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

[Matlock]

I mean this theory is still pretty far fetched but it can't be ruled out especially with no evidence strongly pointing to anything else.

 

[BusterXP]

If someone wanted 'Turn on, tune in and drop out' then going to Australia for 8 months and dropping out of society a week before you were due home to start uni would make a lot of sense.

There are posters all around Nimbin. Someone would see one. No cards have been used, no withdrawals made and he has no cash.
There was plenty of time left on his Visa. I'd think if he was going to 'drop out' he would have planned it and not done so immediately after being asked to leave a club for being intoxicated.

 

[mussopossum]

Baseball cap similar to one worn by Theo Hayez is found in Byron Bay | Daily Mail Online

New twist in search for Theo Hayez as searchers find a baseball cap VERY similar to the one missing backpacker was wearing when he mysteriously vanished

• A black Puma hat was discovered in bushland in Cape Byron ten days ago
• The cap is said to be similar to one missing backpacker Theo Hayez was wearing
• NSW Police will test the hat to see if it contains the 18-year-old's DNA
• Theo was last seen leaving Cheeky Monkey's bar in Byron Bay on May 31

 

[BusterXP]

What stage does a missing person (not just Theo's) case or evidence allow the police to know that foul play is not an option and that they have just wandered into the bush or have got in a car and left their old life behind and living a new life.

There's no evidence to indicate there was foul play either.
It's as possible as many other alternatives but they'd need a lead to pursue that direction.
They'd need to deal with probability based on what is known. The phone ping seems to have lead them to search from The Pass up to the Lighthouse. The high risk of falling from the cliffs around the lighthouse combined with the phone ping in that area lead to the cliffs being searched.
Early on the suspicion that it might of been Theo in the footage opposite Aloha lead to searches around there up past Belongil Creek and in behind the backpackers.
There were searches at Broken Head because someone who I can't (rightly) mention here misled people.
I don't discount that there are possibilities and I don't doubt that the Police are open to them but they need something 'solid' to go on. That's why the search for information is so important - without more information this is baffling.

 

[BusterXP]

Baseball cap similar to one worn by Theo Hayez is found in Byron Bay | Daily Mail Online

New twist in search for Theo Hayez as searchers find a baseball cap VERY similar to the one missing backpacker was wearing when he mysteriously vanished

• A black Puma hat was discovered in bushland in Cape Byron ten days ago
• The cap is said to be similar to one missing backpacker Theo Hayez was wearing
• NSW Police will test the hat to see if it contains the 18-year-old's DNA
• Theo was last seen leaving Cheeky Monkey's bar in Byron Bay on May 31

That's something. It's the first release of this information that I know.
If it's confirmed by the Police then it's ok. I heard this rumour a few days ago but dismissed it since nothing had been said by the family yet on this and there was no Police confirmation. It still hasn't been positively confirmed so we wait and see if the DNA results come up with anything.

 

[mussopossum]

There's no evidence to indicate there was foul play either.
It's as possible as many other alternatives but they'd need a lead to pursue that direction.
They'd need to deal with probability based on what is known. The phone ping seems to have lead them to search from The Pass up to the Lighthouse. The high risk of falling from the cliffs around the lighthouse combined with the phone ping in that area lead to the cliffs being searched.
Early on the suspicion that it might of been Theo in the footage opposite Aloha lead to searches around there up past Belongil Creek and in behind the backpackers.
There were searches at Broken Head because someone who I can't (rightly) mention here misled people.
I don't discount that there are possibilities and I don't doubt that the Police are open to them but they need something 'solid' to go on. That's why the search for information is so important - without more information this is baffling.

It sure is baffling. I truely hope they have answers soon for his families sake

 

[mussopossum]

That's something. It's the first release of this information that I know.
If it's confirmed by the Police then it's ok. I heard this rumour a few days ago but dismissed it since nothing had been said by the family yet on this and there was no Police confirmation. It still hasn't been positively confirmed so we wait and see if the DNA results come up with anything.

The Daily Telegraph also has a story however its Paywalled. I saw that Lisa his cousin had been sent the picture and thought it was but as you say time will tell with DNA. Would think should be able to at least get DNA from a hat even if been out in teh weather if the person had been wearing it for some time. fingers crossed,

 

[feralflower]

The Daily Telegraph article on finding a Puma hat near the camp also says it was found 10 days ago. I find it odd that DNA testing would take this long. Online sources say forensic tests can do a match in four hours. Why was this information about finding a hat not released until now? Also in the same article it says phone last pinged at 1.40 am just hours after he was last seen , this is incorrect. I did see a comment somewhere mentioning a hat found but also dismissed it as no news anywhere else about this. Must be a reason for not making it public until now that I can understand. But why would DNA testing take this long if hat was found 10 days ago? Surely they would have the results by now?

 

[BusterXP]

Why was this information about finding a hat not released until now?

Because it's unconfirmed it was his.
You don't potentially compromise an investigation by releasing information that is unconfirmed unless there's a real purpose to do so.
You might not release confirmed information unless it serves a purpose.
This isn't about informing the public - it's an investigation.

Also in the same article it says phone last pinged at 1.40 am just hours after he was last seen , this is incorrect.

That's incorrect but they use the correct time later in their timeline. They also say that the earlier message was WhatsApp when it was Messenger. Overseas sources can be unreliable.

I'm glad that the hat suspicion wasn't released. Public search teams are enthusiastic and do a great job but they can really churn things up. For the next planned search they are asking people to bring steel rakes to overturn leaf litter.
Contrasting that with what I've seen from the Police and SES searches where they have very eagle eyes and turn over only what they see as recent changes.

 

[sparks030405]

The Daily Telegraph also has a story however its Paywalled. I saw that Lisa his cousin had been sent the picture and thought it was but as you say time will tell with DNA. Would think should be able to at least get DNA from a hat even if been out in teh weather if the person had been wearing it for some time. fingers crossed,

Does anyone from LFTH FB Group follow posts on here? Can we get a map pinpointing the bush camp site? The article says the found hat is black. It’s a pale olive colour in the bottle shop cctv footage which looks pretty high quality and colour accurate for other objects is the frame. Interesting choice of words calling it a ‘camp’. I’ve been first down to Kings Beach to get a shady spot under a pandanus tree and been quite surprised to see a very dark skinned (not mixed) young male aboriginal walk naked out of the forest down to the water for a morning bathe, and quickly back, never to be seen again. I googled it afterwards and learned that this coastline up to the lighthouse is subject to 2001 Arakwal People of Byron Bay Indigenous Land Use Agreement. Do some actually live a traditional way in hidden communities in these coastal forests? I find that fascinating so close to the rampant eco consumerism that now pervades the area. How do they feel about tourists? Not much I’d say. Did Theo get lost in the bush and stumble across one? Maybe to keep the site secret, or protect from viruses, they have to kill and bury any intruders like that poor preacher that tried to visit one of those last remaining island tribes last year. So many options and theories

 

[Via Marple]

Wow. If the cap was found 10 days ago... there was a search on 8th July, where the volunteers met at "the Cosy Corner Carpark at the end of Tallow Beach Rd".

Daily Mail says it was found 200m from the beach. That should be deep in bushland.

If it does turn out to be his, there would be implications.... not very likely Theo was exploring around that area in those hours.

Police would then have to swing into action IMO, to further investigate. They might not be advertising what they would intend to do.

 

[BusterXP]

Wow. If the cap was found 10 days ago... there was a search on 8th July, where the volunteers met at "the Cosy Corner Carpark at the end of Tallow Beach Rd".

Daily Mail says it was found 200m from the beach. That should be deep in bushland.

This was pure speculation I posted a while ago - that he may have headed to Tallow Beach where parties are often held. The two Google Map routes show using one of two trails that come out at Tallow Beach south of the car park. I’d be sus about using those routes on foot at night.
Interesting that the next search is also at Tallow Beach.

 

[BusterXP]

Does anyone from LFTH FB Group follow posts on here? Can we get a map pinpointing the bush camp site? The article says the found hat is black. It’s a pale olive colour in the bottle shop cctv footage which looks pretty high quality and colour accurate for other objects is the frame. Interesting choice of words calling it a ‘camp’. I’ve been first down to Kings Beach to get a shady spot under a pandanus tree and been quite surprised to see a very dark skinned (not mixed) young male aboriginal walk naked out of the forest down to the water for a morning bathe, and quickly back, never to be seen again. I googled it afterwards and learned that this coastline up to the lighthouse is subject to 2001 Arakwal People of Byron Bay Indigenous Land Use Agreement. Do some actually live a traditional way in hidden communities in these coastal forests? I find that fascinating so close to the rampant eco consumerism that now pervades the area. How do they feel about tourists? Not much I’d say. Did Theo get lost in the bush and stumble across one? Maybe to keep the site secret, or protect from viruses, they have to kill and bury any intruder ....

The first report of a campsite I saw was by a Belgian newspaper. They seemed surprised. There are a lot of campsites around Byron both over at the Tallow Beach stretch and north to Belongil. It isn’t uncommon - there’s a lot of illegal camping and volunteers during the last search came across more. By Kings Beach I assume that you are referring to Kings Beach at Broken Head (just south of it). That’s a known gay nude beach.

 

[BusterXP]

Here’s a suggested route from CM to Tallow Beach. It goes along Kingsley Street but so does just about everything else going east.Parties are held anywhere but Cosy Corner is popular.

 

[Matlock]

There are posters all around Nimbin. Someone would see one. No cards have been used, no withdrawals made and he has no cash.
There was plenty of time left on his Visa. I'd think if he was going to 'drop out' he would have planned it and not done so immediately after being asked to leave a club for being intoxicated.

I suppose you're right. This theory was pretty far fetched and not likely. Wishful thinking though, it would be the best outcome. I think the following: There is no footage or witnesses after the CCTV footage from Kingsley St. I think this means he has gotten in a car or gone into a house or another building not long after the footage. He was okay at this place for about an hour because he rang his friend in Belgium but then something which wasn't meant to happen has happened and someone has panicked and thrown his phone away from the scene. There is no more footage and no witnesses after the Kingsley footage so that's why I think he went to his destination not long after and that it was a loose invitation/meet up plan from someone he probably met that day or evening. The problem with this theory though is that the police have probably thoroughly door knocked the area and even searched many buildings and any empty properties at the very least. So maybe a car was involved and he went to a house elsewhere in BB. Remember at one stage police were asking people with holiday properties in the area to check their backyards? Many of these owners probably live far away from BB and I think police should be contacting owners individually to get permission make sure it's done.

 

[Matlock]

The first report of a campsite I saw was by a Belgian newspaper. They seemed surprised. There are a lot of campsites around Byron both over at the Tallow Beach stretch and north to Belongil. It isn’t uncommon - there’s a lot of illegal camping and volunteers during the last search came across more. By Kings Beach I assume that you are referring to Kings Beach at Broken Head (just south of it). That’s a known gay nude beach.

There are lots of little campsites around where I live too and our foreshore isn't anywhere near as large as BB. Some even have doonas! A woman was burned alive at one years ago and they never found her killers. I have reason to believe a group of paint sniffers were the culprits.

 

[mussopossum]

The Daily Telegraph article on finding a Puma hat near the camp also says it was found 10 days ago. I find it odd that DNA testing would take this long. Online sources say forensic tests can do a match in four hours. Why was this information about finding a hat not released until now? Also in the same article it says phone last pinged at 1.40 am just hours after he was last seen , this is incorrect. I did see a comment somewhere mentioning a hat found but also dismissed it as no news anywhere else about this. Must be a reason for not making it public until now that I can understand. But why would DNA testing take this long if hat was found 10 days ago? Surely they would have the results by now?

I agree, I am doubtful it is his.

 

[mussopossum]

New breakthrough in search for 18-year-old backpacker

New breakthrough in search for 18-year-old backpacker

Yahoo News Australia18 July 2019

IMO i dont feel it is his.
Delay in the media publishing, no mention on the LFTH facebook page (there is a section under FAQ there that states updates, so nothing there).

There is als no mention on his cousins FB, I would say coincidence or some cruel person has thrown it in there to find and it is not his.

 

[they'll get you]

Hat found in missing backpacker Theo Hayez search

A baseball cap similar to the one worn by missing backpacker Theo Hayez has been found close to where his phone last pinged.
The 18-year-old was seen wearing the Puma hat on security vision after leaving a bar in Byron Bay in NSW on May 31.
The cap was found in scrubland 10 days ago and is being tested for any DNA matches with the missing Belgian teen, the Daily Telegraph reports.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/missing-backpacker-theo-hayez-byron-bay-nsw/34fef29c-6656-4235-aa62-19521fbe24d4

 

[sparks030405]

This was pure speculation I posted a while ago - that he may have headed to Tallow Beach where parties are often held. The two Google Map routes show using one of two trails that come out at Tallow Beach south of the car park. I’d be sus about using those routes on foot at night.
Interesting that the next search is also at Tallow Beach.

I’ve thought about that too, that’s he’s been invited to another party. It was a Friday night, so lots of options. I’ve never done any drugs before, but once at a party, been drinking fair bit of wine, then offered a 1/4 hash brownie and though yea, I’m with small group and safe, so try just once to know what it’s like. Subsequently began to feel paranoid that grew and grew, that the hosts drugged me to rape me, was calling 000 t help me, locked myself in a bedroom pushing furniture behind door, partner finally came to take me home, even thought he was in on it, started thinking about suiciding. Urine drug test next day showed heroine. Assume hash that was used to make cookies was laced. Either that or had drink spiked. Happened to Gary Tweddle, found at bottom of cliff after 6 weeks. He had drunk one to two bottles of wine and then took cocaine. Was last seen running out of his hotel