An application has been made to officially register slain toddler Ruthless-Empire’s birth with a new name, however, the paperwork will arrive only days before his whānau receives his death certificate.
On October 22, up to 12 hours after receiving severe injuries to his head, Ruthless-Empire Souljah Reign Rhind Shephard Wall arrived at Hutt Hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Following his death it was revealed the toddler’s birth had not been registered as his name was rejected by the Department of Internal Affairs.
The Herald can now reveal an application has been made for the toddler’s birth and a new name.
Ruthless-Empire’s great-aunt, Sarah Reremoana, who effectively raised him for most of his life, told the Herald that the matter had been resolved after speaking with the Department of Internal Affairs.
His name would be registered as Nga Reo Te Huatahi Reremoana Ahipene-Wall. The name was chosen after his great-great-grandfather.
“The whānau feel much better knowing baby has a beautiful name that was accepted to be registered,” Reremoana said.
“Nga Reo will always be remembered as Baby Ru in our hearts.
“We are saddened that following his birth certificate next week his death certificate will arrive too.”
The toddler was most recently living at a home in the Lower Hutt suburb of Taitā with his mother Storm Wall, Rosie Morunga and her partner Dylan Ross.
On Friday, Detective Nick Pritchard fronted media seeking sightings of a car used to take the youngster to hospital.
The car is a silver sedan with the number plate TE6972 and it has been seized and examined by police.
Pritchard said police were continuing to engage with three people of interest, all of whom were in the car at the time it was driven to hospital.
However, the car then returned to the address where Ruthless-Empire lived and items related to the investigation were removed, Pritchard said.
He said they were currently looking for CCTV footage to track the movements of the car and were seeking sightings of it across the Wellington area between the morning of October 22 and the middle of the afternoon on October 24.
Specifically, that’s anywhere between metropolitan Wellington and the Hutt Valley, Pritchard said.
Police were in constant communication with the three people, who were providing varying levels of co-operation.
“I cannot say what their motives are for not giving us the full story,” he said.
“There has been progress, we have been interacting with them and others to build a picture of what happened that morning.”
Pritchard said they were now 20 days into their investigation, and “remain committed to finding justice for Baby Ru”.
“This poor child suffered a violent death.”
Pritchard said all of the injuries Ruthless-Empire suffered 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.
When asked if drugs were found at the address, Pritchard said he could not comment on what was found.
Reremoana told the Herald she watched Pritchard’s press conference on her phone and had watched it about 15 times since.
“Just to be told once there was a blunt force trauma and then now to know that baby had suffered many blows to the head with the examples of being hit into a table or the example of being pushed to the floor. It’s just really hard.
“It’s really disheartening to us as a family.”
She said Wall had told the whānau after the press conference that she wanted to speak to police again.
“[She said] that she is going to make a new statement to New Zealand Police,” Reremoana said.
The family then called a police officer they had been dealing with, who was arranging for police to come to see Wall again “very shortly”.
After hearing mentions of the concealed items, Reremoana recalled officers asking her during her interview about a piece of fabric roughly 30cm long.
“They were just asking whether I knew, say, like a 30cm ruler, a piece of fabric. They wouldn’t describe the fabric but it was a fabric they were interested in.”
Wall earlier claimed in an interview with the Herald that on the evening of October 21, one of the people in the home told her to go to bed and that they would look after Ruthless-Empire.
About 10pm he was put into her bed and Wall said he “looked normal”.
“I just gave him a last hug, just checking he’s all right.”
When she woke the next morning, she said the toddler was “drowsy”.
“I thought he was tired.”
Wall was getting ready to go to visit a cousin when she heard noises in the house. She claimed she was then told Ruthless-Empire was choking.
She said she tried doing first aid, “to see if he could get any form of phlegm or anything out and therefore he was getting his grasp of breath”.
Wall then rushed the boy to the hospital.
Asked whether she had any part in her son’s death, Wall replied: “No, I didn’t.”
“I just want justice for my son ... I want justice for my Ru Ru,” she said.
The Herald earlier revealed that in December 2022, while Wall and Ruthless-Empire were living in Hamilton, the toddler’s uncle, Ngatanahira Reremoana, contacted Oranga Tamariki with concerns about Ruthless-Empire, claiming his nephew did not get the “well-deserved care he needs”.
“I suggest he be uplifted asap.”
An intake social worker from Oranga Tamariki sent a report of concern to the Hamilton office where further assessment would take place.
Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani confirmed the toddler was not in its custody or care.
“However, we are actively working alongside our partner agencies to piece together what, if any, support Baby Ru and his whānau were receiving at the time of his death, and if interventions could have occurred.
“We are in the process of thoroughly reviewing every interaction and decision that was made in relation to Baby Ru and his whānau, with the oversight of our chief social worker Peter Whitcombe. We must protect everyone’s privacy and we are currently not able to go into details.”
Oranga Tamariki was working with police to support their investigation.
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.