Who is Lilie James? How St Andrew’s Cathedral teacher was a champion swimmer before she was brutally murdered at exclusive Sydney school
A water polo coach, 21, who was murdered and dumped in a campus bathroom at a prestigious Sydney school, was a talented dancer and swimmer with the world at her feet.
Lilie James’ body was found in the gymnasium bathroom at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in the CBD after a family member called police about midnight on Wednesday after she had not returned home.
The cause of death has yet to be determined, although police say it was a homicide as she suffered horrific head injuries.
It is understood that the police are looking for Paul Thijssen, also in his twenties, who is the head hockey coach of the school.
He went missing near the Diamond Bay Reserve in the Vaucluse, in the eastern outskirts of the city. Detectives and helicopters have been in the area since about 5 a.m.
Lilie grew up in Kogarah, in Sydney’s south, with her parents and younger brother.
Lilie grew up in Kogarah, in Sydney’s south, with her parents and younger brother (pictured)
Lilie James’ body was found in the gymnasium bathroom at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in the CBD
The body of a female staff member has been found on the grounds of a CBD school in Sydney
Lilie was a champion swimmer who won an under-17 tournament in 2019.
Her parents’ social media pages featured photos of her achievements, ranging from dance trophies in elementary school to the day she earned her learner’s license in 2018.
In Kogarah, a 16-year-old Lilie could be seen standing in front of her family car, proudly holding a yellow L sign.
“Let the fun begin,” her mother captioned the photo.
Detectives were in the school foyer conferring with school officials while forensic officers waited outside early Thursday morning.
School staff reportedly called the police to the scene.
Parents received messages from teachers at the school from 3am, with principal Dr Julie McGonigle later emailing them to say the school was closed until next week and that an area ‘not accessible to students is a crime zone’.
In one message, the school said no students were involved in the incident.
Chief Inspector Martin Fileman said the victim suffered serious head injuries.
He told a press conference at Day Street police station that the Police Air Wing and officers on the scene were scouring the coastline at South Head and the reserve for evidence.
He would not say whether police believe the man they are looking for is alive or dead.
‘We are looking for a man in his early twenties. He is employed by the school.
‘The woman is an employee of the school. (She had) serious head injuries.
‘The scene was quite confrontational.’
Lilie James, 22, was a water polo coach at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney’s CBD
The community is in shock and the school will remain closed for the rest of the week
Two crime scenes have been established at the school where the female staff member was found and at The Gap in Vaucluse where her male colleague went missing
Officers are searching the coastline on Thursday morning at the site believed to be linked to the crime scene in the CBD
A silver Lexus sedan was towed from the Diamond Bay Reserve around 10am
He declined to confirm whether the man or woman was a teacher, saying police responded to a welfare check call around midnight.
Supt Fileman said it was ‘a very sad time for family, school staff and students’.
He said the crime scene in the school’s gym had previously been described as “inaccessible” to students “due to the time” the body was found.
He urged “anyone who may have knowledge of this murder” to contact police or Crimestoppers.
He said there was no reason to believe anyone else was involved.
At the second crime scene, located in coastal Vaucluse, police teams are searching the coastline near Diamond Bay Reserve.
A police helicopter is said to be circling the area between the reserve and The Gap at Watsons Bay in the north before dawn.
A male colleague of the woman, believed to be a teacher at the school, went missing in the area, while officers found some of his belongings in the reserve, along with “an item related to the murder.”
Shortly after 9am, a police rescue helicopter arrived for a possible recovery of the body Marine Command continues to patrol the coastline.
A police source told Daily Mail Australia they had been monitoring the area from early Thursday morning.
A rubbish bin, believed to be important to the investigation, has also been secured behind police tape and covered from the weather under a canopy.
A rubbish bin at Diamond Bay Reserve in Vaucluse has been taped off as part of a crime scene
Specialist police rescue teams are involved in the operation in The Gap
A silver 2003 Lexus sedan could be seen being towed away from Chris Bang Cresent overlooking the Diamond Bay Reserve just after 10am.
More than 25 uniformed officers searched the area, looking through gutters and bushes in an attempt to gather evidence.
Detectives in airplane gear could be seen talking to a nearby resident.
Detectives, uniformed officers and specialist police rescue team members scour the high cliffs, which are also cordoned off with police tape.
The forensic investigation will continue this morning.
A male teacher at the school is believed to have gone missing in the area
