‘She told everybody she was coming home’: Tayla’s last known movements

Tayla Spies walks across a gravel car park carrying a heavy red bag to her ute.

She’s spotted on CCTV cameras outside the Windsor Hotel in Dalby, a couple of hours’ drive west of Brisbane. It’s a Sunday morning in early February.

And it’s one of the last sightings of the 29-year-old mother-of-three, who has since been the subject of a police-led search.

Tayla Spies, pictured with her sister Rebecca.

She gets in her 2017 white Toyota Hilux. She knows the area well, having grown up here, and her home is a few hours’ drive west in Roma. Spies had checked out of the hotel with her partner, and they left in separate cars.

She makes her way west to Surat, where she is again picked up on CCTV. The outback town is small and remote, with about 400 people.

Driving down past the Surat library in the town’s main road, she makes a left turn, following signs to head south to the Carnarvon Highway.

It is her last known movement.

Tayla Spies’ car was last seen in Surat.

“Nobody knows why she turned left in Surat to head south instead of north to Roma,” her sister, Rebecca Spies says.

“A number of people had heard from Tayla over the weekend that she disappeared, and she had told everybody on Sunday, February 2, that she was coming home to Roma.”

It’s the decision that detectives are now trying to understand, as her family have been left with more questions than answers.

‘My biggest wish right now is to just hear her voice again and to be able to tell her that I love her.’

Rebecca Spies, Tayla’s sister

Police made a public appeal on February 22, releasing the last known sightings of Tayla. In the appeal, Detective Chief Inspector Garry Watts made clear detectives were facing an uphill battle, with no known starting point amid a 9000-square-kilometre search area.

Footage of Tayla Spies shows her wearing a pink shirt and light-coloured shorts as she carried a red bag to her ute.Credit: Queensland Police

He said at the time police had used aerial assets and trail bikes, while investigators and intel officers were working to find Tayla using a range of methods including analysing her phone data.

Now more than six weeks since her disappearance, the young mother’s family are desperate to find her.

“Our family as a whole are really struggling, especially because it has been almost 50 days since Tayla’s disappearance, and we are still no closer to finding her,” Rebecca says.

Tayla filled up her car at a petrol station in Condamine after leaving Dalby. She was last seen driving the dual cab Toyota Hilux with registration 559 GJ7.

“I can’t speak for everybody else, but I can say that this has really affected me in ways that I never thought it would.

“Our family and friends have rallied and done numerous searches for Tayla, not just in the 9000-square-kilometre area, but also in places she knows well.

“Our home towns of Cecil Plains and Dalby, as well as neighbouring towns such as Toowoomba, Millmerran, Inglewood, Goondiwindi, Tara, Meandarra, The Gums, Surat, Roma and surrounds.

“We have unfortunately been unsuccessful in every search that we have done.”

‘Tayla is somebody’s child, she is a mother to three beautiful children, she is a dearly loved sister, a devoted friend and a fierce protector to the people she loves.’

Rebecca Spies

Rebecca talks of her sister as being extremely creative, outgoing, and adventurous with a huge heart.

The 29-year-old is the owner of Tayla Made Events, and had planned and designed dozens of weddings, and other special occasions.

Her business posts online are full of passion, dedication, and humour. She describes herself as someone who loves raw pasta and frozen peas and, while creative, she can’t get further than halfway through a painting.

Her joy though was helping people on the biggest day of their lives, planning beautiful weddings.

“She is always full of so much love,” Rebecca says.

“Tayla and I have matching tattoos. Hers says ‘you keep me wild’, and mine says ‘you keep me safe’, and she really has always made sure that I am safe and well looked after.

Tayla ran Tayla Made Events, and planned dozens of special occasions for people.

“Never in a million years did we think that this would be our life right now.

“Tayla is still so young with so much life left to live, and we pray that we can bring her home safely.”

The major challenge for detectives now is trying to narrow down where she may be. There is no start point for police, and the land is overwhelmingly vast and remote.

Rebecca talks of her sister as being extremely creative, outgoing, and adventurous with a huge heart

“It’s certainly concerning for the police, that a young mother, 29 years of age, hasn’t made contact with family, friends, and that gives us grave concerns as to actually what occurred and where she is,” Watts told A Current Affair earlier this month.

We just need one person to speak up to help us bring my sister home. If this was a member of your family, would you want somebody with valuable information to stay silent?

Rebecca Spies

Police this week said they are continuing to investigate any new leads in the case, with the search ongoing. Tayla’s bank accounts remain untouched, and detectives have ruled out unconfirmed information circulating in the community.

Rebecca has tirelessly advocated to find her sister, and now family and friends will focus on getting more people to know about Tayla’s disappearance.

Tayla grew up in the towns of Cecil Plains and Dalby, and knew the roads and area well.

“Currently we are working on getting car stickers and more posters made up to send out to different communities in hopes that more people will see them and engage with our search for Tayla,” she says.

“I will never stop fighting for Tayla. I won’t give up on her, and I will be her voice until we can bring her home.

“My biggest wish right now is to just hear her voice again and to be able to tell her that I love her.”