03/06/2026
Phoebe Handsjuk's Death (December 2010)
Phoebe Handsjuk, aged 24, lived in the luxury Balencea apartment building in Melbourne's St Kilda Road with her boyfriend, Antony Hampel. On the night of December 2, 2010, she was found deceased at the bottom of the building's garbage chute after falling approximately 12 stories (around 40 meters) feet-first into the compactor area. She survived the initial fall briefly but suffered catastrophic injuries, including her right foot being nearly severed by the compactor.
Her death was officially ruled an accident (death by misadventure) by the coroner. Key factors included:
High levels of alcohol and the sleep medication zolpidem (Ambien/Stilnox) in her system, which can cause complex sleep behaviors like sleepwalking.
The coroner concluded she likely entered the chute voluntarily, possibly while in a disoriented or sleepwalking state.
However, the case has long been controversial. Investigations by media outlets like The Age (including the interactive feature "Phoebe's Fall") highlighted inconsistencies:
No fingerprints were found on the chute opening.
No CCTV footage captured her entering the refuse room.
The chute opening was narrow (about 22 cm) and elevated (around 1 meter off the floor), raising doubts about how she could have climbed in accidentally without assistance.
Family and advocates questioned the thoroughness of the investigation, pointing to a troubled relationship with Hampel and alleging possible foul play.
Despite public pressure and reviews (including a Victorian Government review of the Coroner's Act prompted by concerns over the inquest), the official finding remains accidental, with no evidence of third-party involvement established.
Baillee Schneider's Death (June 2018)
Baillee (or Bailee) Petra Schneider, a 25-year-old model, was found unconscious on the kitchen floor of her parents' home in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne's inner north, on June 24, 2018. A gold-colored cord (described as a curtain cord) was tied tightly around her neck. She never regained consciousness and died shortly after.
Initially, the death appeared non-suspicious, and the Deputy State Coroner ruled it as not suspicious (often interpreted in context as a su***de by ligature asphyxiation). Reports noted:
No obvious hanging point was found at the scene.
Toxicology showed trace levels of co***ne, antidepressants, and alcohol (around three times the legal driving limit).
In late 2019, the coroner referred the case to Victoria Police's homicide squad for further investigation due to unresolved questions about the circumstances. However, subsequent reporting (including from The Age and other outlets) indicates it was ultimately not treated as homicide, with the su***de ruling standing in most public accounts.
Schneider had recently begun dating Antony Hampel (then in his early 50s) after returning from a modeling trip, though the relationship was short-lived.
The Connection and Speculation
The link between the two cases is that both women were romantically involved with Antony Hampel at the time of their deaths—Phoebe lived with him in 2010, and Baillee dated him in 2018 (about eight years later). This coincidence has fueled online speculation, podcasts, YouTube videos, Reddit threads, and social media posts suggesting foul play or a pattern, with some labeling Hampel as connected to both tragedies.
However, no official evidence has linked Hampel to criminal involvement in either death. Authorities treated both as non-homicidal (accidental in Phoebe's case, su***de in Baillee's), and no charges have been filed. The shared partner has kept the stories circulating in true crime communities, often framed as eerie or suspicious coincidences rather than proven connections.