An man has been charged with murder following a renewed investigation into the 2017 death of pregnant western Sydney woman Hayley McClenahan‑Ernst.

Emergency services were called in May 2017 to a home on Derby Street, Kingswood, where the 21‑year‑old was found unresponsive. NSW Ambulance paramedics attempted to revive her, but she died at the scene.

He told police during his interviews that McClenahan‑Ernst fell and hit her head.

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No charges were laid over her death at the time.

McClenahan‑Ernst’s death was deemed suspicious, prompting extensive inquiries under Strike Force Fielding, which was a specialist taskforce set up by NSW Police to investigate her death.

Max Spencer has been charged with murder after the death of his girlfriend in 2017 Credit: 7NEWS

In a coronial inquest Max’s own mother texted others that he had “killed Hayley” and “smashed her face in”.

That same coronial inquest was later suspended in 2025 and referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

In a 2025 statement, McClenahan‑Ernst’s mother Lisa Ernst made a public plea for community help to solve her daughter’s death.

“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.

“My grief over losing my daughter has only deepened with time, especially as I still have no answers about what happened to Hayley.”

Detectives from Nepean Police Area Command reviewed the case in late 2025 and continued to pursue new lines of inquiry.

Following further investigations and a public appeal, strike force detectives attended a property at Bucca, north of Coffs Harbour, just before 7.30am on Tuesday, where they arrested Max Spencer, 30.

He was taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station and charged with murder.

Spencer did not apply for bail and will return to court in June.