The mother of Aston Looker, an 18-year-old Australian model found dead in a Bali villa pool on 22 August 2024, has hired a private investigator to examine the circumstances of his death.
Aston Looker was discovered in the pool of his father’s villa complex. No autopsy was conducted, and his father, Saxon Looker, had him cremated two days later.
Local police did not visit the scene until nearly two weeks after his death, reporting no signs of foul play.
His mother, interior designer Amanda Lennon, said she remains uncertain about what happened and that Indonesian authorities have not provided clarity.
“Things work differently in Bali,” Lennon told Australian magazine Good Weekend.
“You have to play by a different set of rules. I needed someone who knew that.”
Private Investigation and Timeline
Lennon engaged Gold Coast-based investigator to piece together what happened.
According to the timeline put together by the investigator, a security guard discovered Aston floating face-down in the shallow end of the pool at around 5 p.m. on 22 August. His father attempted CPR as he was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Mental Health History and Final Weeks
According to the Good Weekend story, Aston had a history of mental health issues, including depression and ADHD.
In the weeks before his death, his condition had worsened, and he spent three days in a psychiatric ward.
Lennon, who had been staying with him in a Bali villa, later arranged for him to stay at a therapeutic retreat called The Place before returning to Australia.
During his three-week stay at The Place, Lennon said she heard from him only when he was checking out. He then went to stay at his father’s villa, where he was later found in the pool.
Cremation and Unanswered Questions
Lennon said she does not believe her son took his own life but acknowledged that without an autopsy, the exact cause of death remains unknown.
Saxon Looker, who has lived in Bali since 2005 and runs surfboard businesses, later told Lennon that Aston had previously expressed a wish to be cremated quickly.
Messages reviewed by Good Weekend indicated the teenager had mentioned a phobia of being enclosed in a box and requested cremation within two days of his death.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of Mr. Looker.
A Mother’s Warning
Lennon said the experience has changed her perspective on legal and procedural differences between Australia and Indonesia.
“We take a lot of things for granted in Australia,” she said. “The local police didn’t even know Aston had died until we told them. By then, he’d already been cremated.
“I can never go back to Bali, not after this.”
