True Crime With Caledonian Kitty

*Please be aware that the details shared in this post will be disturbing. I have aimed to, as always, share the details as sensitive as I can without taking the facts away from the case. If you would like to discuss this post with me or any of the cases that I have covered in this blog, please email me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com*

At the beginning of 2013, 17 year old Tara Rose Willenborg from Clarksville, Indiana (USA) was busy thinking about life, exploring dreams, being a typical teenager and enjoying her close relationship with her boyfriend of six months, Josh. Josh was 21 but adored her and did his best to support her as they decided to move in together. The young couple were having fun, taking on adult responsibilities and thinking about their future. There was so many experiences to share, so many moments to be had and so many places they wanted to see together. Everyone who knew them personally would always describe them as a young loved-up couple, they would refer to themselves as 'Fiance/Fiancee' and had plans to get married. Josh was saving up some of the money he earned from his job to buy Tara a ring. They were just a young, sweet, good looking couple who were working hard to make ends meet and thinking about what they wanted to do with their lives together. 

Because money was tight and they had only just moved in together at the Cambridge Square Apartments, their living situation was quite modest. Some of the neighbours looked a bit on the dodgy side and some of the apartments had seen better days. For Tara and Josh they made the best with what they had and for them it was really just a stepping stone to save money and eventually move on to somewhere better. Tara came from a loving family, along with her brothers Todd, Derek and sister Colleen, the four of them could have been models if they had chosen that path, they also had their own talents. The family shared a great sense of humour and would always be teasing each other, they also had a dedication to their Christian faith. 

As well as her fun and bubbly personality, Tara was well known for her cupcakes, she just loved to bake and delighted in the endless compliments that she would receive from friends and family about how great they were. People would tell her that she would make a fortune if she turned her baking skills into a business, she was interested in making this a reality and was looking at ways to go about it. So Tara had the world at her feet and there was lots of things that she had planned and wanted to carry on planning, but it wasn't to be because someone she thought was a harmless neighbour, turned out to be a hideous monster hidden in sheep's clothing.

Young Tara and Josh had no idea who their neighbours really were, they were just people they would exchange pleasantries with. Unbeknown to the pair, the often dishevelled looking guy who was their neighbour, the guy called 'Richard' was actually a convicted sex offender who had spend the majority of his life behind bars for a series of horrific sexual assaults on women. Richard Hooten was 49 years old and his path of crime began in his early 20's, this is when he later said that his first sexual assault occurred. So this lovely young couple had a ticking time-bomb living near them and nobody knew. Richard looked creepy but he had a girlfriend so that could've possibly softened his image up a bit but that was all a facade, he was just waiting for the next victim. 

Richard had noticed Tara and Josh but didn't have long, full-on conversations with them. There was a quick exchange of words when Richard had bought some alcohol from Josh but that was about it. Josh could sense that Richard found Tara attractive but he was used to that, Tara was a beautiful girl and people were going to take a shine to her so he didn't think that deeply about it. 

On the 2nd of March (2013), Josh had gone to do his night shift as usual, leaving Tara at home just to relax. It was just days before her 18th birthday and that was going to be a huge milestone for her. Richard Hooten and his girlfriend, who Tara was used to seeing come and go, were out for the evening. Richard had a few drinks but was ready to go back home, his girlfriend and her family decided they were going to stay out for a little bit longer. When Richard approached his apartment he spotted Tara sitting alone on a stoop just outside her apartment. He watched her for a little while and could see that nobody else was around, he knew Josh worked night shifts. He would later reveal the disturbing and chilling fact that he knew he was going to sexually assault Tara when he saw her sitting there that night. 

He walked over to Tara and they exchanged polite conversation, he probably seemed harmless, a bit pathetic, probably mentioned that he was waiting for his girlfriend to come home. One wonders if Tara being young and looking at this guy as a bit creepy but possibly more like a Dad type of figure. She maybe thought about the fact that he had a girlfriend, maybe gave off the impression that he couldn't be that bad or dangerous if a woman had chosen to live with him? Tara also knew his girlfriend would be returning home at any time so maybe thought that no harm could come to her. It's reminded me of the false sense of security that some victims in the past have felt when they've met someone (who unknown to them at the time was a dangerous and psychotic killer) who has shown them family pictures or wears a wedding ring in an attempt to appear harmless and to gain trust. 

I've made the mistake myself in the past and I cringe at the memory, but an old man had fallen outside of my apartment block (this happened years ago). He'd just gotten out of a cab and was holding a translucent bag with all of his belongings in, money, clothes etc and he had fallen, there was blood on his face and he looked like he was in shock. Myself being young at the time and my boyfriend being at a university class, I decided to invite this guy into the kitchen for a cup of tea and to call him another cab. It sounds ridiculous now but my first instinct was to help this man. He had so much cash falling out of his pockets and I had to help him put everything into his bag. I remember thinking at the time that this guy was so lucky that he fell outside of my apartment and not some other place because someone could've possibly robbed him. Anyway, I made him some sweet tea for the shock and I kept the kitchen door open whilst we talked and I called him a cab to take him to his correct address. The guy got into the cab safely and that was it. When I told my boyfriend, friends and relatives about what happened, everyone looked at me horrified and told me I was nuts. My boyfriend at the time was frantic that something bad could've happened to me. I look back now and it is a cringeworthy moment but we all make mistakes. 

So Tara and Richard were talking and either she invited him into her apartment or he asked to join her. Either way, he was pretending to be nice and once inside the apartment, Tara put on the TV whilst they continued to chat. When the pair were on the sofa Richard suddenly turned from Mr nice guy to disgusting predator. Tara made it clear that she wasn't interested and asked him to leave, from that moment on, things turned very ugly. Richard grabbed Tara and dragged her to the bedroom where he ripped off her clothing and assaulted her in the worst ways that you do not want to imagine. Obviously I know the horrific details but out of respect for Tara and her family I have to be careful how I describe what happened. It was brutal, it was sick and it was pure evil! The absolute hell he put that poor child through, 17 is no age and it wouldn't be acceptable at any age. He was a disgusting, evil monster and during the horrific torture and assault, he strangled Tara. The details of her death haunt me, as I'm sure they have done with anyone who has worked on this case or researched it. It just fills you will anger and disgust. To add further depravity this creature took a candle and assaulted Tara with it after he strangled her. 

Richard Hooten claims that he tried to revive Tara when he'd realised that she was deceased. He then tried to cover his tracks by grabbing one of her Subway aprons and tying it around her neck to make it look like she had taken her own life. He then fled the scene and went back to his apartment, where his girlfriend now was. This monster knew that Josh would return from work to find Tara and he was already putting an act on like everything was normal. Josh was horrified and devastated when he found Tara, he tried everything he could for her and contacted authorities. He told them that he had a feeling that Richard had something to do with her death. Other neighbours had mentioned their concerns about Richard who had mysteriously vanished from his apartment. The police went looking for him and they finally found him a mile away from the apartments and arrested him on the spot. They knew he had a long list of previous crimes and outstanding warrants. He had also failed to register as a sex offender. 

With the evidence stacked up against him and his previous convictions Richard admitted what he had done because he claimed that he wanted to give Tara's family closure. In front of reporters he gave a sort of press conference where he unemotionally stated what he had done, answered their questions and admitted that he had been involved in numerous sexual assaults in the past for which he spent time in prison. He'd spent most of his life in prison and claimed that he had been committing sexual deviancy for as far back as he could remember. There were no tears shed and no remorse, he stated that he wished that he hadn't have murdered Tara but there was no actual feeling to it, it was like the guy had no soul. He was asked numerous times if he had committed murder before and he said that he hadn't. He admitted to sexual assaults and violence but that Tara was the first time he had actually murdered a victim. 

When asked about his thoughts on the death penalty he accepted it and agreed to any form of punishment that was going to be handed out. As he admitted his guilt in Tara's horrific assault and murder, he spared her family the ordeal of a trial and as part of a deal he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 70 years was also added on to his sentence. He is currently 62 years old (as of 2026) and is incarcerated at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle, Indiana. 

Tara's funeral took place on the 6th of March 2013 just a few days shy of what would have been her 18th birthday. It's so difficult to imagine what Josh and her family must have been going through. It was just so unfair for such a horrific thing to have happened to a beautiful young girl who had her whole life and dreams in front of her. 

Tara's family have done such an incredible job over the years to raise money for charities and have been dedicated to keeping Tara's memory alive. Sadly Tara's brother Todd Jr passed away in May of 2022 at the age of 29. Colleen and Derek have done a wonderful job over the years keeping the spirit of both their beloved sister and brother alive, it must be so difficult to have both your sister and brother gone. They are so strong and very much an inspiration. 

Please check out Tara's Garden which is a charity which was set up by Tara's loved ones to honour her legacy: Tara's Garden

RIP Tara and Todd, you will never be forgotten x

Further Reading & Sources

- Richard Hooten: Article | Wave News

- Tara Rose Willenborg | Obituary

- Richard Hooten: Article | The Courier

- Tara Rose Willenborg | Find A Grave

- Richard Hooten: Article | USA Today

- Richard Hooten: Article | NY Daily News

- Richard Hooten: Confession Press Conference | News And Tribune (Video)

- Richard Hooten: News Report (Video) | WLKY News Louisville

I know this was another difficult case to get through but I appreciate you, as always, for being here and for all your support over the years with my content. Don't forget you can request any cases you would like me to cover (jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com) and come and say hello on my Socials

Take care....until next time x 

(Thomas 'TC' Campbell & Joe Steele. Picture credit: Glasgow World)

*Please be aware that some of the details in this post will be disturbing. I have, as always, aimed to be as sensitive as I can be without taking away from the facts of the case. If you would like to discuss this post, or any of the cases I have covered in this blog, please email me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com* 

In my last couple of posts, I wrote about the horrific and brutal murder of schoolgirl Jodi Jones back in 2003, and the shocking way in which the police had botched the investigation. I talked about the blatant cover-ups involved in the case and the mistreatment and media bullying of Jodi's 14 year old boyfriend Luke, who ended up being thrown in prison, accused of her murder despite lack of DNA evidence. The blame was fully placed on Luke despite five other DNA specimen samples belonging to other people being collected from the crime scene as well as evidence being destroyed. I also talked about the fact that Luke has been fighting for his freedom for over 20 years and refuses to accept deals, he has remained adamant that he will only walk out of prison when his innocence is proven. I covered the case and Luke's fight for justice in two parts, just in case you haven't had the chance to read the posts, you can find them here: Part One & here: Part Two

When I was sharing Luke's story I mentioned very briefly Joe Steele and Thomas 'TC' Campbell. These two men were victims of one of the biggest miscarriages of justice that the UK has ever seen. They had spent 18 years imprisoned for a heinous crime that they didn't commit and spent 20 years fighting to clear their names. Just like Luke, they had been dragged through the mud by the police and the press but luckily for them, they had a huge support network but it still wasn't easy. The unbelievable story of what Joe Steele and Thomas 'TC' Campbell went through was actually first brought to my attention by my favourite author (who also inspired me to write about true crime), the late and legendary Reg McKay. Reg had written about Joe and TC numerous times as well as collaborating on books with TC. Reg also wrote about them regularly in his newspaper column as a way to keep the story out there and further gather support for their campaign. 

So in this post I will be focusing on the false imprisonment of Joe and TC as well as the horrifying crime in which they were accused. Without further ado, let's get into it...

As you might know, Glasgow holds a very special place in my heart and always will. It's a place I grew up, enjoyed so many amazing experiences, created so many memories and it's the place where my grandparents were born, where they met, fell in love and got married. It's where my mother was born and where they raised their children before my grandfather passed away at just 42. My grandmother worked in all of the great hospitals and my grandfather worked in the shipyards. I feel like I know the city like the back of my hand, I know where to go and where best to avoid. If you're ever needing some travel tips on where to go, museums, sightseeing, restaurants etc....I'm your gal!

What I also love about Glasgow (or as we call it 'Glesga') is that it's both modern but old school at the same time. There are still some old school cafes where you can pop in, have a cup of Scottish blend tea with a Tunnock's caramel wafer and just listen to the typical Glasgow banter from the city folk (''Are ye ok hen?, och it's rainin doon in buckets oot there''). Then there's the extraordinary beauty and wonder of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum where you can get lost for hours and enjoy a cup of cappuccino, soaking in all the history, stunning architecture and fascinating exhibitions. It's a city that has something for everyone but like all cities, it has it good parts and it's not-so good parts and that includes it's history. As a city, Glasgow has a lot to be proud of, an incredible past of shipbuilding, art, architecture, medical breakthroughs and it was known as the Second City of the British Empire. There's just so much history of this incredible place and it's people. Boston had a taste of Glaswegian sense of humour when the Scots flew over to the States for the World Cup recently and of course everyone got on so well that friendships for life were created. But there is also a dark history of Glasgow, one that is steeped in knife crime and hard times, especially back in the day and this post takes us back to 1984.

On the 16th of April 1984, the city of Glasgow and surrounding areas woke up to the horrifying news that a family home had been set on fire in the early hours of the morning. Nine people were in the property, members of the Doyle family plus their close friends. Only three people were able to get out alive, six members of the Doyle family sadly died. James Doyle (who was 53 years old), His son, James (who was 23), His 14 year old son, Anthony, his daughter Christina (who was just 25) and her 18 month old baby, Mark. James's 18 year old son Andrew also died and he was reportedly the main target. This evil and devastating murder of innocent people was reportedly down to Andrew's refusal to be part of a drugs racket. At the time, ice cream vans in Glasgow didn't only sell ice cream and treats, they were like little convenience stores on wheels. You could buy bread, milk, toilet rolls, cigarettes and toothpaste, even the newspapers! These vans were a godsend for elderly people and those who didn't have a car but as convenient as they were, some of them were a front for selling drugs. The Doyle family were not involved in anything like that and despite the intimidation and threats, Andrew stood his ground and refused to give up his route or the trust and safety of his local, regular customers. 

(The Doyle family funeral. Picture credit: Pinterest)

Glasgow was notorious for gangland crime and everyone knew about different parts of the city where drug crime was rife. The likes of Tam McGraw who was a ruthless gangster ruled the streets and would often target local businesses with his little henchmen. The ice cream vans were a definite money-maker and McGraw was all about making money. Part of his routine was to threaten, bully and intimidate the owner of a business by offering to provide what he called 'security' services in exchange for a cut of the takings, if the owner refused it could prove to be deadly, as is in the case with the Doyle family. Tam was careful and also very much a coward so he would have others carry out his crimes and threats of intimidation. 

The murders of the Doyle family shook the whole of Glasgow and people were terrified it was going to happen again. Who would set fire to someone's house in the early hours of the morning whilst people were asleep in their beds? Who would target a family home where there were children? especially a little baby? The Doyle home was a top floor flat so the person or persons who deliberately started the fire know that it would be extremely difficult for anyone inside to escape. 

There was huge amounts of pressure on the police to find out who carried this evil crime out. In the weeks that followed, the heartbreaking funeral (which was a shared service for all six members of the deceased) took place. People were sobbing their hearts out for all the victims and they could barely hold on at the sight of Christine and Mark's coffin. The devoted young mother and her little boy shared the same coffin. After the funeral the tears and grief began to turn to rage and anger, the public demanded justice to be done and who could blame them?

Several arrests were made and eventually the police narrowed to two men that they were adamant were guilty of the Doyle murders, TC Campbell (31) and 22 year old Joe Steele. TC had been involved in petty crime and was caught up in the ice cream wars but wasn't involved in the Doyle murders, Joe had a background of petty crime and was an associate of TC but wasn't a part of the ice cream van disputes.

The so-called evidence against the pair of them was ridiculous, both of the men were no angels but murderers? The police were desperate to pin the murders on someone and close the case. All of a sudden a map of Glasgow appeared amongst TC's belongings which had the area where the Doyle family lived, circled. The police also claimed that they overheard TC saying that he meant to just frighten Andrew Doyle and that he wasn't the one who lit the match. An unrelated man who's son was facing a sentence for robbery and about to go down for a long time bargained with the police that he would give them some information about the Doyle family murders in exchange for them dropping the charges on his son. The cops agreed and the old man told them that he overheard TC Campbell and Joe Steele talking about the Doyle family murders in a bar, telling people that they did it. So TC and Joe were fitted up for the murders based on really weak evidence which was basically a planted map and rumours or made-up accusations. 

Any other possible suspects were never looked in to. The pair were to stand trial and a jury of 15 people were to decide whether they thought the two men were guilty or not. Surprisingly every one of those 15 people decided that they were guilty of the Doyle family murders and they were sentenced to life imprisonment. TC was given an additional 10 year sentence because he was accused of previously threatening Andrew Doyle with a shotgun in the days leading up to the murders. In shock and disbelief they declared their innocence but nobody would listen, they were seen as cold-bloodied murderers, baby killers, scum of the earth and the rest of the Doyle family, friends, neighbours and general public just wanted to see the back of them, some people wanted to see them hang. The were hated deeply by so many because a lot of the public at that time believed in the law and what was printed in the newspapers. 

In 1985, TC and Joe had tried to appeal their sentences but this was rejected. In a surprise turn of events, the man who claimed to have overheard them in a bar confessing to the Doyle murders, all of a sudden admitted that he lied under oath. Word got back to TC and Joe and they saw this as the green light to appeal again. Whilst the new evidence had came to life they were released pending the second appeal which they were confident would go through because the police have nothing on them. It was decided that the admission that the so-called witness had lied was still not enough to declare the men innocent so they were called back to prison to continue their sentences. 

Both TC and Joe were determined not to give up and Joe decided to put some drastic plans into action in an attempt to get public attention. On a supervised visit to his mother's house who was said to have been in ill health at the time, Joe decided to pull some mad stunts for publicity. He stood on his mother's rooftop with a banner and then managed to get down to London where he (wearing a t-shirt with a painting of Christ of St John The Cross by Salvidor Dali - You can view this beautiful painting at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum by the way) superglued himself to the gates of Buckingham palace. In a later attempt at gaining publicity he managed to escape again and climbed a lighting tower. Each time he escaped and carried out these stunts he would hand himself back into authorities afterwards to continue his sentence. He was doing whatever he could to get all eyes on their case. TC's approach to protesting his innocence was growing his hair out and going on hunger strike which did get very serious at times. Family and friends who knew the pair well had always stood by them but by now, more and more members of the public were starting to support them. 

(Joe Steele at the Buckingham Palace Gates. Picture credit: Daily Record)

The more members of the public looked into their story, the more demands were made for their release but authorities were doing their best to keep them inside. The police knew what they had done and it would be a huge scandal for all involved if the truth got out, but they had no choice. The truth won out in the end. In 2004, TC and Joe's case was at the court of appeal where the judges had declared their convictions unjust and that a major miscarriage of justice had occurred. Thomas 'TC' Campbell and Joe Steele were officially declared innocent and free to go! 

It was a bittersweet victory when the two men were finally set free. TC was 51 years old and Joe was 42, they'd lost a lot of years away from their loved ones. Another sad fact about this story is that the men deeply disliked each other. Joe later spoke about their release and the publicity photos where the pair are seen cheering and celebrating....apparently that was all for show. They were happy at being released finally but there was no love lost between them. The two men had their reasons for not seeing eye to eye but Joe did say in an interview that he felt resentment because he was just 22 years old and was loosely acquainted with TC. He felt that TC's negative involvement with the Ice Cream Wars in the past had played a part in why they were both found guilty. There was also disagreements with the protests, publicity and with working on appeals and breaking a reported pact that they'd agreed on. They had previously agreed not to accept easier conditions but TC agreed to have a transfer to a special unit and this upset Joe. I found it particularly sad that they were not close as you would expect with such a traumatic experience to have happened to them both. 

After their ordeal they found it difficult to adjust to life outside of prison. Joe tried his best to get on with life and be with his family, TC tried the same, it wasn't easy for either of them and they did battle with substances and alcohol in an attempt to cope with the post traumatic stress disorder. Joe had the support of his family and friends around him. TC led a quiet life and was reportedly living alone when he sadly passed away in June 2019 in his sleep, he was just 66 years old. Joe said that he hated TC and was never friends with him which is quite a strong stance on things. He did say that they spoke a short time before TC passed away and had managed to iron out a lot of their differences. 

In regards to compensation for everything they had been through, I can imagine that this helped further the divide between them. TC was given around £1.2 million - £2 million because the loss of earnings from his ice cream business had been taken into account. Joe was given £750,000 because he was unemployed at the time. Apparently your status of employment determines how much compensation you are rewarded. I think both of them should have been given the same, both of them were falsely accused, vilified and lost many years of their lives. 

There's many interviews that Joe has done because he has always been determined to get the truth out there. I've included interviews featuring Joe and TC below. 

As for the horrifying murders of the Doyle family, it's heartbreaking that the police are refusing to reopen the case. It remains unsolved to this day. All fingers are pointing at Tam McGraw but he passed away in 2007 at the age of 55. He was said to have led his later life in fear, constantly paranoid. He had so many enemies and was so disliked that there was hitmen willing to kill him for free. With McGraw gone and a lot of his associates deceased, will this case ever be solved? To this day, rumours remain and despite the lack of evidence there are people out there who do actually think that TC and Joe were guilty. There's some who think that TC was guilty all along and that Joe was innocent, some believe that TC was involved especially with him having the ice cream van himself. They thought that was part of the reason that Joe disliked TC. It's all thoughts and speculation, nobody knows the real answers here. I just wish that there were answers and proper closure for the Doyle family. 

Reg McKay is no longer with us and it breaks my heart because he was an incredibly fearless writer. I will always be flying the flag for his incredible work. I've read every book he's ever written and it saddens me that there is no more but for those who are not familiar with his books, I will always recommend them. I will include them in my list of further reading below.

So what are your thoughts on this story? I would love to hear them, please share your comments below or email me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com

RIP to the Doyle family, TC, Reg... you will never be forgotten.

Further Reading & Sources:

- The Wilderness Years: Book by Reg McKay & TC Campbell

- Indictment: Book by Reg McKay & TC Campbell

- Remembering TC Campbell | Miscarriages Of Justice

- TC Campbell: Article | Daily Record

- Tam McGraw: Book by Reg Mckay

- Ice Cream Wars | Wikipedia

- Joe Steele: Interview | Anything Goes With James English

- Joe Steele: Interview | The Jim King Show

- TC Campbell: Interview | Anything Goes With James English

- TC Campbell: Article | BBC News

- Joe Steele: Interview | Shaun Attwood Podcast

- The Ice Cream Wars | BBC One

Thank you, as always for checking out my latest post, I hope you will join me in the next one. in the meantime, come and say hello on my Socials

Take care and stay safe...until next time x

(Luke Mitchell. Picture credit: The Sun)

(Terence Darrell Kelly. Picture credit: The Guardian)

*Please be aware that some of the details shared in this post will be quite disturbing. I have aimed, as always, to be as sensitive as I can be with the details whilst not taking away from the facts of the case. If you would like to discuss this post or any of the other cases that I have covered on this blog, please feel free to email me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com* 

Isn't it crazy how social media has become such an every day thing in our lives? Even old school people who tried to avoid being a part of it had to join in eventually. I get the latest news from X (Twitter - I still call it Twitter) and literally everyone that I know has some form of social apps on their phone. Everyone seems to have Facebook, even the ones that hate it. Some people have Facebook but never use it and prefer being on another social platform. Everyone has their favourites and for me, it's X/Twitter. So being online over the years, you don't need me to tell you that there is quite a few people on these platforms that are 'a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket' shall we say.

All jokes aside, you get your usual perverts (and that's scary enough....I don't even want to tell you some of the horrific things I have seen and heard, the most unbelievable and strangest sexual fetishes right through to so many monstrosities that I won't even mention, you get the drift). 

You get your harmless oddballs and your potentially dangerous oddballs and sometimes it is difficult to decipher who's harmless and who isn't. Step forward a Mr Terence Kelly from the beautiful country of Australia (I've written a few cases out of Australia lately, go check them out if you haven't already done so), who shocked, not just Australia but the rest of the world when it was revealed that he had abducted a 4 year old girl from a campsite. That just there is terrifying enough but we thank the lord that the little girl known as Cleo Smith, was found alive after being held captive by Terrence for 18 days. The monster even followed the girl's family on social media and watched as they frantically searched and appealed for information, knowing full well that he had taken this poor child from her devastated family. 

The fact this beautiful child was found and returned safely into the arms of her family, was such a miracle and a blessing because we all know how horrific these types of situations can go. I've written about a number of cases involving child abduction and murder, and it never gets easier, it always haunts me. 18 days with this utterly strange individual and it must have been terrifying. In a strange place with a strange man and far away from your parents, it must have been such a fright for little Cleo but she was such a tough little thing, she endured it and powered through. She was a lot stronger than most adults and I'm so glad that she was found.

Terence Kelly's home demonstrated that the guy's state of mental health was way worse than anyone thought. After a thorough search of his home and online activities they found that Terence, who was in his 30's, was completely obsessed with Bratz Dolls! So much so that he had shelves full of them as well as stacks of merchandise. Bratz is a well known cartoon which is based on young girls who love fashion and glamour. The cartoon is aimed at young girls, not adults. Some adult women like to wear Bratz merch like t-shirts or dress up like them for Halloween but it's pretty much a child's cartoon and designed just to be for fun. For some odd reason Terence was obsessed beyond belief, he would wear Bratz T-shirts and take the dolls out with him in his car. He would talk to them, brush their hair, change their outfits and take selfies with them. He said that he loved hanging out with them at home. He actually made videos online of himself with the dolls. 

I'm sure some people would have thought that the guy had issues and was harmless, but to me it just looks like red flags all over the place. What have I always said with these types of individuals, they start with the fantasies and then they want the real thing. For Terence, it was the cartoon, then he had to have the dolls and then he wanted his own real life doll so he snatched a terrified child away from her family. It was an evil and selfish act to have done such a thing as well as stalking her family as they searched for Cleo.

Again, I'm just thankful that Cleo was found and hopefully has been able to take steps to move on with her life. 

A lot of people go through difficult childhoods and they don't go on to kidnap children. Terence did have a traumatic childhood and suffered a lot of physical and psychological abuse. It is believed that he created a fantasy life for himself (as abused children often do) as an attempt at coping with the difficulties in his life. He became fixated on cartoons and being so lonely and isolated, he felt that these cartoons were his friends. He was removed from his parents home at a young age and placed with another relative, his great-aunt. When she passed away, his feelings of isolation and loneliness just got worse. He was even more fixated on cartoons, toys and Bratz dolls as if he was trying to compensate for the childhood that was taken from him.

Terence pleaded guilty to Cleo's abduction and was sentenced to 13 years and 6 months (he maybe eligible for parole after 11 years and 6 months). He did try to appeal this sentence but this was dismissed. He is currently serving his sentence at maximum-security prison known as Casuarina in Perth (Western Australia).

This was another shocking case but thankfully one that ended on a positive note with Cleo being found. I do hope that Terence is able to receive the proper psychiatric help that he needs. With such a difficult upbringing, another bizarre fact about this story is that Terence is probably better off in a facility where he can be able to work through his trauma and difficulties. What are your thoughts on this case? Leave your comments below or email me in confidence at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com 

Further Reading & Sources:

- Terence Kelly: Article | The Guardian

- Terence Kelly: Article | The Independent

- Terence Kelly: Article | ABC News

- Terence Kelly: Article | The West Australian

- Cleo Smith | Wikipedia

- Terence Kelly: Article | BBC News

- Terence Kelly: Article | Sky News

I hope you will join me in my next post. In the meantime as always, I hope to see you on my Socials

Until next time, please stay safe and take care x

It's just over seven years ago that the 18 year old, bright, talented and handsome young Theo Hayez suddenly vanished during a backpacking holiday in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Just gone without a trace, leaving behind only his favourite baseball cap and a suspicious phone timeline. Like thousands of young people he had a dream to go on a backpacking trip to the beautiful, scenic country of Australia and soak up the sights, the culture and new experiences. He also had plans to visit his Godfather (who he was extremely close to) who lived in the country, however, what was supposed to be a dream trip, ended in a nightmare. Originally from Belgium, the academically gifted Theo left his beloved home for the short trip which he wanted to enjoy before he returned home to Belgium to continue his academic studies. However, it wasn't meant to be. To this day, nobody knows what truly happened to Theo. Theories and rumours continue to swirl and the spotlight is on police and investigators who were so quick to dismiss this young man's sudden disappearance as a tragic accident. They where quick to assume he just fell off of a cliff and was carried out to sea. No body was ever found and the police were so lazy in their search of the surrounding area where Theo was last located, that they failed to find his baseball cap which was highly visible. 

It was left to Theo's family members to do their own investigation and what they were able to discover was so much more than the actual police did. They never gave up trying to find out what really happened to him that night of the 31st of May going into the 1st of June 2019. His mother was able to figure out his password to his Google account and it was there she was able to trace Theo's last text messages and locations from his mobile phone. 

The timeline with the information from Theo's personal phone, paints a different story to the theory by the Australian police that this was just an accident. On the evening of the 31st of May 2019 Theo had been at a bar called 'Cheeky Monkeys' with fellow backpackers who he had become friendly with. He reportedly had two drinks that night which were spaced out, he wasn't binge drinking. There are disputes about whether he was intoxicated or not but he was told to leave the bar because he was deemed to be a bit worse for wear. Those who saw him that night, footage from the CCTV cameras and the information from Theo's phone painted him to be sober and calm. 

When he was reported missing, his family were desperate to get a hold of the data from Theo's phone because they believed that he could have been the victim of foul play. The New South Wales police said that they would be unable to gain access to Theo's Google account. The police in Belgium became involved in the case and they believed that something had happened to Theo. Theo's mother figured out his Google password and was able to get some information from his phone with the help of the Belgium police. 

They were able to follow a trail via Theo's phone which led them right up to the place that Theo reportedly went missing which was the cliff. The police claim that he fell off due to how dark it was and they assumed him to be intoxicated or high at the time. Other people believe that he had been led down there by someone or a gang of people because he'd Googled the directions to his Hostel a few times and at one point he stopped for a total of seven minutes and the phone trail went in a totally opposite direction to his Hostel. He was reportedly walking as if he knew exactly where he was going despite having never been there before. 

Despite this strange route he was taking, he seemed to be calmly responding to his friend's Whatsapp messages without any issues in the early hours of the morning. After 1 am everything went completely silent and Theo was never heard from again. 

Despite officially disappearing around the 31st of May and the 1st of June 2019, he was not reported missing until the 6th of June. His family had not heard from him and at first they assumed he was just busy travelling but as time went on, they were more and more concerned. Both his family and the Hostel staff, where he had been staying, had contacted the police. The Hostel staff noticed that Theo hadn't checked out. 

An investigation was launched but significant time had already been wasted. As I mentioned before, the police were so quick to dismiss this case as a tragic accident. They didn't have access to Theo's phone data and if they had searched thoroughly then they would have found his baseball cap. 

In this case, we see again how much of an important role that CCTV cameras and mobile phones have actually played in giving Theo's family and the police more of an idea of what exactly happened that night to some extent. Due to public interest and belief in the family's theories together with the phone data, the public were also demanding that the NSW police look into this case further. A $500,000 award was issued for anyone who may have had any information of what happened to Theo around the time that his phone went quiet and he disappeared. 

Before Theo was reported missing, he was at a happy time in his life according to those who knew him best. He was excited for the trip, excited for the future and returning to studying, He also adored his family and was very close with them. There was no issues or anything that appeared to be bothering him. It didn't make sense that he would just go to that exact location where it's almost pitch black with rocks everywhere. His family believe that if he was down there, it would be because someone or a group of people took him down there. 

Years went on and there was still no answers. The first inquest into his death determined that he was likely to be deceased but they couldn't be 100% certain. As it stands in 2026, the NSW police still believe that Theo died as a tragic accident. His family, friends and people with an interest in the case, believe that someone or a group of people were possibly involved in his death. To this day Theo's family still appeal for information and try as much as they can to keep Theo's name in the public eye. 

So what happened to Theo Hayez? Was it just a tragic accident or something more? Could he still be alive? Again, this is another case where there are so many questions but not enough answers. Theo's family have been so strong throughout these years, the pain of never knowing but also being under no illusion that Theo may still be alive. They think there's a huge possibility, as heartbreaking as it is, that he is most likely deceased but they want to know how he died because they believe there is a whole lot more to this story. If he was indeed, murdered, then the perpetrator or perpetrators could still be out there right now. 

In 2023, a diving instructor found what looked like a human bone in the location of Byron Bay where Theo was last known to be. It turned out that the bone belonged to another man who had sadly drowned there some time before. 

As of 2026 there are no new leads in this case but it remains open and Theo's family continue to appeal for information. The $500,000 award for any significant details is still available. I do hope that one day soon, Theo's family are given the answers to the questions they have been asking all these years. It's such a heartbreaking story about a young man who had everything going for him. 

If you are a regular reader of mine (thank you, I appreciate you so much!) you will be aware that I have written a few posts on backpackers in Australia, some have gone missing, vanished without a trace and some are horrifically murdered at the hands of a sadistic killer. Despite the terrifying stories, people still flock in their thousands, not just to Australia but to other parts of the world where horrific murders of backpackers have taken place. It is such a risky thing to do and that is in no way blaming the victims of these horrendous crimes. The blame is always on the monster who commits evil acts on innocent people. So many backpackers go abroad and have a fantastic time with no incident but if you are considering doing this yourself, please take heed in the horrible events of before and take steps to keep yourself extra safe and don't do it alone. 

Further Reading & Sources:

- The Disappearance of Theo Hayez | NSW Police Website

- Theo Hayez: Article | The Guardian

- Theo Hayez: Article | ABC News

- Theo Hayez: Reddit Discussion Thread

- Theo Hayez | Wikipedia

- Theo Hayez: Inquest | State Coroner's Court Of New South Wales

- Looking For Theo: Facebook Page

- Theo Hayez: Documentary | 60 Minutes Australia

As always, thank you for joining me in another post, I hope you found it informative and that you will keep Theo and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Who knows? we might have some answers one day.

If you or someone you know has any information, no matter how small in relation to Theo, please check out the NSW website here!

Also, check out the Looking For Theo Instagram & Facebook page!

I hope you will join me in my next post, in the meantime, you can find me on my Socials, don't be afraid to say hello, I love interacting and having a right good 'blether' (Scottish term for chat).

Take care and stay safe until next time.....x