23 Oct 2024

Baby Ru case: Person of interest says 'sorry I couldn't save you' on anniversary of death

4:20 pm on 23 October 2024
Ruthless-Empire Ahipene-Wall, known as Baby Ru, died just before his second birthday, on 22 October, after being taken to Hutt Hospital in an unresponsive state.

Baby Ru was just shy of his second birthday when he died. Photo: Supplied

  • Person of interest in Baby Ru case says 'I couldn't save you' on anniversary of toddler's death
  • Rosie Morunga says "aunty and uncle will get justice"
  • Still no charges towards any of the three people of interest

One of the people of interest in the Baby Ru case has posted on social media a year after his death saying "sorry I couldn't save you".

Rosie Morunga is one of three people of interest in the homicide investigation, including her partner Dylan Ross, and the child's mother, Storm Wall.

The three were housemates and the only people in the house at the time Baby Ru received a massive blunt force trauma to his head.

'Baby Ru', officially named Nga Reo Te Huatahi Reremoana Ahipene-Wall, died in Hutt Hospital just two days short of his second birthday on 22 October 2023.

On Tuesday evening, Morunga posted on Instagram: "Missed dearly aunty is so sorry boy I couldn't save you. Aunty and uncle will get justice."

She went on to post an image of a baby holding a woman's hand with the caption "one year and it won't get any easier".

The stories were posted just before 10pm and features the song 'Pretty Eyes' by Zehdi in the first story while the second includes 'Ocean' by Martin Garrix.

There are yet to be any charges over the death of the toddler while six full-time investigators remain working on the case.

He suffered violent injuries after his skull was fractured.

Ruthless-Empire Ahipene-Wall, known as Baby Ru, died just before his second birthday, on 22 October, after being taken to Hutt Hospital in an unresponsive state.

Baby Ru died on 22 October 2023. Photo: Supplied

At the time, police said the toddler died from blunt force trauma to the head either from a hard surface or object.

In September, Morunga was sentenced to 18 months in prison on unrelated charges, including theft and assault.

One assault was towards a journalist who was punched multiple times outside court during an earlier appearance.

Weeks after Baby Ru's death, his mother and Morunga both posted on their social media accounts maintaining their innocence.

Wall has since spoken to Stuff repeating that claim and she knows who did it.

Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard talks of Baby Ru killing

Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Meanwhile, police are still on the hunt for a hard drive used to record CCTV footage from the house.

They say vital evidence was removed from the house.

Earlier this week, police told RNZ the three persons of interest had all spoken to police and offered "varying degrees of cooperation".

"Some things that have been said to police are inconsistent in terms of what the police have established in terms of evidence and facts," Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard said.

"So the door is still open. We would like whoever is responsible for this to come forward and tell us exactly what happened."

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.