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

[Oz Jen]

You know, no one ever solved anything by keeping their minds closed possibilities. Do you think that regurgitating material is going to provide new insight? Because I don't.

I was just wondering where your comment came from re regurgitating material. My comment had nothing to do with FB, just saying in my experience not all young travellers may be engaged in questionable activities. Whatever.

 

[Via Marple]

It's not clear where he made the call from. It's possible he could have been at the beach and not mentioned it but also possible if he did go to the beach it was much later than just after midnight. The timeline is he left CM around 11pm and then:

"Theo's phone was last recorded shortly after midnight being somewhere east of the CBD of Byron Bay, in a north-east direction up towards the lighthouse.

"Our last recorded phone records that the phone was used in and around this area," Tweed Byron Police District Chief Inspector Matt Kehoe said.

Timeline of a mystery: Theo's last known movements

I wonder if that is outdated info.

Theo's last recorded ping was 1.42pm or almost 2pm, not shortly after midnight.

 

[Plunky]

I wonder if that is outdated info.

Theo's last recorded ping was 1.42pm or almost 2pm, not shortly after midnight.

I think they were talking about the last calls/texts not the last ping.

 

[Plunky]

I wonder if that is outdated info.

Theo's last recorded ping was 1.42pm or almost 2pm, not shortly after midnight.

I think they were talking about the last calls/texts not the last ping.

 

[mussopossum]

I wonder if that is outdated info.

Theo's last recorded ping was 1.42pm or almost 2pm, not shortly after midnight.

Im wondering if Plunky meant last call or message was at just after midnight but the ping was only a ping of the phone at 145 pm not so much a call or message just the ping at near 2pm the next day.

 

[bearbear]

just reading about the beaches in byron area, some dangerous lonely stretches of beach and especially tyagarah notorious for sex pests and assaults, its a 20 min drive from cheeky monkeys though, much too far to walk, and probably doubtful someone would drive him there to assault and murder?
the whole area seems to have a real undercurrent, like someone here said,
a hunting ground.

 

[Aron.Wor]

just reading about the beaches in byron area, some dangerous lonely stretches of beach and especially tyagarah notorious for sex pests and assaults, its a 20 min drive from cheeky monkeys though, much too far to walk, and probably doubtful someone would drive him there to assault and murder?
the whole area seems to have a real undercurrent, like someone here said,
a hunting ground.

Yeah, it is a prime location for deviant behaviour The location, and transience of a vacation hotspot is the perfect setting for someone to come in, commit an act such as kidnapping or murder, and leave unnoticed. Not to mention the various towns surrounding the area. Traveling to Nimbin is not a far destination in an area like the Tweed area. And saw a few familiar people in such sperate locations for parties and other gatherings. There are connections between people that spread many towns. And the people in those towns, like Nimbin. Some of them are trying to go unnoticed. Are seeking isolation for a reason. I consider it a dangerous place to be if you're not from there.

 

[mussopossum]

just reading about the beaches in byron area, some dangerous lonely stretches of beach and especially tyagarah notorious for sex pests and assaults, its a 20 min drive from cheeky monkeys though, much too far to walk, and probably doubtful someone would drive him there to assault and murder?
the whole area seems to have a real undercurrent, like someone here said,
a hunting ground.

I cannot post the shots due to WS rules as it is comments made in FB,

On the LFTH facebook there are posts made about a busker seeing and having conversation with a Belgium backpacker. They talked about Belgium chocolate amungst other things and he mentioned that he saw him get into a black ute. This was a busker located I beleive outside the old Woolworths site which I beleive is OPP Cheeky Monkeys. Several locals urged the Busker to go to police and report which I beleive either he did or a local did. Has been no update on this since. The timing would not be right, It would have meant that he got straight into the Ute from CM when leaving which we sort of know he didnt or he walked back to CM again to try and get back in or to meet someone and it was then. Their was a beleif it was Theo due to the description given of the backpacker however they could not be sure and I do not beleive it would have been him. But in response to your comment made, if he was picked up could have been anyone he might met at the club or out and about who he didnt second guess or hold any concern of and the rest is history. I think remember a comment made he didnt hitch hike but if under the influence which we still dont know to what level, sometimes our judgement is impaired.

 

[Plunky]

I cannot post the shots due to WS rules as it is comments made in FB,

On the LFTH facebook there are posts made about a busker seeing and having conversation with a Belgium backpacker. They talked about Belgium chocolate amungst other things and he mentioned that he saw him get into a black ute. This was a busker located I beleive outside the old Woolworths site which I beleive is OPP Cheeky Monkeys. Several locals urged the Busker to go to police and report which I beleive either he did or a local did. Has been no update on this since.

The police haven't sought the public's help in locating the vehicle so the info either checked out OK with them or it was dismissed. Also, it would have probably been captured on CCTV as there are most likely cameras in that area. Police mentioned in the past that they were sifting through a lot of CCTV footage so you'd have to assume they've had a good look at everything by now.

 

[mussopossum]

The police haven't sought the public's help in locating the vehicle so the info either checked out OK with them or it was dismissed. Also, it would have probably been captured on CCTV as there are most likely cameras in that area. Police mentioned in the past that they were sifting through a lot of CCTV footage so you'd have to assume they've had a good look at everything by now.

Literally my thoughts too however why did that black jumper make it to MSM they found which was then quickly discounted as Theo's. But this information wasn't picked up by the media. The media are 100% in that FB group as have already reported on several things discussed in there. I just find it weird this has not come up. I agree it most likely has nothing to do with Theo however interesting it never made it to the news at all.

 

[Plunky]

Literally my thoughts too however why did that black jumper make it to MSM they found which was then quickly discounted as Theo's. But this information wasn't picked up by the media. The media are 100% in that FB group as have already reported on several things discussed in there. I just find it weird this has not come up. I agree it most likely has nothing to do with Theo however interesting it never made it to the news at all.

I agree. I have no real idea why the press follows up on some leads/info in a case and not others. Not knowing how they really put together their news in these types of cases - police public relations contacts or something similar?? - but maybe info they received from their sources advised them that the tip wasn't credible and not worth reporting. Given it'd be a really crucial part of the investigation, ie someone looking and sounding like Theo getting into a vehicle, you'd have to think LE would be onto the CCTV footage straight away and rule it in or out pretty quickly.

 

[Aron.Wor]

Just because a young person chooses to travel alone does not mean they may be indulging in questionable activities.

No, it doesn't but doesn't that they don't either, and that is the point pretty much. The reports I've read about TH has him framed as the epitome of wholesome. Why? Is he so clean-cut as not indulge in what would be seen as deviant behaviour 20 years ago? Would be so hard to imagine a missing person as a drug-taking, sexually experimental young male, and to theorize about the possibility, after TH has been missing for over a month is logically advantageous. To just say not all backpackers do...... is to close avenues of possibility based of something that you are making assumptions about. I am also making assumptions, but not to limit the possible scenarios, but to create more avenues of thinking. It's a pretty strange case so far and thinking well TH wouldn't do that is limiting.

 

[Plunky]

No, it doesn't but doesn't that they don't either, and that is the point pretty much. The reports I've read about TH has him framed as the epitome of wholesome. Why? Is he so clean-cut as not indulge in what would be seen as deviant behaviour 20 years ago? Would be so hard to imagine a missing person as a drug-taking, sexually experimental young male, and to theorize about the possibility, after TH has been missing for over a month is logically advantageous. To just say not all backpackers do...... is to close avenues of possibility based of something that you are making assumptions about. I am also making assumptions, but not to limit the possible scenarios, but to create more avenues of thinking. It's a pretty strange case so far and thinking well TH wouldn't do that is limiting.

What you say reminds me of Stacey Tierney, the British backpacker who died in a strip club in Melbourne. She'd been here for three years and her family was shocked when they discovered after her death that she had been working as a stripper to support herself.

Strip club death: Stacey’s secret revealed

 

[Matlock]

No, it doesn't but doesn't that they don't either, and that is the point pretty much. The reports I've read about TH has him framed as the epitome of wholesome. Why? Is he so clean-cut as not indulge in what would be seen as deviant behaviour 20 years ago? Would be so hard to imagine a missing person as a drug-taking, sexually experimental young male, and to theorize about the possibility, after TH has been missing for over a month is logically advantageous. To just say not all backpackers do...... is to close avenues of possibility based of something that you are making assumptions about. I am also making assumptions, but not to limit the possible scenarios, but to create more avenues of thinking. It's a pretty strange case so far and thinking well TH wouldn't do that is limiting.

I'm sure they would be considering all avenues. He is a young backpacker and in Byron Bay after all. I think his parents were just describing his personality so that people wouldn't necessarily judge him and assume that he's irresponsible. Also that if he is a good kid then he may be more generally trusting or naive and accidently get into some kind of trouble more easily than someone else. To some extent when you are travelling alone overseas you often have to be trusting of others because you often need a helping hand or you get invited places because you are on your own etc. But you can also be preyed upon if you are travelling alone.

 

[Micheline]

It is so sad that he had been on his backpacking adventure for many months already. Just days away from returning hime and he goes missing?

He had successfully navigated this journey for 6 months, with no major mishaps. Why now? What happened? I don't get it.

Coincidence.
Theo did not plan to get kicked out of the bar, nor did he went to get his passport or any of his other belongings.
If for some reason he did not want to go back to Belgium, there would be no need to disappear and draw all this attention to himself while overstaying his visa.

I do not see anything hinky about him going missing either, as others suggested.
Sometimes people fall or drown or do unexpected things and are never found or heard from again.

 

[Aron.Wor]

Opinions aren't conducive for discovery.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Websleuths is victim friendly. To speculate negatively on a victim's lifestyle when there is no MSM to substantiate such speculation is not victim friendly and is NOT allowed.

Please report any posts that are not victim friendly, including their responses, as soon as possible so they may be removed.

Thanks.

 

[Sambam89]

I’m not on the FB page, anyone that’s on it, are there still active posts or has it gone a bit quiet now?

 

[CuriousCritter]

I’m not on the FB page, anyone that’s on it, are there still active posts or has it gone a bit quiet now?

Still a lot of activity and the community are still gathering to conduct searches

 

[mussopossum]

I’m not on the FB page, anyone that’s on it, are there still active posts or has it gone a bit quiet now?

Still very active posts more for looking for volunteers and coordinating search areas.

That's about it.

 

[simochomps]

Still very active posts more for looking for volunteers and coordinating search areas.

That's about it.

And a post from his 99 year old grandmother. Heartbreaking.