Police charge man with stabbing murder of 21-year-old Coffs Harbour surfer Kye Schaefer

Police have charged a man with murder about a month after surfer Kye Schaefer, 21, was viciously stabbed to death in a Coffs Harbour car park. Here’s what happened.

Kye Schaefer, 21, was tragically stabbed to death. Picture: Facebook.

Police Homicide Squad detectives have charged a man with murder about a month after young surfer Kye Schaefer was viciously stabbed to death in a Coffs Harbour car park.

Matthew Willacy, 36, a rough sleeper in the area was previously charged with robbing a man with a metal star picket nearby and around the same time as the fatal stabbing of 21-year-old Mr Schaefer.

He has now been charged with Mr Schaefer’s murder.

Emergency services including Coffs-Clarence Police District and NSW Ambulance paramedics were called to Ocean Parade in the northern NSW regional city about 6.40am on Thursday, May 2.

Mr Schaefer was stabbed in broad daylight while out for a morning surf near Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club at Park Beach.

Kye Schaefer. Picture: Facebook.

He was treated at the scene for chest and neck injuries before being taken to Coffs Harbour Base Hospital, where he later died.

Police established a crime scene and the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad was called in under Strike Force Kooringaroo.

Police speak about a 36-year-old man being charged with murder following the stabbing death of Kye Schaefer in early May. Picture: Toni Moon

Detectives arrested a 36-year-old man – Willacy – at a Coffs Harbour correctional facility just before 10am on Tuesday, according to NSW Police.

He was taken to Coffs Harbor Police Station and charged with murder.

Willacy was refused bail to face Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday.

He did not appear in person in a courtroom packed with Mr Schaefer’s family and friends later in the day.

No formal application for bail was made, but it was refused regardless. Magistrate Julia Virgo adjourned Willacy’s case to August 13.

Tributes after the stabbing. Picture: Janine Watson

Earlier, it was exclusively revealed police had charged a 36-year-old homeless man, Willacy, over an armed robbery at roughly the same time – and a few hundred metres away – from where Mr Schaefer was found suffering multiple stab wounds.

Court documents alleged Willacy threatened a second rough sleeper with a metal star picket at a car park near Coffs Jetty before making off with fishing gear and beer.

Willacy was arrested by detectives from the strike force just after 5pm that day, following the alleged theft of an e-bike from a Park Beach shop.

No link to the stabbing murder probe was made public by police at the time.

The bike shop. Picture: Janine Watson

The 36-year-old did not enter pleas to robbery and larceny charges.

Police viewed CCTV footage and spoke to various eyewitnesses before Willacy was charged with murder.

Previously, officers called on the public for information on a man on a bicycle in the area, while Mr Schaefer’s sister took to a GoFundMe page to thank the community and pay tribute.

The fundraiser has collected more than $27,000 after a $10,000 target was set.

Park Beach on the quiet Monday morning after the stabbing of surfer Kye Schaefer. Picture: Janine Watson

“We would like to thank all involved on Thursday, our community went above and beyond to help our Kye,” Mimi Schaefer wrote.

“We will never forget the love and kindness we have been surrounded in since.

“Words cannot express the heartfelt gratitude we have for all the dedicated emergency and medical professionals.

“We thank the police for all that they are doing to help us make sense of a senseless situation and their efforts to help us maintain our privacy while we get our heads around this.”

Floral tributes to Kye Schaefer almost three weeks after his stabbing death. Picture: Janine Watson.

The statement urged anyone “feeling anger and frustration” to “reach out to your family, a mate or a community service”.

Parents Pam and Tony Schaefer also spoke of their heartache.

“No words can describe how we’re feeling, the sheer loss of our faith in humanity,” Mrs Schaefer said.

“The love and support our family and friends have been absolutely phenomenal, that’s what’s kept us out of this black hole.”

The 21-year-old’s father said “the local community have been so supportive”.

“We thank everyone very much for the assistance and help given us through these hard times,” he said.

The pair pleaded for any information to assist police and asked what they would say to the person responsible, Mr Schaefer said: “Just be honest and own up to your mistakes in life … everyone makes them.”

Know more? Phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.