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DARK SIDE OF PARADISE
Tessa Flemming
The cases that shattered Byron's carefree community.
PART 1
Byron Bay, the beachside paradise, is as well known for its Hemsworths and influencers as its hippy past.
But behind the glossy facade lies a series of tragedies.
A dark history
Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez was just 18 when he arrived in the North Coast town in what was to be the trip of a lifetime. He was last seen leaving the Cheeky Monkey bar in Byron at about 11pm on 31 May 2019.
The disappearance of Theo Hayez
The Belgian teen had been kicked out of the bar and wandered off into the night. A week later, he was reported missing by the Wake Up hostel in Belongil when he failed to check out. 
Mobile phone data suggests when he left the bar, he walked in the opposite direction of his hostel and cut a path through dense bushland to a beach cul-de-sac below the lighthouse.
One theory is that he met a mystery local who may have lured him to his death.
Only a hat similar to a cap he was known to wear has been found. His disappearance is now the subject of a coronial inquest.
It was supposed to be the happiest time of the year but Christmas 2017 only brought heartbreak for the family of Byron Bay DJ Christopher Bradley.
The tragic death of a Byron Bay DJ
The 28-year-old was celebrating at a house party on December 25 when he was fatally assaulted by personal trainer Javen O’Neill. O’Neill punched him three times in the head.
Judge Laura Wells convicted O’Neill, pictured, in Lismore District Court in April 2019 of manslaughter. He was sentenced  to eight years and three months in prison.
Former Olympian Nathan Baggaley, 45, went from Australia’s pride to drug trafficking shame when his July 2018 offshore cocaine smuggle was intercepted by police.
Drug downfall of a Byron Olympian
Baggaley was a three-time world champion kayaker who won two silver medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics when he was charged for attempting to import 500kg of cocaine into Australia.
Baggaley was waiting onshore near Byron while his brother Dru and another man collected the cocaine from a foreign boat when they were intercepted by police.
Although he pleaded not guilty, the court found Baggaley guilty and sentenced him to 25 years in prison with a 12 year non-parole period.
Microbiology graduate Thea Liddle, 42, was known to live a nomadic lifestyle when she vanished. She was last seen in Mooball and was known to frequent Nimbin and Byron Bay.
What happened to Thea Liddle?
She was reported missing by her family in January 2020, prompting a large scale investigation into her disappearance. She had been last seen on CCTV footage in Butler St buying milk on October 31, 2019.
In July 2020, police found her remains in Tallow Beach alongside a purse and a carton of milk. A post-mortem did not reveal any sign of injury. It remains a mystery how she died.
																											

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/web-stories/free/the-northern-star-lismore/byron-bay-crimes-and-unsolved-mysteries-theo-hayez-thea-liddle