Theo Hayez: Bones found near where backpacker’s phone sent final signal

Police are investigating after skeletal remains were found near the spot where a missing backpacker’s phone sent its final signal in Byron Bay.

Police have launched an investigation after finding skeletal remains in bushland near the beach in Byron Bay.

The Tallow Beach area where the remains were found is the same spot where Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez was last know to have been after a night out in Byron Bay before he went missing.

Police were searching near Tallow Beach Road in Byron Bay for another missing woman, Thea Liddle, 42, when they made the discovery of human remains on Wednesday. But NSW Police now say it’s too early to say if the remains belong to a man or woman.

The Tweed/Byron Police, along with the Public Order and Riot Squad Police and Dog Unit, had been searching after a renewed appeal was made for information about Ms Liddle’s whereabouts.

Ms Liddle was last seen in October 2019 in Mooball, northern NSW. Her family reported her missing in January this year.

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However, NSW Police said it’s “too early to determine if the remains are male or female” and they will have to undergo forensic examination. They warned it will take weeks for the results to be returned.

Police searching the bushland off Tallow Beach Rd. Picture: NSW Police

Detective Chief Inspector Brendon Cullen said today he believed it was “highly unlikely” the remains could be Mr Hayez and has submitted a report to the Coroner with those findings.

Det Chief Insp Cullen said investigators were keeping an open mind about the remains and said the case remains unexplained.

Mr Hayez went missing in June last year while backpacking in Byron Bay. The Belgian teen was 18 when he disappeared after a night out at the Cheeky Monkey nightclub.

His phone sent a final “ping” in the Cape Byron area, north of Tallow Beach. His phone sent the ping at 1.42pm on June 1.

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Other information gathered by Mr Hayez’s family from his Google phone data suggested the teen was last walking around at Cosy Corner at the northern end of Tallow Beach.

According to The Australian, the data showed that on the night he disappeared Mr Hayez also walked from Byron Bay to Tallow Beach through a dense and unlit bush track, the Milne Track, before walking along the beach.

Police said a crime scene has been established and they’ve launched an investigation with the assistance of the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad and the Missing Person’s Registry.