong probabilities yet the chance of this being wrong is there and changes everything. All who know Theo say it is not like him to walk this sort of adventure at random. Yet belief is he was on his phone at CC so these two clash. Either Theo did something very out of the norm of his character or it wasn't Theo on his phone. I do not believe he was lost, even without a map at all the lighthouse lights would have been a general guide that he was heading in wrong direction, plus him walking past a sign which gave directions. If he wanted some alone time near the ocean well there was plenty of ocean and nice quiet spots along route to Wake Up, why would he choose a spot in another direction? Nothing to see at night anyway. It's just not adding up, have gone through so many possibilities and comes back to one important area, focus on what happened at Tennyson , what changed his or his phone's direction, why was there a change in walking speed, what could be the cause of choosing most private route when easier options were available. I cannot see Theo being lured away by any sight seeing as it was pitch black, he did not look for route to CC, would think if someone said let's go to CC he would first map it? Maybe he just used Wake Up but could see CC on the map so just used it this way without searching for routes there if they were already visible on the map? The oddest thing I find is mapping being switched off right at the waterline, coincidence maybe? Maybe not. Then the video why watch a video if power is low? Also reading on mobile service in the Tallows Beach, Arakwal Park , Lighthouse area sources (https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov) say there is limited mobile service in these areas. So the signal drop after 2 am could very well be caused by walking into a bad reception area not just by being below the cliffs.

 

[SouthAussie]

.


Did you have any particular “other things” in mind?

Playing online games, communicating with others on a travel forum, looking at things to see when he left Byron Bay to go to Melbourne, perhaps stops along the way, checking reservations, looking at FB ......
There are many things Theo could have been doing on his phone in all of that time that is unaccounted for.
I just don't believe he was sitting on the beach twiddling his thumbs.

Nor do I believe that he had to have been with anyone else.
It is easy to see where he should have walked in the daytime. But at night? Not so easy. It is not as if google would have been telling him to turn right in 200m. As Theo's father said, it all looks so much different at night.

 

[SouthAussie]

I even have one friend who has a program on his phone that shows him the constellations visible in the night skies, and he can line up the program according to his location and see the constellations up in the sky. He has to be away from lights to do so ... and we see the constellations best when we are on a boat on the water or out in the country.

Theo could have been doing anything on his phone. And we can't know what, and if it would help find Theo, unless his phone is found.

In the Jennifer Ramsaran case, police were able to identify Jennifer's last point of being alive because she was chatting online with an overseas gamer as she was playing a game with him.