Grieving father of dead baby: 'I have to get justice for my son'

Corey Neligan wants answers after his three-month-old son, Soul Turany, died in suspicious circumstances. Photo / Supplied

A father whose baby died in suspicious circumstances more than four months ago is furious detectives have still not told him how his son died.

Three-month-old Soul Mathew Turany died on August 31 last year, after he suffered a head injury at a farm 30km south of Christchurch.

Police announced they had launched a homicide investigation five weeks later but did not make a public statement about the death until then.

Detectives have spoken to Soul's mother, Storme, and another young male known to her.

Soul's father Corey Neligan, 24, said he had not been given the results of the post-mortem and had not heard anything from police for over a month.

"I haven't heard anything," he said. "All they can say is that they have spoken to someone else in relation to it and there is nothing else to tell me.

"[Police] sit there and say 'we're doing our best to get a good result for you', and I'm like, 'Are you really, mate?' Because from where I'm standing, they aren't doing bugger all. It seems like they are waiting for someone to speak out. It's a bit of a joke really. It doesn't put a lot of faith in the police."

Mr Neligan, who was not on the farm when Soul's head injury occurred, wanted to know how his son died. "It's not a thousand piece puzzle. Someone has done something. It just doesn't happen on its own."

Police said yesterday that the investigation into Soul's death was ongoing and that they wouldn't be able to respond to specific questions from NZME. News Service until later today.

Mr Neligan, who has moved back to the North Island to be close to his family, said he was struggling to comprehend how "the best thing that ever came into my life" was taken away from him.

"I sit there sometimes and picture what could have happened but I just don't know," he said.

"I'm trying to stay positive and just keep my head down. But it's always in the back of my head though. It's getting to the point now where [police] are running out of time and someone has to pay. I have to get justice for my son."