After months of keeping quiet about the death of Warriena Wright and the Tinder date that took such a tragic turn, Gable Tostee has spent much of his time since his acquittal commenting on the case.
First it was the much-anticipated interview with 60 Minutes, in which Tostee spoke for the first time about Wright’s death and his interpretation of the events that unfolded prior to Wright’s tragic fall. He was reportedly paid a six-figure sum for partaking in the interview.
A mere weeks after the interview aired, and little over a month since his ‘not guilty’ verdict was announced, he has commented on the case once again. This time Tostee, who is now known by the name Eric Thomas, has joined a Facebook discussion group about the death of Wright, answering questions about his own case with no price tag attached.
The closed group, maxxed out at just over 5000 members, sees members of the public pose questions about the parts of the case that niggled at them the most, seeking clarification from the 30-year-old about what actually transpired that fateful night in August 2014.
When asked about why Ms. Wright's phone was in his pocket after she fell to her death from the Gold Coast apartment, Tostee wrote that he "didn't know" how it ended up there.
"Only reason I can think of is that I took it by mistake as I rushed out of the apartment I didn't even realise I had it until later when I was in the car. It was turned in to police later that day and forensically examined for signs of tampering obviously," he wrote.
Others sought to challenge Tostee on why it appears he has little remorse for Wright's death; a sentiment from much of the public that has persisted since the case began. Tostee, however, refused to accept the premise of the argument.
"Completely false. I assume you never read my open letter from 2014? Or any of my public posts on Facebook? Or the fact that my lawyers prevented me from reaching out?" he wrote.
"You also need to remember that not everything I do or say is in the context of Warriena's death, which let's not forget I was fully acquitted of."
Those in Wright's corner were out in waves, with one member questioning whether Tostee had "done anything to contribute back" to Wright's community, to which Tostee replied: "No, why would I do that? Have you?"
Despite the fact most of the thread naturally centres on the case itself, Tostee appears to let loose with some of his retorts, with many of the comments shared between himself and other members bordering on personal.
When one member asked Tostee if he had autism, Tostee hit back.
"No," he wrote, "but I suffer brain damage every time I read a dumb comment."
When another confronted Tostee on the fact he was "not answering the real questions, only ones about the milkshake" - in reference to the fact Tostee made headlines earlier this month after downing a massive milkshake in record time - Tostee simply replied with a GIF of a man dancing.
Interestingly, Tostee's current girlfriend, New Zealand native Lizzie Evans, also joined the thread and replied to comments directed at her.
"Were you prepared for such a backlash from the public for dating Eric Thomas and have you lost friends as a result if it?" one commenter posed.
Evans replied, emphatic that her involvement with Tostee has not had a negative impact on her life.
"No," she wrote, "friends know me and love me regardless and have gotten to know him too. He has a lot of support."
The Facebook discussion group's admin Belinda Beli told Mamamia the discussion initially existed without Tostee's involvement, and it wasn't until they tagged him in one of the posts that he began engaging with other members of the group.
"He joined on his own accord. He's also replying on his own accord. I want to make it clear that he joined by himself. I made a thread reiterating the rules and letting the members know we would not tolerate harassment," she said.
"I honestly didn't think he would answer anything or even comment, but I also kinda [sic] thought he wouldn't be able to NOT comment, and here we are."
At this stage, it is unclear as to how long the discussion will last and whether Evans and Tostee are replying together.
Top Comments
With his track record combined with the tragic death of this young woman, i am surprised people support this guys actions so much. Sure, he was acquitted, i agree he didn't murder her, but he certainly played a part in her death.
He needs to shut up and show some damn respect for her family.
I'm supporting our legal system, not the guy. Our legal system, a Judge and Jurors said he is was not guilty of anything and still the social media witch hunt goes on.
It seems many people cannot see beyond personal prejudice and could show "some damn respect" as well in my opinion.
I don't have to show any respect to a guy that called a lawyer instead of an ambulance.
I was asking for our legal system to receive respect, not the guy.
Our legal system is a joke. Eg: Too many violent offenders out on bail who have gone on to murder people.
For the love of GOD, can we stop giving him the publicity oxygen.