Her once pale and angelic face battered beyond recognition, the smashed body of Caroline Byrne was discovered on rocks that guard the entrance to Sydney's iconic harbour. Jammed head-first into a crevice 30 metres below a precipice, the beautiful model had apparently aimed not only to end her life, but also to wipe out the striking features for which she was best known.
That was the initial conclusion of police officers who were used to recovering the remains of suicide victims at the cliff formation known as The Gap.
It is a popular tourist spot and has been a fatal attraction for about 30 disturbed souls every year since official record collecting began in 1863.
But family and friends refused to accept that Byrne, an outgoing and confident 24-year-old, could take her own life.
Now, 12 years after she was found dead, a committal hearing is finally hearing evidence to decide whether her boyfriend, Gordon Wood, should be sent to trial for her murder. The case involves allegations that Byrne may have been killed as part of a deeper criminal conspiracy.
Crown prosecutor Mark Tedeschi pointed to a suspicious 1993 fire at the Offset Alpine printing plant in Sydney, which was revealed years later to have been part-owned by Wood's boss, the colourful and high-profile businessman Rene Rivkin.
The blaze resulted in a A$53 million (HK$351 million) insurance payout, and Mr Tedeschi said Byrne had information 'the fire had been a set-up', possibly providing a motive for her murder.