Newly released surveillance footage has uncovered how a former boyfriend deceived a young woman into using a disabled restroom where he viciously ended her life. Lilie James was tragically discovered deceased at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney, Australia, in October 2023.
Details from an inquest this week disclosed that Paul Thijssen, 24, meticulously planned the murder of the 21-year-old, acquiring a hammer and duct tape from a hardware store. On the day of the incident, Ms. James, a physical education teacher, unexpectedly encountered Thijssen, with whom she had a brief romantic involvement, at the entrance to the school’s gym.
After overseeing her water polo class students’ departure, Ms. James headed to the gym’s restroom. Unknowingly, Thijssen had orchestrated a scheme to lure her to the exact location where he had prepared for the assault earlier that day.
Security footage illustrated Thijssen manipulating a “cleaning in progress” sign to redirect Ms. James to a larger, disabled restroom. As she utilized the facility, Thijssen positioned himself outside with a hammer in hand, waiting for two minutes before launching a fatal attack. Thijssen exited the restroom over an hour later.
Upon investigation of the footage, authorities observed Thijssen rehearsing the crime hours before its execution. He was seen pacing outside the gym’s restroom and testing the disabled toilet’s lock.
Additionally, Thijssen used a master key from the school to secure the gym’s automatic doors to prevent any interruption during the assault. Surveillance footage from a hardware store showed him assessing various hammers days prior, although police do not believe those specific tools were used in the murder.
During a hearing, a recording of Thijssen’s emergency call reporting Ms. James’ demise was played, wherein he feigned ignorance about the victim’s identity and declined to disclose his own. Subsequently, Thijssen leaped to his death at Diamond Bay Reserve in Vaucluse, New South Wales, with authorities investigating whether it was suicide.
Ms. James had recently ended her short relationship with Thijssen, who had stalked her on multiple occasions leading up to the tragic event. Heart-wrenching moments emerged during the inquest as Ms. James’ mother expressed her remorse for failing to safeguard her daughter and questioned the decisions that led to the devastating outcome.