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

[SouthAussie]

Decent video at the start of the article in this link - of the headland line search, volunteer searchers, interview with Theo's friend (who is named in this article), a pic of a phone just like Theo's.
Journo says that they are looking for Theo's phone as they feel there may be info on there that is crucial to the investigation.

New twist in search for Theo Hayez as police zero in on headland next to Byron Bay's iconic lighthouse - as fellow backpacker slams hostel for not raising the alarm for THREE days

 

[Micheline]

Wonder what specifically he was doing to get turfed out? His buddy stayed on and I bet they were mutually plastered. Was he whatsapping someone he met in Cheeky’s? Did he turn down Kingsley Street to hover nearby for abit, to see if whoever it was would join him? They’d have cctv inside right? Are we looking for another backpacker perhaps?

I don't think he was doing anything, if they believe a person is intoxicated they have to ask him to leave, by law.
Maybe he was checking if the BBQ was still going on, or contacting his friend who was still in the bar.

Either way, he was vulnerable that evening because he had some drinks.
It is sad that a person is asked to leave without someone to guide them home safe.

 

[SouthAussie]

Would there be a record of the intermittent pings, or just the final one?

The telco's logs will have records of each intermittent ping. Likely how they determined that the device was 'sleeping'. The pings would have happened at regular but more spaced out intervals then.

It is a godsend that the phone battery wasn't removed, otherwise the pings would have ceased at that time.

 

[SouthAussie]

Wonder what specifically he was doing to get turfed out? His buddy stayed on and I bet they were mutually plastered. Was he whatsapping someone he met in Cheeky’s? Did he turn down Kingsley Street to hover nearby for abit, to see if whoever it was would join him? They’d have cctv inside right? Are we looking for another backpacker perhaps?

For all we know, Theo could have turned into Kingsley Street to take a leak. He had been turfed out of the club, it was cold outside, he had a fair distance to walk to get back to the hostel.

 

[PersonX]

Just had a thought. I recently listened to the podcast To Live and Die in LA.

The investigative reporter finds out that even when your phone is offline google is tracking your precise location, even with no cell phone service or in airplane mode.

The episode he initially discusses this is called Adea [8]
Im not trying to plug the podcast on purpose, but he can explain it better than I can in a post.

Adea [8] from To Live and Die in LA

Just wanted to add a disclaimer that the podcast does discuss suicide and, obviously, murder, so just a trigger warning.

ETA: Police were working off pings, looking in the wrong spot the whole time. They only found her body because they were told where it was by the suspect's dad (which is suspicious in itself). In a later episode called The Long Way Home [11] they (the investigative reporter and the private investigator hired by the girl's family) retrace his google data to the minute by following his 7 hour journey, and talking to a local resident.
By the end of the whole podcast they can pretty much put together what they assumed happened to the minute.

Very interesting how much is actually out there.

I think forget about harassing whats app, go straight to google. They were lucky in this case that the fiance had access to the google account that his phone was connected to.

MOO

 

[bearbear]

there was a house, or was it aloha apartments where he was seen lingering outside for awhile, i wondered if he had been given the address to meet someone there and that person then drove them to the lighthouse?

 

[SouthAussie]

I don't think he was doing anything, if they believe a person is intoxicated they have to ask him to leave, by law.
Maybe he was checking if the BBQ was still going on, or contacting his friend who was still in the bar.

Either way, he was vulnerable that evening because he had some drinks.
It is sad that a person is asked to leave without someone to guide them home safe.

Like Rocket, I think there was something about Theos' behaviour in Cheeky Monkey's that night that led to him being turfed out.
Although the law says that service to that person should be ceased, and the person led out of the venue, surely a venue like Cheeky Monkey's would be emptied out quite quickly if every intoxicated person was asked to leave. Not very good for their ongoing business - which would be paramount in their eyes, I would think.
I have been to many venues where people were obviously intoxicated, but not bothering anyone else, so they were not asked to leave. The bar staff just quit serving them drinks, mostly to reduce the venue's legal liability, I think.

Perhaps service to Theo had been ceased, but he was still sneaking drinks bought by others for him?
Or perhaps he was harassing the ladies in his friendly inebriated state.
Either way, I am sure that the police know why he was asked to leave.

 

[Aron.Wor]

Backpackers aren't allowed to have others stay in their Dorms. Of course, it happens but with CCTV everywhere, one takes a risk of being fined or thrown out. There is a number of hostels in that area, yet if he met someone at cheeky monkey's, he would have left with that person. That person would be on the CCTV. If he met with a backpacker that was not at cheeky monkey's, they would have to be staying at a backpackers nearby. He would have slept there or had them sleep at his, either way, there would be footage in one location or the other. If he was meeting with a local...... Well, that's a bit more complex. Occam's razor...... It was likely he was looking for directions to his hostel. He told his friend he was going home. By all accounts, the guy seems pretty switched on, plans and travels mindfully and it's been stated that this is out of character. So applying the rule of Occam's razor, I think the more probable situation is, well after reading this, perhaps go with what your gut tells you. Which is the more likely scenario?

 

[SydneyWalker]

Does anyone have the footage of him 'potentially' sighted enroute back to Wake Up. I don't think he ever got that far. The footage of him leaving CM shows him turning purposefully into Kingsley Street, the opposite direction to Wake Up. He is clearly affected by something, and going somewhere that's not Wake Up. Didn't someone say the booze they bought earlier was to take to another hostel BBQ? Could he have gone back there? Not looking good either way, hope he is found.

 

[SouthAussie]

Backpackers aren't allowed to have others stay in their Dorms. Of course, it happens but with CCTV everywhere, one takes a risk of being fined or thrown out. There is a number of hostels in that area, yet if he met someone at cheeky monkey's, he would have left with that person. That person would be on the CCTV. If he met with a backpacker that was not at cheeky monkey's, they would have to be staying at a backpackers nearby. He would have slept there or had them sleep at his, either way, there would be footage in one location or the other. If he was meeting with a local...... Well, that's a bit more complex. Occam's razor...... It was likely he was looking for directions to his hostel. He told his friend he was going home. By all accounts, the guy seems pretty switched on, plans and travels mindfully and it's been stated that this is out of character. So applying the rule of Occam's razor, I think the more probable situation is, well after reading this, perhaps go with what your gut tells you. Which is the more likely scenario?

I think Theo is a sensible guy, too. As a traveller, I am well impressed by his meticulous planning.
I think it is likely that he didn't take undue risks, liked to know how he was getting places, and be sure of where he was staying - well in advance of that happening.

I also believe he was happy to be going home quite soon, and being with his friends and family again. He has a great future ahead of him. What a smart guy, to be studying science and maths at Uni level.

 

[Aron.Wor]

Does anyone have the footage of him 'potentially' sighted enroute back to Wake Up. I don't think he ever got that far. The footage of him leaving CM shows him turning purposefully into Kingsley Street, the opposite direction to Wake Up. He is clearly affected by something, and going somewhere that's not Wake Up. Didn't someone say the booze they bought earlier was to take to another hostel BBQ? Could he have gone back there? Not looking good either way, hope he is found.

Yet the late footage shows him on the other side of Byron Bay, near his hostel which is located off Ewingsdale rd. (I think that's what it's called.)

 

[SouthAussie]

Does anyone have the footage of him 'potentially' sighted enroute back to Wake Up. I don't think he ever got that far. The footage of him leaving CM shows him turning purposefully into Kingsley Street, the opposite direction to Wake Up. He is clearly affected by something, and going somewhere that's not Wake Up. Didn't someone say the booze they bought earlier was to take to another hostel BBQ? Could he have gone back there? Not looking good either way, hope he is found.

I'm not sure that it was said he was going to another hostel? Maybe I missed that.
His own hostel has regular meals and get togethers in their bbq area. They have $10 sushi night, $10 pizza night, $10 bbq night, plus wine and cheese night ... all based around the 'starting at 7pm' time slot.

Daily Activities - Wake Up!

 

[Aron.Wor]

I think Theo is a sensible guy, too. As a traveller, I am well impressed by his meticulous planning.
I think it is likely that he didn't take undue risks, liked to know how he was getting places, and be sure of where he was staying - well in advance of that happening.

I also believe he was happy to be going home quite soon, and being with his friends and family again. He has a great future ahead of him. What a smart guy, to be studying science and maths at Uni level.

Yeah, I have read the same information.

 

[Rocket333]

For all we know, Theo could have turned into Kingsley Street to take a leak. He had been turfed out of the club, it was cold outside, he had a fair distance to walk to get back to the hostel.

Maybe anything, but he headed straight off and didn’t linger. Seems he went around the block, as the police were earlier asking for cctv from Tennyson Street, which is the next connecting street, and family believe it was him moments later on Shirley Street (Aloha). I just bet he was on what’s app trying to meet someone, and not google maps. No small wonder they’re after the phone.

 

[SouthAussie]

Maybe anything, but he headed straight off and didn’t linger. Seems he went around the block, as the police were earlier asking for cctv from Tennyson Street, which is the next connecting street, and family believe it was him moments later on Shirley Street (Aloha). I just bet he was on what’s app trying to meet someone, and not google maps. No small wonder they’re after the phone.

Can't say that I disagree with you.
Just looking at all possibilities.

I have a hinky feeling that someone else knows what has happened, and they are not coming forward to the police.

 

[Aron.Wor]

I'm not sure that it was said he was going to another hostel? Maybe I missed that.
His own hostel has regular meals and get togethers in their bbq area. They have $10 sushi night, $10 pizza night, $10 bbq night, plus wine and cheese night ... all based around the 'starting at 7pm' time slot.

Daily Activities - Wake Up!

There is a back way also that takes you to Ewingsdale rd. Between the Coles car park and where the pizza shop (near there) across the rd from near cheeky monkeys. It leads out of town on the other side of the unused railway tracks, behind the main strip, past the oval and meets up with the roundabout on Ewingsdale rd. He probably took that route, if he was seen walking away from the direction of Get Up. There are houses all along that route and it wouldn't have seemed dangerous. That same direction will take you to the Arts Factory (kind of - it splits off--anyhow).

 

[SouthAussie]

There is a back way also that takes you to Ewingsdale rd. Between the Coles car park and where the pizza shop near cheeky monkeys is. It leads out of town on the other side of the unused railway tracks, behind the main strip, past the oval and meets up with the roundabout on Ewingsdale rd. He probably took that route, if he was seen walking away from the direction of Get Up. There are houses all along that route and it wouldn't have seemed dangerous. That same direction will take you to the Arts Factory (kind of - it splits off--anyhow).

Would this have been a shorter route back to the hostel? I am thinking he may have been looking to take the shortest route home - which Google will offer him, if that is what he set the map search for.

 

[Rocket333]

Yeah, I have read the same information.

Same. By that token, you’d imagine him being discerning with people too, and choosing familiar and safe over spontaneous and potentially risky thrills.

 

[SydneyWalker]

The bbq at Wake Up started at 7PM, the footage from the bottle shop is 7.43PM. Do we know where the bottle shop is?

 

[SydneyWalker]

Yet the late footage shows him on the other side of Byron Bay, near his hostel which is located off Ewingsdale rd. (I think that's what it's called.)

Link?