Police decline comment on claims of ‘link’ between Theo Hayez, Thea Liddle

It’s believed the death of a former Bargara woman could be “linked” to the disappearance of Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez.

Police say they are unable to give any new updates on a possible link between the disappearance of backpacker Theo Hayez and the death of a former Bargara woman whose remains were found in 2020.

The possible connection between Mr Hayez, who went missing in 2019, and Thea Liddle, whose remains were found in 2020, was flagged in 2021 as part of a 60 Minutes investigation.

Thea Liddle, 42, was reported missing in November, 2019, after disappearing from the NSW North Coast. Police found her remains on July 15, 2020, at a campsite near Tallow Beach at Byron Bay. Source: Facebook.

The search is still on for the Belgian backpacker who went missing on the night of May 31, 2019 after he was kicked out of the Cheeky Monkey’s bar in Byron Bay.

His last known GPS location was at Byron Bay’s popular Tallow Beach.

The Hayez family set up looking4theo.com in a desperate attempt to find their beloved boy.

An anonymous tip submitted to the site claimed Mr Hayez had fallen victim to local drug dealers, and his belongings had been taken from Tallow Beach and been dumped at an abandoned house in Nimbin.

When police arrived to the address 70km from Byron Bay, they found three suitcases of belongings scattered across the lounge room, but they didn’t belong to Mr Hayez.

A letter addressed to Thea Liddle was found in an abandoned house in Nimbin after a tip-off on the looking4theo.com website suggested Theo Hayez met with drug dealers who moved his belongings to the residence. Source: 6o Minutes

The items belonged to former Bargara woman Ms Liddle whose remains were found by NSW police in July 2020.

She was reported missing just three months before Mr Hayez.

It was reported in the 60 Minutes investigation that police believed the cases are linked.

New South Wales police told the Bundaberg NewsMail “as the matter has been referred to the Coroner, we are unable to provide any further information” in response to a request as to whether there were any updates on the case.

The abandoned Nimbin house where private investigators went looking for the belongings of missing backpacker Theo Hayez; inside the house; belongings of Thea Liddle were found including documents; police attended and collected three suitcases of Liddle's belongings. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Liddle, 42, was known to live a “nomadic” lifestyle, and was last seen in Mooball before her skeletal remains were found at a makeshift camp site in bushland near Tallow Beach Road in Byron Bay.

She had graduated with a Microbiology degree before working in labs across New South Wales.

Ms Liddle’s parents, living in Bargara, kindly declined to speak about their daughter’s death saying “it still hurts”.

It’s now been more than two years since Theo Hayez disappeared and Thea Liddle’s remains were found.

CCTV released by police media of missing Belgian Backpacker Theo Hayez, last seen in Byron Bay on May 31.

The coronial inquest into the disappearance of Theo Hayez and the death of Thea Liddle began in November last year and is ongoing.

Police have urged anyone with information regarding either of these cases, you can report it to Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.