Théo Hayez was an 18-year-old Belgian man who disappeared in the Cape Byron area. He was last sighted leaving Cheeky Monkey's bar in Byron Bay at approximately 11:00 pm on 31 May 2019.
Théo Jean Hayez | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 September 2000 |
| Disappeared | 31 May 2019 (age 18) Cape Byron, New South Wales, Australia |
| Status | Missing for 5 years, 5 months and 22 days |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Parents |
|
Disappearance
editHayez arrived in Australia in late 2018 on a working holiday visa. He disappeared a week before he was due to fly home to Belgium.[1] His family called New South Wales police on 6 June 2019, concerned about his lack of contact and that he had failed to return to his accommodation. The Wake Up! hostel where Hayez was staying also called the police on that same day, three days after Hayez failed to check out. His personal belongings, including his passport, were still in his room.
Investigation
editAustralian police conducted searches along with helicopters, drones, cadaver dogs, trackers, divers, and rock climbers. Hayez's parents, Laurent Hayez and Vinciane Delforge, travelled to Australia to assist in the searches in June 2019. His father made a plea to the Australian people to help in the searches; "When I left Belgium I promised Théo's little brother, Lucas, I would bring his brother home, please help me keep my promise to him".[2]
Hayez's final phone signal was determined to be in the proximity of Cape Byron on 1 June 2019. Investigations in conjunction with Hayez's family and Google suggest a last possible whereabouts in the vicinity of Cosy Corner, Tallow Beach.[3] Messaging platform WhatsApp cooperated with NSW Police in the endeavour to recover chat logs from the night. However, the information WhatsApp could provide was limited due to encryption.[4][5]
The Hayez family continued to push the authorities to maintain a focus on the case and to follow up leads. In July, a grey Puma hat, similar to the one Hayez was wearing when he was last seen, was found in bushland at Tallow Beach by community search volunteers who had responded to the family's plight in the months afterwards.[6]
As the case slowed down, the official police theory became that Hayez fell from the cliffs near the lighthouse as a "misadventure".[3][7] The reasons for Hayez to be there after midnight are various: he was lost; he was misdirected by Google Maps; he was under the effect of alcohol or drugs; he was suicidal; he was taken there by a local (given the knowledge needed to travel the bush route at night); he was heading for a party; or, he was hurt or attacked by someone.[8] The absence of a body could be explained by human intervention, being lost in the bush, taken by a shark, or swept away by tides.[8] A coroner's inquest was set for November 2021.[9]
Media
editThe case soon became well known in Australia and Europe and interest continues more than two years later.[10][11][12][13][2][14]
Per Hayez's family's request, The Australian national crime correspondent David Murray joined the searches. Murray spent three months with the unofficial search party and documented the case in late 2019 in a 6-part Australian crime podcast called The Lighthouse.[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Thomas, Sarah (2019-07-18). "Theo Hayez's parents still have faith they'll find him — and that he may be held captive". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
- ^ a b Hollingsworth, Julia (17 June 2019). "Father of missing backpacker makes tearful appeal for help". CNN. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- ^ a b Thomas, Sarah (6 May 2020). "Theo Hayez's family outraged over DNA on hat claim by news agency". ABC. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ Davies, Jessie; Shoebridge, Joanne; Reddie, Mark (2019-06-18). "Why missing backpacker's encrypted WhatsApp messages may never be unlocked". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
- ^ "Theo Hayez: Family hope WhatsApp messages will help find missing backpacker". SBS News. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
- ^ White, Leah (2020-05-30). "Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez vanished a year ago in Byron Bay and there are still no answers". ABC. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- ^ Thomas, Sarah (30 November 2019). "Theo Hayez's family reject police theory that backpacker fell into ocean". ABC. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ a b "The Lighthouse (episode 6)". www.theaustralian.com.au. 2019-12-05. Archived from the original on 2020-01-18. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- ^ White, Leah (2021-12-10). "Théo Hayez family agony brings coroner to tears as police offer hope of missing person reward". ABC. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
- ^ Chung, Laura (2021-05-31). "'No answers': Byron Bay commemorates two-year disappearance of Theo Hayez". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- ^ Schefe, Georgia (2021-05-31). "TWO YEARS SINCE THEO HAYEZ WENT MISSING IN BYRON BAY: THE SEARCH CONTINUES | NBN News". www.nbnnews.com.au. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- ^ "Extraordinary discovery after claim missing backpacker Theo Hayez was buried in Byron Bay bushland". T-Gate. 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- ^ "It's been two years since Théo Hayez vanished in Byron Bay. Key questions still remain". Mamamia. 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- ^ "Remains found in Australia are not those of Belgian backpacker Théo". The Brussels Times. 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- ^ "The Lighthouse". www.theaustralian.com.au. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2019-11-12.