Breakthrough in the mysterious death of Illawarra mum Rachel Ayuso two years ago

By STEVE WILLIAMS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: | Updated:

Police have charged a second man with manslaughter following the death of a young mum from a heroin overdose two years ago.

Kye Conlon, 27, was arrested at Stockland Shellharbour in the Illawarra region south of Sydney on Wednesday morning.

Mother-of-two Rachel Ayuso, 28, was found unresponsive at a home in the nearby suburb of Oak Flats in July 2022 and couldn’t be revived.

She died after snorting lines of heroin after a night out at a local pub with a group of friends.

Conlon was taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station, where he was charged with manslaughter and supply prohibited drug less than or equal to small quantity.

He was refused bail to appear in Wollongong Local Court on Thursday.

His arrest comes after disability support worker Braydon Hamilton, 28, was also charged with the manslaughter of Ms Ayuso. 

Mum-of-two Rachel Ayuso, 28, (pictured) was found dead at a Oak Flats home on July 13, 2022

Ms Ayuso was remembered as a ‘beautiful soul’ and an ‘adoring mum’ who ‘gained her angel wings too early’

It is alleged Ms Ayuso then went back to Hamilton’s Oak Flats home in the early hours of July 13 2022 after snorting lines of heroin during a night out.

While Hamilton slept, Ms Ayuso died between 2am and 11am that morning.

Following two years of extensive investigations, police charged Hamilton with manslaughter earlier this month.

Police alleged that Hamilton ‘omitted to assist her’, which carried a high risk that ‘death or grievous bodily harm’ could follow.

Hamilton is not accused of selling or supplying drugs to Ms Ayuso. 

During a bail application in Wollongong Local Court last week, Hamilton’s defence lawyer Matt Ward argued that his client thought Ms Ayuso was asleep.

The lawyer described the incident as a ‘tragedy’, the Illawarra Star reported

Magistrate Claire Girotto granted Hamilton bail.

Ms Ayuso (pictured) died after snorting lines of heroin after a night out at a local pub with a group of friends. Two men have been charged with her manslaughter and are before the courts

Hamilton had to forfeit $10,000 as a surety, surrender his passport, must report daily to police and is not permitted within 500m of any international point of departure as part of his strict conditions. 

Hamilton is due to reappear in court early next year

Friends wrote on on an online fundraiser that Ms Ayuso was ‘taken suddenly (and) she has left behind her much loved children,’ who were ‘Rachel’s moon and stars.’

She was also hailed as a ‘beautiful soul’ and an ‘adoring mum’ who ‘gained her angel wings too early’.

Read More

  • Related Posts

    Cops make breakthrough in manhunt for pack of teenagers after Norwegian tourist was brutally bashed at St Kilda Pier

    Male tourist, 34, allegedly assaulted in Melbourne A group accused him of taking photos of beachgoers He was allegedly bashed and his phone thrown into the bay  By TITA SMITH,…

    Breakthrough in Air India plane crash probe as investigators reveal doomed flight could have been running on emergency power supply when ‘both engines failed’ during takeoff

    Doomed Air India flight 171 may have been running on an emergency-power generator and could have suffered double engine failure when it crashed, investigators believe. Preliminary findings have raised questions over…

    You Missed

    Amateur footballer, 20, who died from flesh-eating virus could have survived if paramedics had taken him to hospital, coroner rules

    • By poster
    • March 17, 2026
    • 2 views
    Amateur footballer, 20, who died from flesh-eating virus could have survived if paramedics had taken him to hospital, coroner rules

    Prince Harry says British troops who died in Afghanistan deserve ‘respect’ in backlash against Donald Trump’s jibe at UK’s war dead

    • By poster
    • March 17, 2026
    • 2 views
    Prince Harry says British troops who died in Afghanistan deserve ‘respect’ in backlash against Donald Trump’s jibe at UK’s war dead

    ‘Insulting and frankly appalling’: Keir Starmer demands apology from Donald Trump in major transatlantic row over jibe at Britain’s Afghan war dead

    • By poster
    • March 17, 2026
    • 2 views
    ‘Insulting and frankly appalling’: Keir Starmer demands apology from Donald Trump in major transatlantic row over jibe at Britain’s Afghan war dead

    The 12 cities that will see ‘catastrophic’ damage by crippling US winter storm: Live updates

    • By poster
    • March 17, 2026
    • 2 views
    The 12 cities that will see ‘catastrophic’ damage by crippling US winter storm: Live updates

    DJ Fat Tony now reveals Nicola Peltz’s entire family stormed out of wedding after THAT dance and how Victoria Beckham draped her arms around Brooklyn

    • By poster
    • March 17, 2026
    • 2 views
    DJ Fat Tony now reveals Nicola Peltz’s entire family stormed out of wedding after THAT dance and how Victoria Beckham draped her arms around Brooklyn

    Winter Storm Fern death toll rises to 8 as the South is hit with TORNADO warning amid blistering -20F conditions: Live updates

    • By poster
    • March 15, 2026
    • 5 views
    Winter Storm Fern death toll rises to 8 as the South is hit with TORNADO warning amid blistering -20F conditions: Live updates