Six months since Baby Ru died, Police ‘determined to get justice’
Monday, 22 April 2024
Six months after Baby Ru died, Police say they are ‘determined to get justice’ for the toddler.
Initially named Ruthless-Empire Souljah Reign Rhind Shephard Wall by his parents, he suffered blunt forced trauma on the morning of October 22, 2023.
A dedicated Police team is ‘reviewing a significant amount of material and are following active lines of inquiry’.
Police have marked the six-month anniversary since the death of Baby Ru in Lower Hutt with a statement saying they are “determined to get justice”.
The toddler, who was initially named Ruthless-Empire Souljah Reign Rhind Shephard Wall by his parents, suffered blunt forced trauma on the morning of October 22 when he was taken in an unresponsive state to Hutt Hospital, just days before his second birthday.
“Police acknowledge today marks six months following the death of Baby Ru in Lower Hutt,” Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard said in a statement on Monday.
“We remain committed to investigating the circumstances that led to his death in October last year.
“A dedicated team is reviewing a significant amount of material and are following active lines of inquiry.
“Police are determined to get justice for Baby Ru and provide closure for his whānau and the wider community,” Pritchard said.
“Three adults known to Ru continue to be considered persons of interest in relation to this matter.”
Pritchard has said previously that all of Ru’s injuries were to his head. Pritchard also said the injuries could have been caused by a weapon, or by Baby Ru having his head slammed on furniture or a floor.
Early in the investigation, Police said the hard drive for a security camera was missing from the house where Baby Ru suffered the fatal injuries.
They also appealed for sightings in the days after his death, of the car that took Baby Ru to hospital.
Others in the car on the trip to hospital were Dylan Ross, Rosie Morunga, and the boy’s mother Storm Angel Wall.
The car was driven back to the house in Poole St, Lower Hutt where Baby Ru and and the three adults had been living. The car was used to remove items that were “directly relevant” to the homicide investigation, Pritchard said previously.
The car was then used to conceal or dispose of the items, he said, and police seized it for forensic examination.
Last December, Police said a swatch of a duvet cover, a digital video recorder and a back-up power supply were also among the items that had been deliberately removed from the crime scene.
Attempts had been made to clean and alter the crime scene before police arrived, Pritchard said at that time.
Police were also seeking information on a piece of fabric that was tied around Ru’s neck. Pritchard said that while the piece of fabric had not been a direct cause of Ru’s death, the fact that the item had been tied around his neck was incredibly concerning.