The Chilling Conversation That Preceded Molly Ticehurst's Tragic Death

A chilling conversation between Molly Ticehurst and her mother just hours before her murder has been revealed, shedding light on the events leading up to her tragic death.

On a Sunday night in April, Molly, 28, was hosting a dinner for two friends and her mum at her home in Forbes, New South Wales's central west. As they relaxed after dinner, the conversation took a turn when Molly said to her mother Kate: "If anything happens to me, I want you to keep my car and I want you to keep my son."

This conversation baffled Molly's best friend Meg Sladek, who wondered, "Did something happen that she's not telling us?" However, the night went on, and Molly seemed to be at peace, replying "Love you darling, see you tomorrow" when Meg told her she loved her.

Less than two hours later, Molly was dead. Her former partner, Daniel Billings, had broken into her bedroom through a window and stabbed her multiple times. He was in and out of the house in 59 seconds.

Sixteen days earlier, Molly had reported Billings to police, telling them she feared for her life. However, the response from the police and the bail system failed to protect her, leaving her vulnerable to the man she feared most.

Molly was a doting single mum to her six-year-old boy and was known for her wicked sense of humour and her way of making people feel at ease. Her friends described her as a softie, despite her tough exterior.

Molly's friend Gaby Shepherd says "Mol" looked like a tough girl with tattoos, but underneath, the early childhood educator was a softie. "She wanted to be loved, wanted to find that long-term relationship," Gaby says.

The relationship between Molly and Billings was marked by emotional manipulation and control. Billings would often bombard Molly with messages, and at one point, he confessed to killing their puppy, Wallace, during a brief reconciliation.

Molly's friends began to see a pattern of behaviour from Billings, who would often use gifts and attention to charm Molly. However, when Molly ended the relationship, Billings became aggressive, threatening to hurt her and her family.

In December 2023, Molly cut off contact with Billings, but he continued to harass her, turning up at her home and becoming aggressive. Molly claimed he threatened to get to her quicker than the police could, saying "If you ring the police, I can get in your window and get to you quicker than they will be here."

Forbes domestic violence support worker Anne-Marie Mioche says Molly was very good at naming Billings's behaviour and holding a mirror back to him. "I think part of the problem that put her in danger is that … she was actually reflecting to him a different image to how he perceived himself," Ms Mioche says.

The allegations of rape infuriated Billings, and he continued to harass Molly, leading up to her death. Molly's father Tony says he believes that Molly sacrificed herself to protect her family.

In the days leading up to her death, Molly had revealed to her friends and family how violent the relationship had turned, and they urged her to contact the police. On April 5, 2024, Molly reported Billings to police, but it was too late.

In a phone call 18 days before her death, Billings told Molly: "I will come in the middle of the night and cut your head off. I will get to you if that is the last thing I do. The police won't stop me. I will get to you quicker than they will."