The ex-partner of a woman found dead on a Queensland beach has vehemently denied any involvement in her death – and said she was allegedly kidnapped and brutally bashed just two years ago.
uncertain
she → find → death
Payge Leembruggen, 31, was found dead in the sand dunes near North Wall beach in Mackay around 8am Tuesday when her body was spotted by a dog walker.
asserted
body → find → walker
The Mt Jukes mother-of-one was last seen on September 11, when her grandfather David Leembruggen dropped her at a Mackay hairdressers for a 9am appointment.
asserted
grandfather → see → appointment
Police said her death was being treated as suspicious and have flown her body to Townsville for an autopsy.
asserted
death → say → autopsy
Since then, speculation had been mounting among her friends that Cris Wilesmith, her ex-partner and father of their autistic son Nakoa, may have been involved.
But he told the Daily Mail on Thursday that he denied any involvement and added: 'I would never do that'.
uncertain
I → mount → that
Mr Wilesmith said he has not seen Ms Leembruggen for several years because she had a restraining order against him, preventing him from being near her or their son.
But he admitted he was not surprised people had linked him with her death.
asserted
people → say → death
Payge Leembruggen, 31, was found dead in the sand dunes near North Wall beach in Mackay
Payge's ex-partner Cris Wilesmith has vehemently denied any involvement in her death
asserted
partner → find → death
'It's pretty s***ty, but I guessed people might say that,' he told the Daily Mail from his home in Finch Hatton, an hour west of Mackay.
uncertain
he → guess → Mackay
'If the police want to speak to me, they can.
asserted
they → want → me
But they haven't been to see me.'
Mr Wilesmith said he had been in Mackay over the weekend, but did not come into contact with his ex, and did not know how she died.
asserted
she → see → ex
'The only feeling I have is that she put herself in a situation she could not get out of,' he said.
uncertain
he → have → situation
He revealed Ms Leembruggen was the alleged victim of a four-day kidnapping and a serious assault in 2024 in a case which did not involve him and is currently going through court.
asserted
which → reveal → court
Mr Wilesmith said he and Ms Leembruggen were not on good terms and claimed she had refused to pass on his Christmas and birthday gifts to their son.
asserted
she → say → son
But he said he was still devastated by her death.
asserted
he → say → death
'It's terrible, horrible - my son is now growing up without a mother,' he said.
asserted
he → grow → mother
'His whole life, he's going to be motherless.
asserted
he → go → ?
Everyone needs their mum.'
asserted
Everyone → need → mum
Mr Wilesmith said he now hopes to be reconciled with Nakoa, and would be consulting a lawyer 'to see what my rights are'.
asserted
rights → say → lawyer
Cris Wilesmith freely admitted he was not on good terms with his ex
Cris Wilesmith is now hoping to be reconciled with his special-needs son after several years
His mother Nita Harrison, from Cairns, also insisted her son was innocent of any involvement with the tragedy.
'Payge and Cris absolutely hated each other, but we have nothing to hide,' she said.
asserted
she → admit → nothing
'I know my son would've had nothing to do with it.
asserted
son → know → it
'He contacted me yesterday to tell me the news, and he was really upset, more for Nakoa.'
asserted
he → contact → Nakoa
Ms Leembruggen's grandfather earlier revealed his granddaughter had used 'ice or meth' since she was a teenager, and that she had a 'wonderful technique for finding the wrong friends and men'.
asserted
she → reveal → friends
Ms Harrison said her son met Ms Leembruggen in rehab in Mareeba, west of Cairns, six years ago, and the couple had Nakoa before they separated several years ago.
'She wasn't the best at choosing dudes, but she liked to see the best in people,' said Mr Wilesmith.
asserted
Wilesmith → say → people
Nakoa, who has category three autism and is non-verbal, has not yet been told his mother is dead.
asserted
mother → have → autism
His great-grandfather confirmed he was now in the care of his grandmother Julia, himself and his wife, Colleen.
asserted
he → confirm → grandmother
Cris's mother Nita Harrison reiterated her son's denial when contacted by the Mail
Mystery surrounds what happened to Ms Leembruggen between her hair appointment on Friday and her body being found in the sand dunes on Tuesday.
asserted
body → reiterate → Tuesday
Her grandfather told the Mail he was the last family member to see her alive when he drove her from the family's rural Mt Jukes home to the salon, dropping her off at 9am.
asserted
he → tell → am
'She was quite okay,' he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
'I drove her in because she doesn't have a licence, and said, "Give me a yell when you're ready to be picked up".
asserted
you → drive → yell
'Then she sent me a message saying, "Don't worry about picking me up, I'll get my own transport home".
asserted
I → send → transport
'
He never heard from her again, and found out she was dead when police arrived at the family property on Tuesday morning.
asserted
police → hear → morning
The Mail previously revealed an associate of Ms Leembruggen had seen a Snapchat from her over the weekend, in which she was dancing with a female friend.
asserted
she → reveal → friend
Mr Leembruggen said he had not seen the Snapchat personally, nor did he know where or when it was posted.
asserted
it → say → Snapchat
'A family friend contacted us to say they had seen it, but the post, being Snapchat, has disappeared,' he said.
asserted
he → contact → it
It was not unusual for Ms Leembruggen to vanish for several days
asserted
Leembruggen → vanish → days
Mr Leembruggen said the family did not report her missing because it was not out of character for her to vanish for days at a time.
asserted
her → say → time
'She didn't mention any plans for the weekend [when I dropped her off].
asserted
I → mention → her
We were treated a bit like mushrooms [by her] and kept in the dark,' he said.
asserted
he → treat → dark
'She often didn't come home for four or five days.
asserted
She → come → days
You wouldn't see her and then she'd come home.'
asserted
she → see → her
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
