Police have confirmed the hard drive for a security camera is missing from the house where Baby Ru suffered fatal injuries.
At a police press conference on Friday, Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard appealed for sightings of a light-coloured Nissan Sedan – with the licence plate TE6972 – between the morning of October 22 and afternoon of October 24 across the Wellington region.
Baby Ru suffered blunt forced trauma on the morning of October 22 when he was taken in an unresponsive state to Hutt Valley Hospital.
Pritchard previously said Ru died from blunt force trauma that was not accidental.
Three people of interest went to the hospital with Baby Ru in the car, Dylan Ross, Rosie Morunga, and Storm Angel Wall.
Pritchard said the car was driven back to the Poole St property in Lower Hutt and was used to remove items that were “directly relevant” to the homicide investigation.
The car was then used to conceal or dispose of the items, he said, and police seized it for forensic examination.
Seeking security hard drive
He couldn’t say who was in the car at the time the items were removed. Now police want to develop a timeline of the vehicle’s movements and want the public to help.
Great aunt Sarah Reremoana, who was Ru’s carer for a substantial part of his life, posted on social media that police had told her a hard drive containing security camera footage was missing, as were other items “vital” to Baby Ru’s death.
Baby Ru had severe head injuries.
Reremoana also claimed police had told her some of the movements of the three people of interest included a person going back to the Poole St home, while two stayed at the hospital with Ru, and a second trip home with two occupants, while one remained at Hutt hospital.
On Tuesday, Pritchard said police want to find a hard drive used to record CCTV footage from the property.
“The hard drive police are seeking is a Provision-ISR NVR5-8200PX+ DVR. We urge anyone with any information on the hard drive, or sightings of the vehicle to get in contact”.
Head swollen
Pritchard said 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.
Pritchard confirmed Waikato police had been called to do a welfare check on the little boy in July and found nothing of concern.
Baby Ru had a number of bruises on his body when he died.
On Saturday, Stuff revealed Baby Ru’s injuries were so severe his head had swollen to twice its normal size, according to whānau.
Baby Ru’s Aunty posted on social media that she saw bruises on his head, the day the whānau got him back from the funeral home.
“His head was twice the size that it normally is,” she posted.
‘He deserves justice’
Other whānau members have posted about noticing the same abnormality with Baby Ru’s head. One said it “disgusted” them.
Previously, Ru’s aunt said she had voluntarily gone to police to make a statement and to hand over some video footage that had been sent to her.
Baby Ru had been in the aunt’s care for a while, she’d given him to another family member as she approached the birth of her daughter.
Baby Ru’s family are in the process of registering a new name.
“I genuinely believe I did as much as I could at the time, but in hindsight, I know that my efforts weren’t enough, and I should’ve done more” she posted.
“The sweetest little boy was taken away from me, and he deserves justice.”
Not registered as Ruthless-Empire
At the time of Ru’s death, his birth and name, Ruthless-Empire Souljah Reign Rhind Shepherd Wall, had not been officially registered, although the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) was in communication with the whānau.
The DIA has told Stuff whānau were now in the process of registering a new name.
Pritchard said police had received “varying levels of cooperation and engagement” from Wall, Morunga and Ross.
He urged the trio to cooperate.
Rosie Morunga who was one of three in Baby Ru house, seen here outside Lower Hutt District court.
“We know they have vital information that they can give us and I continue to urge them to come forward and speak to us”.
New questions for mother
After listening to the press conference, Wall decided to make a new statement, according to family spokesperson Ngatanahira Reremoana.
Baby Ru’s Uncle told Stuff a team of detectives travelled up from Wellington to Taupo on Friday afternoon to take the statement.
“They also had some new questions for Storm as well. I can’t comment on those due to the ongoing police investigation.”
Via Baby Ru’s uncle, Wall has offered two explanations to Stuff and a different one to the New Zealand Herald, of what happened on the night Ru is believed to have suffered blunt force trauma.
Wall also claimed Baby Ru was choking on his breakfast and lost consciousness.
“Never babysitting’
On social media, Morunga rejected that she was babysitting Ru.
“We never were babysitting. His mother was there. We brought them back from abuse and now the (sic) shit. I’ll get justice.”
Morunga appeared in court last week on unrelated assault charges.
Abuse of children: Where to get help
- If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111
- Shine Free call 0508 744 633 between 9am and 11pm (for men and women)
- 1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor.
- What’s Up 0800 942 8787 (for 5 to 18-year-olds). Phone counselling available Monday-Friday, noon-11pm and weekends, 3pm-11pm. Online chat is available 3pm-10pm daily.
- Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz, or find online chat and other support options here.