Eurydice Dixon was killed walking home in Melbourne after performing at the Brunswick Hotel. Photo / via Facebook
The 22-year-old comedian found murdered in a Melbourne park sent a heartbreaking final message moments before she was killed and her body dumped on a soccer field.
Eurydice Dixon was walking through Princes Park in Carlton North, just a few hundred metres from her home, when she pulled out her phone to contact the friend she had left at Flinders Street Station.
"I'm almost home safe, HBU [how about you]," she messaged Toby Magnuson on Facebook just after midnight.
Dixon, who was in high spirits after a successful comedy gig, had taken the route many times before — but this time, she wouldn't make it.
"She was happy and content. She gave me a hug, blew me a kiss and said she was going for a walk," Magnuson told Fairfax Media. "She was on top of the world because her gig went so well."
Her body was found on a soccer pitch at 2.40am on Wednesday.
Police released CCTV images later that day, captured during the childcare student's walk home. It is suspected she may have been stalked for more than 4km on her journey from the southern end of the CBD.
The images showed a young man in a hoodie standing on a city footpath. Jaymes Todd, 19, handed himself in at Broadmeadows police station that night.
The teenager yawned as he appeared in court on Thursday charged with Dixon's rape and murder.
He has autism spectrum disorder and is socially regressive, his lawyer told Melbourne Magistrate's Court.
Todd kept his eyes downcast for most of his court appearance, occasionally looking around the room.
He wore a short-sleeved blue shirt and remained silent during more than an hour in the dock.
Police said the alleged killer did not know Dixon. Todd has been remanded in custody until October.
COMEDIAN PERFORMED IN FINAL HOURS
Dixon was on her way home after spending the night making people laugh when her life was cut short.
The childcare student's last post on Facebook was an invitation for friends to attend her show on Tuesday night.
"You guys should come along and watch," she wrote. "It will be a good night."
Beautiful, clever, funny Eurydice Dixon at her gig at Highlander last Tuesday. RIP. #eurydicedixon pic.twitter.com/ivcbL2DmSs
— Paula Ferrari (@paulaferrari_oz) June 14, 2018
The promising performer finished her gig in Melbourne's Highlander bar just after 10pm on Tuesday. She said goodnight to the hordes of people she'd made laugh for the past hour and started to walk home.
Her body was found by a passer-by less than five hours later in the middle of a soccer pitch between Royal Parade and Princes Park Drive at Carlton North.
The distance between the bar where Dixon performed and the park where her body was found is 4.2km.
"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news of the death of Eurydice Dixon," the venue said in a Facebook statement. "She was a remarkable, talented, kind, unique and universally loved person and the entire staff are shattered and heartbroken."
A staff member said she was a regular performer and her shows were "always packed to the rafters".
Months before her death, Dixon had appeared in several sold-out shows at the bar for the Melbourne Comedy Festival.
'YOU WERE ONE IN A MILLION'
The Melbourne comedy community has thrown its support behind Dixon and her family.
In a tweet, TV personality Julia Morris called her death "despicable".
Comedians including Cal Wilson, Anne Edmonds and Celia Pacquola are among the hundreds of people to donate to a GoFundMe started last night.
Fellow comedian Luka Muller started the page, which quickly surpassed its $1500 goal and has now topped $30,000, most of which will be donated to charities that Dixon supported.
My first stand up set when I was the same age as Eurydice Dixon, was about being afraid walking home at night. Making jokes about it was a way to feel slightly empowered instead of small and frightened. Mourning for this young comedian who was entitled to feel safe.
— Alex Lee (@alex_c_lee) June 14, 2018
The Comedy Women's Association described Dixon as "a unique and talented voice and will be very much missed".
Friends and family paid tribute to the much-loved young woman on the fundraising page, sending their condolences to her father and brother.
"Can't believe we'll never chat again," wrote Judith Stutz. "You were so funny at the Highlander."
Emma Byers called her a "bright spark — full of kindness and a fiercely independent thinker," and Susan Brown said she was "talented and spirited".
Nancy Pollock wrote: "You were one in a million RIP Ridi."
Liam Morkham said he had worked with Dixon on a university performing arts show. "She was always so kind and genuine and extremely funny to be around," he wrote. "A sincere and caring individual."
And Sophie Lefebvre summed up the shock and horror of many Australians, writing: "Devastated that someone who worked to bring laughter to the world was taken so cruelly from it."
TEEN HANDED HIMSELF IN AFTER CCTV PICTURES RELEASED
Paramedics worked on Dixon but were unable to revive her. Police sealed off the area and volunteers combed the park for clues.
The teen's arrest came hours after police released CCTV images of a man in a grey hooded jumper. Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper told a media conference on Thursday that the alleged killer "surrendered himself" after the images were shared by the press.
I am absolutely shattered to hear of the despicable death of Eurydice Dixon. Our comedy community is like a family & this news is beyond heart breaking. My deepest condolences go to her family and friends. An important and funny voice has been extinguished. Vale Eurydice Dixon Jx pic.twitter.com/aqXAxISePW
— Julia Morris (@Ladyjmo) June 14, 2018
He said the images were taken "in the Melbourne CBD" but would not reveal the exact time or location. He said the images were not captured in Carlton North.
Stamper also ruled out any link between the Carlton North attack and a sexual assault in nearby Parkville on March 28.
Police have been unable to say whether Dixon was murdered elsewhere and dumped in Carlton. They do not have a specific timeline for the alleged murder but have asked the public for any "information or footage" from between 11pm on Tuesday and 3am on Wednesday.
VICTIM PERFORMED IN PLAY ABOUT DEATH IN 2016
A Melbourne woman, who news.com.au has not identified, said she performed alongside Dixon in a play titled A Date with Death, in which Dixon played a murder victim.
The scene follows the victim, the murderer and the Grim Reaper, played by Dixon, the woman and another man known as Death. The woman kills Dixon to get closer to Death himself.
"In some twist of events in the play, I murdered her just so I could see the Grim Reaper, who I was in love with," the woman told news.com.au.
She said the show, Snatches, was held annually by RMIT University and comprised student written, directed and performed short acts "that could be anything from poetry to live music to a play".
She said despite receiving the script for A Date with Death weeks before the performance, "due to our schedules clashing we only met on day of the show".
"It was a really fun day but I don't really remember all too much. It was for one night only.
"She was very lovely and sweet and outgoing. We went out for lunch and we had a good laugh," she told news.com.au.
The woman told news.com.au she had never met most of the people at the performance before that night, scoring the acting gig after a friend asked her to audition "to help out".
The trio were the only performers of the night.
"It was a long day but we made it fun, I remember stumbling over lines for half the day and having lunch together. She [Ms Dixon] thrived on the stage," she said.
'DON'T BLAME HER FOR WALKING HOME ALONE'
The park where Dixon was found is a popular spot for joggers and cyclists who ride past on their way in and out of the city every day. It is close to the University of Melbourne and its adjoining colleges, surrounded by a busy park and running track.
It is a short walk from Icon Park, the home of the Carlton Football Club.
Superintendent David Clayton urged people using the area to stay alert. "This is an area of high community activity so just make sure you have situational awareness, that you're aware of your surroundings," he said.
It was a message repeated by Stamper on Thursday.
"My message is that people need to be aware of their own personal security. That's everywhere. If people have any concerns at any time, call triple-0. We would much rather have too many calls than two few."
Some Twitter users have responded with anger to warnings that Dixon should not have been walking home alone at night, saying women should feel safe.
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