Bondi Westfield killer Joel Cauchi worked as a male escort
The man who killed six people in the Bondi shopping centre massacre has been identified as a Queenslander who recently advertised himself as a male escort.
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The schizophrenic man behind a stabbing rampage in Bondi that left six people dead advertised as a male escort online offering “closed door” services.
In a now-removed posting, first uncovered by The Australian, mass murderer Joel Cauchi presented himself as an “athletic good looking 39-year-old guy”.
The images accompanying his profile bore watermarks from “Escorts.Au Australia” and “EmpirEscort.”
The masthead reports that among his advertised services, Cauchi offered: “Let me gently massage all of your body, and have me in any and every way!”
He further extended his services to groups, romantic encounters, and bespoke requests, garnering 853 views on his profile before its removal.
Photographs featured Cauchi in various poses, including one where he sported a dark floral button-up shirt against a white wall, and another where he sat on a chair donning a sports jersey.
The Australian reports that Cauchi’s Escorts.Au profile was created on June 5, 2023, coinciding with his advertised work location in Sydney.
Analysis of the images suggests they were taken in July 2020 and uploaded between June and November 2023.
Notably, one of the images prominently displays Cauchi’s distinctive forearm tattoo depicting a dragon, which he also showcased on his Facebook profile earlier this year.
Cauchi, 40, was identified on Sunday morning as the crazed man who stabbed six people to death at Sydney’s Westfield Bondi Junction.
Cauchi was seen wearing a Kangaroos outfit as he attacked at least 18 people at the busy shopping centre in Sydney’s east about 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon.
Police say he came to NSW from Queensland about one month ago and shortly after coming to Sydney, he took possession of a storage facility.
Cauchi’s social media posts suggest he had been in Sydney for several months and feature him reaching out for people to come surfing with him at Bondi Beach.
He states to have gone to Harristown State High School in Toowoomba and worked as an English tutor at an online institution.
Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said police had spoken with the man’s family who were assisting the investigation.
“We have recovered no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise,” he said.
“We know that the offender in the matter suffered from mental health, we are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender.
“But very clearly to us at this stage, it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved.”
On January 5, Cauchie wrote in the Australian Backpackers page looking for rideshare arrangements and places to stay.
“Hi, I live in Sydney and am looking for people that I can rideshare with, pay for some fuel and stay at some interesting places reasonably close to Sydney together. Let me know if you are interested!”
He also reviewed a Chippendale cafe on February 26 and later on April 3 wrote to a group seeking candidates for a “language exchange” with a Swedish speaker.
“I am a fluent English speaker and can teach that in exchange for being taught Swedish if you are interested.”
Then on Monday, Cauchi wrote to Beginner Surfing and Adventuring (Sydney): “Hey I am surfing Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet there for a surf.”
NSW Police has released the ages of the victims – including four women believed to be aged between 20 and 55 and a man, aged in his 30s - who died at the scene.
They are yet to be formally identified.
Of the 17 people stabbed, 14 of them were women.
Police are currently searching through the “very small storage facility” the offender took possession of shortly after arriving in NSW.
Assistant Commissioner Cooke said officers would continue combing through the shopping centre today while also looking for any vehicles linked to the incident.
“This was a very broad incident. There’s a lot of footage already out in the media depicting some of what has occurred.
“So people would understand this is a large crime scene. We need to deal with each and every aspect of that crime scene.”
The man fatally stabbed four women and one man before being shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott.
Sydney mother Ash Good, 38, who desperately trying to protect her baby during the attack, later died in hospital bringing the death toll to six, as well as the attacker.
Another victim has been identified as 25-year-old Dawn Singleton, the daughter of millionaire businessman John Singleton.
Ms Good’s nine-month-old child is among 12 people that were wounded during the attack and taken to various hospitals around Sydney.
Many are in a serious but stable condition, including the child. Others have presented to local medical centres with minor injuries.
In videos shared to social media, the killer was seen stalking people in the shopping centre.
At one point, the knifeman was confronted by a man armed only with a bollard while on an escalator, who was later dubbed “Bollard Man”.
The man tried to hold off the attacker, who was marching up the escalator.
As people fled, the killer approached a family and a brave man, believed to be a father, turned towards the attacker, who then walked away.
The killer was apprehended by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, the first police officer on the scene.
She was able to locate him after being directed by witnesses.
She fatally shot the killer in the chest as he walked towards her with a raised knife, and then gave him CPR.
Assistant Commissioner Cooke said Inspector Scott was “doing well”.
“And can I just say how proud we are of the actions of the officer involved, last night,” he said.
“And she will be is receiving all the support that she requires.”
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said at a press conference on Saturday evening that police had identified the attacker as a 40-year-old man.
She said police were confident there was no ongoing risk to the public and he was a lone assailant.
She said police did not believe the killer had an “ideation”, meaning it was likely not a terrorist attack.
“He is known to law enforcement,” she confirmed.
Police have launched an investigation that will probe the man’s background, vehicle and associates.
She said police do not yet know if the man was under the effects of alcohol or drugs during the attack.
Police are still searching for any motive for the attack.
“It will take a thorough investigation, it will take time for us to go back in his life and history to determine that,” she said.
Commissioner Webb said it was too early to know if the man was targeting any specific group or gender.
“Given the environment, it’s possible that it’s random, but it’s too early to speculate,” she said.
It was further revealed by Queensland health on Sunday that Cauchi had been treated by Queensland Health for mental health issues over a decade ago but was transferred to a psychiatrist in the private sector in 2012.
Today show host Karl Stefanovic this morning expressed disgust at the high number of female victims.
“I don’t care what the excuses are, and I hope there’s a special place in hell reserved for him, given the fact that he walked past men, and didn’t do anything about it and attacked women,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner Cooke said police would “canvass all possibilities” in its investigation.
“I don’t know that to be the case at this stage, but very clearly those matters will be part of the investigation as it continues,” he said.
The senior cop said anyone who was present or witnessed the incident should make themselves known to investigators.
“And we will ensure that you are contacted and that we can provide what support it is that you may require,” he said.
“But also we are very keen obviously, to hear from you in terms of what it is that you may have seen at the time.”
Originally published as Bondi Westfield killer Joel Cauchi worked as a male escort
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