After a NSW politician brought concern about the “worst serial killer in history” to the attention of the state, TikTokers are uniting to try and inquire more into the dozens of unsolved cases of missing or murdered women in the state’s north.
Between the years 1977 and 2009, 67 women were killed or went missing in New South Wales’ North Coast. Their cases were never closed, and have been relatively untouched… until last week.
Jeremy Buckingham, an ex-Greens MP and current member of the NSW legislative council, appeared in the state’s parliament last Thursday and said that senior police had told him these 67 cold cases shared an “alarming similarity”.
According to Buckingham, the likelihood of these all being individual cases was slim. Instead, he brought to the Upper House that these were potentially the work of a serial offender.
“Some of these were individual incidents; there is no doubt about that. But many are linked, and there is a single perpetrator,” said Buckingham.
“It is impossible to think that there are 67 individual murderers in the area from the North Coast to the Tweed Heads who have escaped justice… Someone has done these things repeatedly.”
So what are these 67 cases that the politician is referring to? And how is a community on TikTok trying to bring more awareness to the case?
NSW North Coast’s “serial killer” history
The earliest case dates back to 1977, when 21-year-old Narelle Cox vanished while hitchhiking from Grafton to Noosa. She was last seen by a truck driver who said he dropped her off in Brunswick Heads.
Over the next three decades, 66 other women either disappeared from or were found dead in the area. The number includes then-33-year-old Susan Maree Kiely, who hasn’t been seen since disappearing from the mid north coast in 1989, and Rose Howell, who disappeared in 2023 age 18, just 25km from Coffs Harbour.
All 67 cases remain open investigations
Buckingham alleges senior police source claim these cases are linked, and are the work of a serial killer.
“The worst serial killer in the nation’s history has gotten away with it,” Buckingham told the NSW parliament.
“There is someone on the North Coast that has murdered as many or more than [Ivan] Milat and they are still amongst us, if they haven’t died or fled the country.”
Buckingham admitted his assertion that the 67 cases of missing women led to some labelling him “alarmist,” but affirmed that he had spoken to senior police who said the cases had “casual links”.
He then called for a motion that would have NSW Police release files detailing the investigations of these 67 disappearances within 21 days. The motion passed, however some documents may be kept as they involve ongoing investigations.
TikTokers search for “serial killer”
Buckingham’s speech kicked off women sharing their own scary encounters within the area on TikTok — and some are even working to solve the case.
Kayley, who posts under @heykayley on TikTok, shared a story of a man sneaking up on her in Byron Bay in September this year, before disappearing. Kayley was walking to a local beach to meet her friends, and was only made aware of the man’s presence when a nearby car alerted her to her surroundings.
She added how “experienced” the man who snuck up on her seemed to be, and how “quiet and prepared he was”.
“It was like I was being hunted,” she said.
@heykayley Replying to @Ellie Zuker Makeup storytime of why i’m never leaving the house again lol. anyway stay vigilant ladies 💕 #grwm #storytime #byronbay ♬ original sound – kayley 🌻
Since sharing her experience, Kayley reported that she had other women on the app come forward with similar harrowing accounts of being stalked.
Kayley mapped all the 67 instances of disappeared and dead women between 1977 and 2009.
“Personally, I don’t think this is the work of one single person, I don’t think that’s possible,” she said.
“But the way my report was handled and the way people in Byron talked about it, made me feel like there’s a lot of people that know a lot more than they are letting on.”
@heykayley Replying to @Dontwaitforareply Discussing the Northern NSW serial k*llings 😶 I'm not saying my situation is connected bcos of course no one can know that- but I'm seeing a lot of you message me about it so i thought I'd address it. I started tracking cases after I noticed the patterns once I posted my video and then I got overwhelmed and stopped… until this week when I learned about the list of 67 missing or 💀 women in Northern NSW and holy sh*t… this is big #nsw #truecrime #australia ♬ original sound – kayley 🌻
Another TikToker by the name of Laura also shared a video recounting a similar “close call” she had in Byron Bay, which was viewed 1.9 million times.
@laurac1are One of my many not so responsible decisions in my 20s #byronbay #truecrime #closecall #hitchhiking #creepy ♬ original sound – LauraC1are
Police say “no evidence” indicates serial killer
Contrary to the public’s fears, a statement from a NSW Police spokesperson said there was “no evidence” indicating a common offender between the 67 missing women’s cases.
“The matters remain under investigation by State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad Unsolved Homicide Team and the Missing Person Registry and as part of the recent recommendations handed down by the Special Commission of Inquiry, all unsolved cases will be reviewed every two years,” said a statement, per 9NEWS.
“In February 2024, the NSW Police Force commenced Task Force ATLAS to work through all recommendations made by the Special Commission of Inquiry as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the service and accountability of NSW Police Force.
“All recommendations relating to the processes around unsolved homicide cases have been accepted.”
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Lead Image: TikTok/Nine
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