Is There A Byron Bay Serial Killer?
6/2/202635 min
Mysterious disappearances, unsolved deaths & terrifying stories - Is a killer stalking Byron Bay? And could there be more than one?
In 2019, 18-year-old Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez vanished after a night out in Byron Bay and was never seen again. Since then, the disturbing death of Jackson Stacker and the mysterious cases of Hugo Palmer and Erwan Ferrieux, among others, have become part of a chilling theory that a serial killer may be stalking northern New South Wales.
As social media speculation collides with real police investigations, stories of alleged close calls and suspicious encounters continue to emerge. Are these tragedies connected - or has internet-fuelled fear created a modern Australian myth? In this episode, Tim & Xanthe separate fact from speculation and explore the stories that continue to terrify locals and travellers alike.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTim Watson-Munro· Host0:00
[suspenseful music] Welcome back to Motive and Method. I'm criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Pattara.
Xanthe Weston· Host0:12
And I'm Dr. Xanthe Weston, forensic scientist and criminologist. Now, both Tim and I have been looking forward to recording this week's episode because it's a story and a question we've both been working on for years.
Tim Watson-Munro· Host0:24
Is there a serial killer stalking in and around Byron Bay? Now, as you know, Xanthe, I lived in Byron Bay for about five years during COVID. I came to know the town very well and the lovely people up there, and in many ways, it's a picture postcard perfect environment. Surf, rolling hills, verdant scenery everywhere, but there is a bit of an underbelly to Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers area, and there's a darker story that's haunted the region for years, a story of missing travelers and unsolved deaths.
Xanthe Weston· Host1:02
Now, this all really started in terms of the community talking about Byron Bay back in 2019 because the disappearance of Belgian backpacker Theo Hayes, whose mysterious disappearance sparked international headlines and endless online speculation, but in the years since, there have been dozens more unsolved cases stretching across northern New South Wales.
Tim Watson-Munro· Host1:23
And other parts of, uh- Mm ... I think the Eastern Seaboard. How much of this is fact and how much is internet-fueled