EXCLUSIVE
An aspiring model shot dead in a botched home invasion had been in contact with her jailbird lover just days before she was killed.
Charlyze Hayter, 19, was killed when she and an unknown man armed with a rifle broke into the home of tradie Jackson Gilmour, 29, at Rye on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula in the early hours of Monday.
It is understood Ms Hayter beat Mr Gilmour with a baton and demanded he hand over his wallet and other personal belongings as she rummaged through his drawers.
But the tradie shot her dead before he himself was fatally shot by the unknown male intruder who then fled the scene.
In a video posted to Instagram just days before the deadly attack, Ms Hayter was seen gushing over a young man on a video call seemingly being beamed in from prison.
The telltale sign of a ‘Corrections Victoria’ email address could be seen at the bottom left-hand side of the screen.
Tagged ‘Hi, I miss ya’ and daubed with love hearts, the man was seen covering his face before revealing a broad smile.
Ms Hayter could be seen beaming with joy in the small video window at the top of her laptop screen.
Charlyze Hayter chatted with a man caged behind bars just days before her botched home invasion in Rye. Her accomplice remains at large
Ms Hayter’s home invasion accomplice remained at large on Wednesday despite a police manhunt.
Although Victoria Police refused to comment on its investigation, police sources have told Daily Mail Australia his identity would be well known to them.
It is unknown at this stage if the inmate who featured in Ms Hayter’s last Instagram video had been released from jail since it was posted five days ago.
On Tuesday, it was revealed Ms Hayter had spiralled down a dark path in her teens.
A lengthy Facebook post by her mother in 2021 celebrated her daughter’s 16th birthday and regretted not having the ‘right words to express just how amazing I think you are to keep on trying every day to overcome your personal challenges’.
‘It breaks my heart to see you struggle with what goes on in your head at times, I would do anything to make things easier for you,’ her mum wrote.
‘But from life’s difficulties we grow and learn and it shapes how we turn out.’
The post added: ‘I wouldn’t change one little bit of you.
‘I am immensely proud of you and the sensitive, caring, empathetic loving young adult you are growing into. You make my heart swell.’
A young Charlyze Hayter in the prime of life. Fit and healthy and active in sports
On the road to ruin, Charlyze Hayter covered herself in tattoos and began hanging around with criminals
In recent months, she’d covered her body with a series of large tattoos, including the face of the snake-haired Greek gorgon, Medusa, across her torso, above the word ‘strength’.
She also had a large slab of text inked onto her thigh as well as facial and neck tattoos, which were all displayed in increasingly revealing online photographs.
Ms Hayter’s grandfather Bob said her death had rocked her entire family, but had particularly shattered her father.
‘I loved her very much,’ he told the Herald Sun. ‘This has upset the whole family.’
‘Charlie was a lovely girl, probably went down the wrong side of the tracks, but we were hoping for the best for her.
‘He’s absolutely devastated. It’s very difficult to talk to him (Charlyze’s father) about it. She was a very bright girl at school. We had high hopes for her.’
Police have yet to reveal why Ms Hayter and her accomplice targeted Mr Gilmour’s home.
Mr Gilmour’s friends told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Hayter had been a friend of the builder and carpenter, who had himself shown signs of a troubled life in the months before he was killed.
On Tuesday, police were seen towing a Ford Ranger and Holden Clubsport – both expensive vehicles – from Mr Gilmour’s three-bedroom rented home.
It is understood Mr Gilmour had become isolated from his old mates in the months before he died amid fears he had fallen in with a ‘bad crowd’.
Jackson Gilmour was shot dead in a home invasion that went wrong
Charlyze Hayter reportedly attacked Jackson Gilmour in his own home before he shot her dead
A Ford Ranger was taken away by police on Tuesday
A Holden Clubsport was also removed from the Rye property
‘(His mum) doesn’t know that,’ his friend said. ‘She thinks he’s just defended himself in a domestic violence situation.’
‘I didn’t know he had a f***ing gun that’s for sure.
‘I saw him about a month or two ago. He was not the same,’ he said. ‘You don’t want to associate yourself with that stuff.’
The friend refused to speculate who or what Mr Gilmour had become involved with in his last months alive.
‘I don’t want to get myself in trouble,’ he said.
Neighbours said there were frequently cars ‘coming and going’ from the property.
Mr Gilmour and Ms Hayter were treated by paramedics, but both died at the scene.
The dead tradie was known to police, with court records showing he had faced court several times this year for two separate matters.
One of the matters was before Dromana Magistrates’ Court just two weeks ago.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
