The sister of the so-called ‘Lizard Man’ has opened up about her late brother’s life, revealing that he regretted his excessive face tattoos and even tried to laser them off.
Bronson Ellery, 24, killed his ex-girlfriend Shelsea Schilling inside his Gold Coast apartment moments before taking his own life on November 11, 2016.
He had garnered a reputation throughout the years leading up to his death for his extensive face and body tattoos – police dubbing him the ‘Lizard Man’ and Bandidos bikies attempting to recruit him for his fearsome appearance.
But Talitha Ellery, 29, remembers her ‘little bro’ as ‘a beautiful, good-looking person’ who was funny, calm and intelligent in his youth.
Bronson (right) killed his ex-girlfriend Shelsea Schilling (left) inside his Gold Coast apartment moments before taking his own life on November 11, 2016
The sister of the so-called ‘Lizard Man’ Bronson Ellery (pictured) remembers her ‘little bro’ as ‘a beautiful, good-looking person’
Witness accounts claim Bronson strangled and beat Ms Schilling to death during an argument in his apartment, subsequently taking a fatal hotshot of drugs and laying down beside her body
She also suggests that Bronson developed a ‘tattoo addiction’ as a teen, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.
‘He was so young when he did it (got his first face tattoo) and didn’t realise how the world would judge him,’ she said.
‘He was constantly, ever since he did that to his face, trying to get rid of it. He knew it outcast him in work, life, everything. He became a broken person.’
Talitha describes Bronson as a man who ‘became outcast by society because he couldn’t go anywhere’, and claims he changed his behaviour and way of life to try and match the intimidating image that others had of him.
Talitha Ellery (pictured) has opened up about her late brother’s life, describing him as funny, calm and intelligent in his youth
She also claims that Bronson developed a ‘tattoo addiction’ in his teenage years, despite him always regretting his face tattoos and trying to laser them off
‘He was constantly, ever since he did that to his face, trying to get rid of it. He knew it outcast him in work, life, everything. He became a broken person’ Talitha said
Talitha claims Bronson changed his behaviour and way of life to try and match the intimidating image that others had of him
A little over 18 months ago, that all culminated in the alleged murder-suicide that claimed the lives of both Bronson and 20-year-old Shelsea Schilling.
Witness accounts claim Bronson strangled and beat Ms Schilling to death during an argument in his apartment, subsequently taking a fatal hotshot of drugs and laying down beside her body.
Shelsea Schilling (pictured) was brutally murdered by Bronson Ellery on the Gold Coast on November 11, 2016
‘I… believe it was an accident and he couldn’t live with himself. Both families have to live with whatever has happened… There are two families who lost children that day, not just one,’ said Talitha
Ms Schilling’s family are demanding the Queensland Coroner open an inquest into her brutal death.
The family is still desperately searching for answers on the moments leading up to her murder, theGold Coast Bulletin reported.
Ms Shilling’s mother Bonnie Mobbs has written to the Coroner ‘asking for further investigation to our beloved daughter Shealsea Sky Schilling who had her life callously taken away from her’.
‘Why was our daughter hunted down like an animal? Why did she fight so hard for anonymity and a normal life away from Bronson Ellery? Was our daughter’s life in vain?,’ Ms Mobbs wrote in October last year.
The letter detailed how there were ‘too many unanswered questions and unexplained whys’ about Ms Schilling’s death and called for help in getting ‘justice’.
Talitha (right) said Bronson (left) was a man who ‘became outcast by society because he couldn’t go anywhere’ with his extensive tattoos
The family of Shelsea Schilling (left), who was murdered by Bronson Ellery (right), want the Coroner to open an inquest into her death
Talitha (right) says she believes Ms Schilling’s death ‘was an accident and he (Bronson) couldn’t live with himself’
‘Our family life has been impacted considerably by the pain and grief for the loss of our daughter Shelsea, this has had detrimental psychological impacts to Shelsea’s younger sister and best friend.’
A spokesman for the Coroners Court of Queensland said the South Eastern Coroner is continuing his investigation into Ms Schilling and Ellery’s death, but has not yet made a decision on whether to hold an inquest.
Two people were also inside the unit – hiding in the bathroom – at the time of the murder.
Later, Ellery’s friend Michael Ryan Warburton arrived at the Southport apartment to find the bloody scene.
Warburton revealed in court last week he arrived to find Ellery’s ex-girlfriend, Ms Schilling, lying dead in a pool of her own blood.
Warburton said he held his best friend for about an hour before watching him take a lethal dose of drugs to commit suicide.
Warburton said Ellery told him ‘I promised her I would go with her’ before he committed suicide.
Defence barrister James McNab told the court Warburton was defenceless to do anything, the Courier Mail reported.
‘Mr Ellery was inconsolable,’ he said.
A spokesman for the Coroners Court of Queensland said the South Eastern Coroner is continuing his investigation into Ms Schilling and Ellery’s death, but has not yet made a decision on whether to hold an inquest
Michael Ryan Warburton said in court last week he held his best friend, Ellery (left and right), for about an hour before watching him take a lethal dose of drugs to commit suicide
‘There was nothing whatsoever Mr Warburton could have done. This has haunted him.’
Warburton was sentenced to two years jail, wholly suspended, last Monday after he pleaded guilty to giving a false name to the police and possessing drugs.
Warburton gave the police his brother’s name when he was arrested weeks after he watched Ellery commit suicide after murdering his young girlfriend.