Nine years after a pregnant Hayley McClenahan-Ernst died at her home in Australia, her former partner, Max Spencer, has been charged with murder.
The NSW Police Force announced in a news release on Tuesday, April 14, that a 30-year-old man was arrested at a property in Coffs Harbour following an investigation into McClenahan-Ernst’s death.
Spencer is scheduled to appear in court on April 14 to answer to the murder charge.
While Spencer was not named in the news release, the NSW Police Force confirmed to People that he is the detained suspect.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Spencer was McClenahan-Ernst’s partner at the time of her death.
McClenahan-Ernst was found unresponsive at a Derby Street residence around 12:15 a.m. on May 21, 2017, according to NSW Police. McClenahan-Ernst shared the property with Spencer, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“NSW Ambulance paramedics rendered assistance, but Hayley — who was pregnant — died at the scene,” police said in the news release.
Authorities said that a 21-year-old man was initially “charged at the time with contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (DV) and was dealt with by the courts.” Police didn’t reveal the man’s identity, though said he was known to the victim. It appears that the initial charges were dropped against the suspect.
Amid the investigation into McClenahan-Ernst’s death, police concluded that her passing was suspicious and “extensive investigations were conducted under Strike Force Fielding.”
The case was ultimately referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions after a coronial inquest was suspended in 2025.
Nepean Police Command detectives then reviewed the case in October 2025 and conducted further inquiries as well as a public appeal. Once authorities completed those steps, they were able to carry out Spencer’s arrest on April 14.
One month before Spencer was arrested, McClenahan-Ernst’s mother, Lisa Ernst, issued a statement asking for witnesses to speak up as she continued to seek justice for her daughter.
“Hayley was deeply loved by our family, and we have never stopped missing her smile, her infectious laugh, and the fierce love she had for her children,” she said, according to ABC. “My grief over losing my daughter has only deepened with time, especially as I still have no answers about what happened to Hayley.”
The investigation into the matter remains ongoing. It is not currently clear if Spencer has entered a plea or retained legal counsel in light of his arrest.
