Two years, no arrests and one lingering question: Who killed Baby Ru?
Tuesday, 21 October 2025
Toddler Ruthless Empire Ahipene-Wall has been dead longer than he was alive.
Baby Ru, as he became known, was just three days shy of his second birthday when he arrived at Hutt Hospital with a broken skull on October 22, 2023, having suffered blunt-force trauma to his head.
Whether or not anyone will be held criminally responsible for his death is in the hands of the Crown Solicitor, The Post can reveal.
Speaking to The Post for the second anniversary of Ru’s death, lead investigator Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard said police inquiries had “come to a close”.
“Police are currently reviewing all of the evidential material to determine if there is criminal culpability against any individuals.
“As part of that process we’re engaging independent legal advice to ensure that any decisions moving forward are well considered and well thought out,” Pritchard said.
The Post understands the case was passed to the Crown Solicitor at the end of July. Crown Solicitors independently review cases for the viability of successful prosecution.
While there was no set timeframe as to when the legal advice was expected to be returned, it would take time to process the “wealth of information” gathered over the course of the two years, Pritchard said.
“We have to be thorough because we want the right outcome, in this case for Baby Ru’s whānau […] Every case is different in terms of volume and complexity, so there’s no ‘one size fits all’.”
Pritchard stressed it wasn’t too late for those responsible or who had any information about Ru’s death to come forward: “It’s never too late. Our door is always open.”
Three ‘persons of interest’
Throughout their investigation, police have been unequivocal: there were three people in the Poole St, Taitā, property that Ru was living in at the time he sustained his fatal injuries.
While social media posts from those in the house at the time have asserted their innocence, while pointing the finger of blame elsewhere, all three - understood to be Rosie Morunga, Dylan Ross, and Ru’s mother, Storm Wall - are still considered “persons of interest” by police.
On Monday, Pritchard wouldn’t say when police last spoke to each of them, however he confirmed none had been ruled out.
Wall is understood to have been living at the address for only a couple of weeks before Ru’s death. In the two years that have passed, she has given at least three accounts of what happened on the morning of October 22.
Wall did not respond to The Post’ s request for comment.
Morunga, meanwhile, was sentenced to 18-months in jail last September for charges unrelated to Ru’s death, including assault and theft.
Police previously stressed the “co-operation of our three people of interest is vital to us understanding the truth of what happened to Baby Ru, and ultimately holding those responsible to account”.
What caused Ru’s head injuries remains a mystery, but police previously said they believe it was either inflicted by a weapon, or by slamming his skull against a hard floor or table.
Investigators have also said that, in the hours after Ru was injured, there was a calculated effort to remove evidence and “clean and alter the crime scene”.
After Ru was taken to hospital - but before they were able to secure the scene - police allege a Nissan Sentra travelled to and from the Taita property three times.
Police later appealed for sightings of a swatch of duvet cover, a power back-up unit and a hard drive, which investigators believe contains CCTV footage from the time Ru suffered the fatal injuries to his head.
Since last October, when police announced they had recovered “critical evidence” near a barn on Moonshine Rd, investigators haven’t issued any further public updates.
The information gleaned from this evidence formed part of the ongoing review, Pritchard said, but he wouldn’t be drawn further.
Pritchard acknowledged the investigation was one of the most challenging cases he had worked, but remained determined to deliver justice for Baby Ru.
“The loss of Baby Ru was a tragedy that shouldn't have happened, and his life was needlessly cut short. So we want those who have information, directly or indirectly, to come forward and tell us about what happened.
“If we're sitting here next year, all going well, it'll be to say those responsible have been held to account. That's our goal. That's what we want as an outcome for Baby Ru’s whānau.”
Although Ru had no registered name at the time of his death, his name was posthumously registered as Nga Reo Te Huatahi Reremoana Ahipene-Wall, known to whānau as Ru.
Anyone with information that could help the investigation team is urged to contact police quoting file number 231022/1708. Information can also be passed to Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.