Police investigating the killing of toddler Baby Ru are looking for a hard drive believed to contain CCTV footage from the address where he suffered fatal injuries to his head.
On October 22, up to 12 hours after suffering severe injuries to his head, Ruthless-Empire Souljah ReignRhind Shephard Wall arrived at Hutt Hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
The toddler, now known as Nga Reo Te Huatahi Reremoana Ahipene-Wall, was living at a home in the Lower Hutt suburb of Taitā with his mother Storm Wall, Rosie Morunga and her partner Dylan Ross.
The Herald can now reveal police are searching for a hard drive in relation to the inquiry.
Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard confirmed to the Herald the hard drive was used to record CCTV footage from the property.
Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard confirmed to the Herald the hard drive was used to record CCTV footage from the property.
The hard drive 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.”
On Friday evening the toddler’s mother, Storm Wall, gave a new statement to police after the officer in charge of the inquiry appealed for information regarding his death.
Baby Ru’s great aunt, Sarah Reremoana, told the Herald that police had informed her a hard drive was one of the main items staff wanted to find. She said it was believed the hard drive contained CCTV footage from inside the property.
“The hard drive is one of the main items that they want to retrieve and find because that could hold a lot of information,” Reremoana said.
Police investigating the death of Baby Ru are seeking sightings of this vehicle on October 22, the day he was taken to Hutt Hospital. Photo / NZ Police
Reremoana said Wall’s interview lasted several hours.
She said the whānau were regularly visiting the urupā.
“We’re just trying to remember him as much as we can positively and hopefully get the truth and a better outcome very shortly.”
The car is a grey-green Nissan sedan with the number plate TE6972.
All of the three persons of interest were in the car at the time it was driven to the hospital.
The car then returned to the address where they lived and items related to the investigation were removed, he said.
Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard said police were seeking sightings of the Nissan sedan on the day Ru died. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Wall earlier claimed in an interview with the Herald that, on the evening of October 21, one of the people in the house told her to go to bed and that they would look after Ru.
Asked whether she had any part in her son’s death, she replied: “No, I didn’t.
“I just want justice for my son... I want justice for my Ru Ru.”
Ruthless-Empire, who was almost 2, died in hospital from serious head injuries on October 22.
Pritchard told media last week that police were looking for CCTV footage to track the movements of the car and were seeking sightings of it anywhere between metropolitan Wellington and the Hutt Valley between the morning of October 22 and the middle of the afternoon on October 24.
Police have now seized and examined the vehicle.
They were in constant communication with the three people of interest, who were providing varying levels of co-operation, Pritchard said.
“I cannot say what their motives are for not giving us the full story.
“There has been progress, we have been interacting with them and others to build a picture of what happened that morning.”
All his injuries were to his head. “Our belief is that these were intentionally caused injuries to this child.”
Police believe the injuries were sustained on the morning of October 22, although they could have been sustained up to 12 hours before his death.
Sam Sherwood is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers crime. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2022, and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
