Grisly discovery in Byron Bay during search for missing woman

Human remains have been discovered in bushland during a search for a woman who went missing in October last year.

On Wednesday at around 1.20pm, officers found the skeletal remains in bushland near Byron Bay, while searching for Thea Liddle, 42, who went missing late last year.

However, police said it was too early to determine if the remains belong to Ms Liddle.

In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, a spokesperson from NSW Police said it was “too early to determine whether the remains are male or female”.

“The scene will be processed by forensic officers which will take a significant amount of time and police are expecting to maintain the crime scene into tomorrow,” the NSW Police spokesperson said.

It is expected police will maintain the crime scene until tomorrow.

In May this year, Detective Chief Inspector Brendon Cullen said Ms Liddle was known to live a “nomadic and alternative” lifestyle.

Fronting the media on Tuesday, Tweed/Byron Police District Commander, Superintendent Dave Roptell confirmed the search was ongoing and police were treating Ms Liddle’s case as that of a missing persons.

Ms Liddle was last seen in the Mooball area in Northern NSW on October 31, 2019, NSW Police said yesterday in a statement.

“She was reported missing to Queensland Police by her family in January 2020, who later contacted NSW Police on Thursday 23 January 2020.

“She is known to frequent several Far North Coast locations, including Mooball, Nimbin and Byron Bay.”

As part of the investigation into Ms Liddle’s disappearance, police conducted searches throughout bushland in and around Byron Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday.

At the time of her disappearance, Ms Liddle was staying at a property with a man on Tweed Valley Way.

There had been no activity from her bank accounts or mobile phone since early November last year, causing concern for her family and police, a statement from May said.

- with AAP

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