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

[BusterXP]

It needs to be realised that the tower at the water tank is fairly weak. It's meant to cover the Cape and part of Tallow Beach that isn't otherwise covered.
Telstra isolated the ping to 60 degrees based on the aerial segment that was used.

 

[Chiatos]

The name of the cult's leader/founder in the surroundings of BB happens to be Hayes. If I'm not mistaken.
Only the s differs from Theo's surname. Could this have had played a roll in Theo's diappearance?

 

[Jables333]

We need to know from mobile phone data, who was on Tennyson St AND around Milne Track area. Can’t be that hard for telcos and Google to figure out.

Would this data show phones that were on in houses and phones that were on 'hanging around' in the street/park/YAC area? Seems like this would identify a handful of people worth talking to.

If so then how could we start a petition to help Mr. Gamble the PI get this info?

 

[Jables333]

double post removed

 

[Jables333]

RSBM

I think the finding of Theo's cap is pretty significant. It sounds as if it is an item that is pretty well-loved by Theo. He wore it out to a club at night (though maybe he had no chance to drop it back in his room before heading off to the bottle shop and bbq that evening), he wore it on a cooler-less-intense-sun day of 31st May.

It is not a tiny little item that would be too difficult to find - especially as it seems to be a well-liked, well-worn item - when using the light of his phone. It is an item that is valuable in the sense that we need sun protection in our country. And if it is chilly, it helps keep the head warm.

So why was it left behind? Why did Theo continue on to wherever he went, without his cap?

Rocket333 is right, Lisa said that Theo wore his cap a lot because it kept his long hair from his eyes. He had been growing his hair on the trip. And he complained when it was windy and he didn't have his cap to help keep his hair back.

 

[SouthAussie]

Rocket333 is right, Lisa said that Theo wore his cap a lot because it kept his long hair from his eyes. He had been growing his hair on the trip. And he complained when it was windy and he didn't have his cap to help keep his hair back.

Yes, I believe Rocket ... it was just a detail that I had missed.

Only makes it even more curious that Theo's cap was found - why Theo didn't look for it (with the light from his phone) and retrieve it, if it had just got knocked off his head by a low hanging branch.

 

[Rocket333]

As well, Telstra would have been able to narrow it down to a specific sector, as the ping would have been on a specific section of the tower ... with the tower containing many sections.

Which is likely how they got the '60 degree angle pointing towards the lighthouse' segment. imo

1. Am I right in thinking that this doesn’t rule out the phone from being in any part of the rest of the segment?
2. If the phone connected with the Paterson Tower and the Cape Tower, it indicates that it spoke to both right?
3. Was it deemed closer to the Cape tower due to the section that received a stronger signal over all else there?

 

[BusterXP]

Would this data show phones that were on in houses and phones that were on 'hanging around' in the street/park/YAC area? Seems like this would identify a handful of people worth talking to.

If so then how could we start a petition to help Mr. Gamble the PI get this info?

It could but the only authorities that could access that is the Police and possibly other enforcement agencies. New data access laws might help but there would need to be just cause. Privacy would be a main obstacle.

 

[espirtu pampa]

Yes, I believe Rocket ... it was just a detail that I had missed.

Only makes it even more curious that Theo's cap was found - why Theo didn't look for it (with the light from his phone) and retrieve it, if it had just got knocked off his head by a low hanging branch.

He could have looked for his cap but couldn't find it and then might have wanted to save the battery.

 

[Rocket333]

Yes, I believe Rocket ... it was just a detail that I had missed.

Only makes it even more curious that Theo's cap was found - why Theo didn't look for it (with the light from his phone) and retrieve it, if it had just got knocked off his head by a low hanging branch.

Knocked off is my guess:
- by a branch (doubt it as he should’ve, if all was well, paused & retrieved it using his torch given he had just paused at the T intersection to consult maps),
- fell off his head whilst running and was unable to stop and grab it
- fell off his head whilst being carried
- fell off his head whilst being assaulted etc

Quite likely on the return trip. JMO

 

[Harpboon]

Another hypothetical scenario:

Theo falls unconscious at CC and is carried out via the bush track where his cap falls off his head in the process.

Wish they’d reveal where exactly the cap was found on that track.

LFTH page admins state that, “Final ping registered at 1.42pm on June 1 off the Paterson St tower” and “It means indeed that the phone was physically within the reach of that tower which covers a broad area that may include Cosy Corner. The sector of antenna connected to Théo's phone covers a specific angle but it seems that the nature of the place (hills, cliffs, vegetation,.. ) does induce some uncertainty about the exact coverage of the signal.”

I’ve thought about this also. I asked my self if Theo wore his hat like a headband ( cousin Lisa said to keep his hair from getting in his face and when his hair did get in his face it would annoy him) if it fell off because of a branch surely he grab it and put it back on.

I also asked my self how does a cap fall off your head with out being knocked off by a tree branch?
A scuffle?
Or if two people carried Theo out through the bush, one on the arms and one carrying the legs. His hat may well off fallen off through gravity and movement.
IMO

 

[Rocket333]

I’ve thought about this also. I asked my self if Theo wore his hat like a headband ( cousin Lisa said to keep his hair from getting in his face and when his hair did get in his face it would annoy him) if it fell off because of a branch surely he grab it and put it back on.

I also asked my self how does a cap fall off your head with out being knocked off by a tree branch?
A scuffle?
Or if two people carried Theo out through the bush, one on the arms and one carrying the legs. His hat may well off fallen off through gravity and movement.
IMO

Exactly. His reflexes would be good, and he would’ve been quite vigilant on that journey as it was unfamiliar, dark and challenging. If it did get knocked off by a branch or tree limb, it’d be highly likely he’d feel the knock to his head and his cap falling, and pause to find it around his feet ( as it wouldn’t travel far). Yes it could’ve flung further into the dark but unlikely, as the jolt of hitting something with your head, and the sensation of a firm fitting loved cap loosening would’ve pulled him up suddenly. Unless he was being chased and couldn’t stop, but his actions upon reaching the beach don’t indicate any life endangering threat at that point (except perhaps the CC hill scale into the spiky scrub).

His cap isn’t something he’d feel indifferent towards if lost. It would’ve been a special thing he’s attached to and it would’ve been on him throughout his travels, like his watch. I suspect he wasn’t aware of it dropping and that it occurred whilst returning through that beach track.
On the LFTH Facebook page the admin queried why the specific location of where the cap was found was relevant or important. It’s relevant because it’s location relative to the path, specifically the proximity to the path, and which section of the path, provides further insight into direction of travel and how it detached from his head. It aids the mapping of the journey and is an important piece of the puzzle. JMO

 

[T-dawg420]

Yes, I believe Rocket ... it was just a detail that I had missed.

Only makes it even more curious that Theo's cap was found - why Theo didn't look for it (with the light from his phone) and retrieve it, if it had just got knocked off his head by a low hanging branch.

I’ve always found the fact he didn’t stop to look for his hat a bit strange. Esp after Lisa said the things she did about Theo and his long hair flapping all over the place if he didn’t have his hat, how annoying he found that.

I can definitely understand Lisa’s point as I have long hair and when it’s windy it’s the worst, even a little bit of breeze and my hair constantly flaps around and covers my face, it is very maddening!

When I went into the scrub behind CC when I was there my hat was lifted off my head by a overhanging branch..I felt it immediately, having my head hit the branch, having my hat removed, I also then immediately stopped and turned to retrieve it. It was no more than 1 meter away, It was during the day so I could see it easily. However it’s not like the tree branch can play hide and seek with my hat once it’s off my head, the hats gonna be where it come off, either on the branch or on the ground. Even at night I don’t think I would be moving fast enough to go so far past where my hat come off not to be able to find it if I had a torch.

I just can’t get over the fact he didn’t stop for his cap. I think if he wasn’t in immediate danger, if he was of a sound mind with no inebriation and if he had a source of light he would at least stop to look for it. Even if being led by someone, moreover if there was someone with Theo and he wasn’t in danger or high as a kite then wouldn’t having more than one person looking for the hat be a better chance of finding it, so once again why not stop? At least for a minute? why doesn’t his gps stop where his hat was found?

 

[Rocket333]

I still come back to the idea that the police would be aware if the phone was moving during the 12 or so hours after Google stopped reporting and would (I hope) not dismiss the case as a misadventure if it was moving around. But they did.....so perhaps the phone didn't leave the Location of its final ping near the lighthouse and did just happen to run out of battery.

The police would’ve looked at the phone ping intel and their search of the cliff area and Clarke’s beach would’ve been wholly due to this intel right?

They have to justify their actions (get approval), write reports and be open to being critiqued by the public and the coroner right? Given this they need to be quite by the book, and transparent during the active investigation.

If their communications with the telco’s resulted in suspicion or evidence that the phone could’ve been in a broader area besides just the headland, would they investigate the whole 60 deg catchment area?

Have they received info that the ping was strongest on the headland and decided to invest their resources there, as falling from the cliffs seems the simplest and most obvious explanation?

 

[BusterXP]

If their communications with the telco’s resulted in suspicion or evidence that the phone could’ve been in a broader area besides just the headland, would they investigate the whole 60 deg catchment area?

IIRC, they started to focus the search on an area around Clarkes Beach and heading towards Wategos. I think that was soon after the phone ping information was released but before the info regarding the tower it pinged with was released.

 

[Rocket333]

IIRC, they started to focus the search on an area around Clarkes Beach and heading towards Wategos. I think that was soon after the phone ping information was released but before the info regarding the tower it pinged with was released.

Yes I recall that too. Probably seemed most obvious and sensible at the time with the ping and the cliffs. Would’ve cost a lot in time & resources too I bet.

 

[Rocket333]

Is the concentration around the headland, Watego & Clarke’s a red herring, like the Shirley Street cctv footage?

How strong is the chance that the police search area of the headland, Watego & Clarke’s is accurate?

 

[Jables333]

I’ve always found the fact he didn’t stop to look for his hat a bit strange. Esp after Lisa said the things she did about Theo and his long hair flapping all over the place if he didn’t have his hat, how annoying he found that.

I can definitely understand Lisa’s point as I have long hair and when it’s windy it’s the worst, even a little bit of breeze and my hair constantly flaps around and covers my face, it is very maddening!

When I went into the scrub behind CC when I was there my hat was lifted off my head by a overhanging branch..I felt it immediately, having my head hit the branch, having my hat removed, I also then immediately stopped and turned to retrieve it. It was no more than 1 meter away, It was during the day so I could see it easily. However it’s not like the tree branch can play hide and seek with my hat once it’s off my head, the hats gonna be where it come off, either on the branch or on the ground. Even at night I don’t think I would be moving fast enough to go so far past where my hat come off not to be able to find it if I had a torch.

I just can’t get over the fact he didn’t stop for his cap. I think if he wasn’t in immediate danger, if he was of a sound mind with no inebriation and if he had a source of light he would at least stop to look for it. Even if being led by someone, moreover if there was someone with Theo and he wasn’t in danger or high as a kite then wouldn’t having more than one person looking for the hat be a better chance of finding it, so once again why not stop? At least for a minute? why doesn’t his gps stop where his hat was found?

Why indeed? Imagine at night on that trail, in pitch black, the last thing you'd want would be having hair in your eyes, it would be hard enough to see as it is. So if you lost your hat you'd stop for sure to try and find it. But the Google data doesn't show him stopping where the hat was found.

 

[Jables333]

By the way, did you see that someone who drank with Theo has finally spoken out?

Let's hope others come forward as the message spreads...

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"adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/tourist-who-shared-drink-with-missing-belgian-backpacker-speaks-out/video/e3e5d227774c71cd709497918fd8e477"

 

[SouthAussie]

By the way, did you see that someone who drank with Theo has finally spoken out?

Let's hope others come forward as the message spreads...

No Cookies | The Advertiser

"adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/tourist-who-shared-drink-with-missing-belgian-backpacker-speaks-out/video/e3e5d227774c71cd709497918fd8e477"

I think that is a fairly old video. It speaks of the ongoing police search happening at the time. I am pretty sure that Theo's mate said quite early on (back in the first thread) that he didn't think Theo was very inebriated.