An Australian coroner determined that Esther Kaye, the alleged fraudster whose severed foot was found on a beach in Sydney, is indeed deceased.
Kaye had been the subject of a nationwide search after her ex-husband alerted police in 2019 that he had received an email from her saying she was “as good as dead”. A severed human foot, later confirmed to be that of Kaye, was found in October on a beach in the Sydney suburb of Clontarf.
The coroner said that, based on the evidence provided, Kaye had died some time between March and October 2019. The cause of her death could not be determined; however, there was evidence that suggested she had fractured her femur prior to her death.
The coroner also stated that Kaye had been struggling with her mental health in the weeks leading up to her death. In the weeks before she died, she had been under an enormous financial strain due to complex fraud charges she was facing.
Kaye was an alleged con artist who is believed to have masterminded several large-scale frauds targeting professionals and wealthy individuals. Despite her death, police investigations into her fraud activities will continue.