St Andrew’s Cathedral School murder: How it unfolded

The horrific murder of Lilie James at an elite Sydney school and the search for her ex-boyfriend has stunned NSW as police try to piece together what led to the gruesome death. This is how the murder unfolded.

The horrific murder of a young staffer at an elite Sydney school and the search for suspect and ex-boyfriend Paul Thijssen has stunned NSW as police try to piece together what led to the gruesome death.

St Andrew’s Cathedral School remains closed as police examine two crime scenes - one at the school where the body of 21-year old Lilie James was found - and one at The Gap in Vaucluse where 24-year-old Thijssen is missing.

This is what we know so far about how the murder unfolded:

Wednesday evening (Oct 25): Lilie James’ family alert police after she didn’t return home. A concerned relative of the young woman makes the call that set police on their path to the gruesome discovery of her body.

Wednesday, 7pm: CCTV at St Andrew’s Cathedral School captures Thijssen following Lilie into a gymnasium bathroom where her battered body is later found by police.

Wednesday, 8pm: School CCTV captures Thijssen leaving the bathroom an hour after he first entered with Lilie.

Wednesday, just before midnight: Police visit St Andrew’s Cathedral School and discover Ms James’ body in a gym bathroom after receiving a Triple-0 call from Thijssen himself. Police sources says she suffered horrific injuries with officers stumbling on ‘confronting scene’. “Police located the body of a female in her early twenties in the gym area of the school,” NSW Police Sydney City Commander Martin Fileman said. “It is apparent from her injuries she’s a victim of homicide – she had serious head injuries.”

‘Confronting scene’... Superintendent Martin Fileman. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

Thursday, 1am: Police establish a second crime scene at The Gap in Vaucluse where they hunt for Thijssen. It is understood the pair had been in a brief five-week romance before Ms James ended the relationship. Police establish the second crime scene after tracing Thijssen’s Triple-0 call to the notorious suicide spot. They find some of his belongings but no body.

Thursday (Oct 26), 4:30am: St Andrew’s Cathedral School sends a text message to parents saying the school will be closed for the rest of the week due to “a critical incident”. The school advises parents year 12 HSC exams will proceed and students currently on the year 5 camp will not be affected.

Officers remove items from the school on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

Thursday, 6:30am: A second text message from St Andrew’s Cathedral School to parents reassures the school community no students were involved in the incident.

Thursday, 10:35am: Young female water polo coach Lilie James is identified as the 21-year-old woman found dead at the school. Her male colleague remains unaccounted for.

Search... police at St Andrew’s Cathedral School. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

Thursday, 9am: Parents unaware of the murder arrive at the school to drop off their children and are shocked to discover the large police presence. “There’s an incident that’s occurred. The school is closed,” a police officer told a father-of-two standing behind police tape.

Thursday, 9am: A police chopper arrives at the Vaucluse crime scene to assist investigations. Police conduct line searches across South Head Reserve and patrol the coast line after property associated with the crime scene is discovered. The area around the cliff edge at Diamond Bay is cordoned off. A bin is also sealed off and a police rescue tent is set up nearby.

Lilie James, 21, is a water polo coach and the staff member killed at St Andrew’s Cathedral School. Picture: Facebook

Paul Thijssen is a former St Andrew's Cathedral School student and the missing man police are searching for at The Gap.

Thursday, 11:40am: Paul Thijssen, 24, a former St Andrew’s Cathedral School student and current school sports coach, is identified as the man police are searching for at The Gap.

Thursday, 12.30pm: It’s revealed Ms James had brought her relationship with Paul Thijssen to an end in recent days, after five weeks together.

Police on Friday morning as they scour Vaucluse clifftop

Thursday, 5pm: Reports emerge Ms James was allegedly bashed to death with a hammer. Police said her body was unrecognisable when discovered by police at the school on Wednesday night.

Friday, 8am: Police establish a fresh crime scene on clifftops at Vaucluse. Police and paramedics rush to the scene under full lights and sirens and rescue jetskis begin patrolling the water after a body is found in the area.

Friday, 11am: Family break silence over Lilie’s death, saying they are “devastated and heartbroken”.

Friday, 12.36pm: Police finally retrieve body, believed to be Paul Thijssen, from The Gap at Vaucluse.