New WhatsApp texts at centre of Theo Hayez 'breakthrough'

A coronial inquest has identified a “potential breakthrough” as new details regarding the disappearance of Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez have emerged.

Investigators have found a mystery person who exchanged WhatsApp texts with Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez on the night he vanished, a coronial inquest has heard.

The development was described as a “potential breakthrough” and comes almost three years after the 18-year-old was last seen leaving the Cheeky Monkey’s nightclub in Byron Bay at 11pm on May 31, 2019.

He was reported missing on June 6 after failing to arrive in Melbourne. He had not contacted family or friends and did not check out of his accommodation.

The case received widespread national attention with an extensive air, land and sea search launched to find Mr Hayez.

Now, counsel assisting the coroner Kirsten Edwards has revealed new information gathered from his mobile phone activity could help investigators uncover crucial details about his movements that night.

“There’s been a potential breakthrough and I don’t want to overstate it, your honour, but we know Theo was engaged in some WhatsApp activity just before 1am on the 31st of May,” Ms Edwards said, according to the Daily Telegraph.

“It was an area of intense focus by the police and by the family very early on in the investigation,” she continued.

“A press conference was held, Home Affairs became involved, but nothing was able to be determined about that activity.

“We’ve found somebody who was communicating with Theo on May 31 [2019]; we’re trying to ascertain whether that communication was close to that period just before 1am.”

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Theo Hayez, a Belgian backpacker disappeared from Byron Bay in May 2019.

SES during the initial 2019 search around the Byorn Bay Lighthouse as well as Tallows Beach and The Pass in the search for missing backpacker Theo Hayez.

On the night of Mr Hayez’s disappearance, a security guard ejected him from the Cheeky Monkeys bar as he was under the impression the backpacker was approaching intoxication.

“The evidence to whether Theo was actually intoxicated is ambiguous,” Ms Edwards said.

Location-tracking data suggested he walked in the opposite direction of the Wake Up! hostel but took “strange” routes despite having his maps open.

As part of his route, he passed a cricket ground before moving through a fire trail, then trailing off into bushland towards Tallow Beach.

The last reliable data point placed Mr Hayez and his phone at Cozy Corner near the Cape Byron cliffs.

One working theory from police was Mr Hayez fell while trying to climb the cliffs near Cozy Corner and was swept out to sea.

“If the working theory is correct … his phone did not go with him because it was still working and transmitting data until about the afternoon of Saturday June 1, 2019,” Ms Edwards said.

Despite extensive searches by SES teams and police, his body was never found.

His hat was recovered in bushland on the route he last took weeks after he disappeared.

SES and police are pictured during the initial search for Theo Hayez in thick bushland between The Pass and Wategoes.

Wednesday’s inquest also heard from senior constable Louis Papworth - an inexperienced police officer who was tasked with leading the initial search.

Constable Papworth, who had only handled two minor searches prior to the Hayez investigation, said he would have done things differently if he had his time over.

“Why were you personally selected to coordinate the first day of Theo’s search?” counsel assisting the coroner Kirsten Edwards asked.

“I believe I was just the on-call rescue operator that day,” Papworth replied.

Constable Papworth said the search teams were forced to use paper maps and pens as he had no experience in a mapping tool that used GPS data to mark searched areas.

He also admitted that volunteers weren’t given a photo of Theo.

Theo Hayez's father Laurent Hayez is pictured embracing community members at the Byron Bay Golf Course.

The development came just hours after Deputy Premier and Police Minister Paul Toole announced a new $500,000 reward in a bid to revive the case.

“Theo was a young man who had his entire life ahead of him and his family cannot rest until they know what happened to him,” he said.

“The pain of losing a loved one is bad enough, but the mystery surrounding this case only adds to that pain.

“Police investigating this case need our help to provide that crucial piece of the puzzle that can bring some comfort to the family and friends of Theo. If you know or think of anything, no matter how small, please phone Crime Stoppers,”