Authorities are keeping an ‘open mind’ about skeletal remains found in bushland in Byron Bay on Wednesday afternoon – as police said the process to identify them could take weeks to complete.
The bones were found near where Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez has been missing for more than a year.
The grim discovery was made on Wednesday afternoon during a hunt for clues into the disappearance of another missing person – nomadic woman Thea Liddle.
Ms Liddle, 42, was known to move between homeless camps, but vanished last year.
Hayez, 18, was last seen leaving a bar on May 31, 2019.
NSW Police say they are yet to determine if the bones discovered belong to a man or a woman, or even if they relate to either of their disappearances.
Skeletal remains have been found during a search of bushland around Byron Bay near where Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez (left) went missing last May and nomadic traveller Thea Liddle (right) vanished last October
Byron Bay Detective Chief Inspector Brendon Cullen told reporters on Thursday forensics teams were conducting a ‘methodical and thorough examination’ of the scene.
‘We don’t know the identity of this person – this is something which may take weeks to uncover,’ he said.
Police brought in sniffer dogs and rescue specialists to scour Byron Bay bushland on Tuesday, as part of the hunt for answers about Ms Liddle’s disappearance.
Ms Liddle’s last known address was a rural property where she was living with a 46-year-old man.
While she was known to lead a transient lifestyle, her disappearance has prompted a major search amid fears for her safety.
Police fence off an area (pictured) near Tallow Beach, to the south of the Byron Bay lighthouse
NSW Police say they are yet to determine if the bones discovered belong to a man or a woman, or even if they relate to either of their disappearances
Officers have searched homeless camps where she was known to reside in the months before her disappearance.
Byron Police District Commander, Superintendent Dave Roptell, said the search area is relatively wide because of her nomadic lifestyle.
‘Thea lived a very transient lifestyle – shifting from place to place, changing campsites often and would opt for places in remote bushland away from the public,’ Superintendent Roptell said.
One of those sites was a section of bushland around the Youth Activity Centre near Byron Bay’s town centre.
This was the same site police searched as part of investigations into the disappearance of Hayez.
Theo, 18, was in Australia on a working holiday visa and had gone out to Byron Bay’s popular nightclub Cheeky Monkey’s on May 31, 2019
Ms Liddle, 42, disappeared on Halloween last year from Mooball in Northern New South Wales
Officers have been searching homeless camps in the bush where she was known to reside in the month’s before her disappearance
Theo’s father Laurent (pictured) flew out to Australia to join other family members, police and local volunteers in the search for his son last year
The 18-year-old was in Australia on a working holiday visa and had gone out to Byron Bay’s popular nightclub Cheeky Monkey’s on May 31.
He was seen on CCTV leaving the bar, but his movements after that are unknown.
He never returned to the hostel where he was staying and it was not until June 6 – a week after he was last seen – that his family in Europe raised the alarm.
His father Laurent flew out to Australia to join other family members, police and local volunteers in the search for his son.
‘When I left Belgium I promised Hayez’s little brother, Lucas, I would bring his brother home, please help me keep my promise to him’, Laurent said on his arrival.
A grey Puma hat similar to the one Theo was wearing when he vanished was found in bushland last July.
Despite speculation Australia could have a second backpacker serial killer in a similar vein to Ivan Milat, there is no indication the two missing persons cases are linked.
Hundreds of locals and people from all over Australia joined in the desperate search for Theo in the days and weeks after he went missing
A grey Puma hat similar to the one Theo was wearing when he vanished was found in bushland last July
Thea was reported missing by her family in January 2020 and police hope the search will uncover new evidence which may assist with investigations.
When she was reported missing officers launched Strike Force Holby to investigate her disappearance.
She is known to frequent several areas around the New South Wales Far North Coast including Mooball, Nimbin and Byron Bay.
‘We are conducting thorough searches throughout these locations for any indication of Thea’s presence there,’ Supt Roptell said.
‘It wasn’t uncommon for Thea to travel throughout the Far North Coast, however, is it unusual for her to go this length of time without speaking to family members.’