Baby Ru death: Police recover ‘critical evidence’ from rural Wellington in homicide investigation

Baby Ru died in hospital from his injuries in October 2023.

Police have recovered “critical evidence” in the Baby Ru homicide investigation from a semi-rural area north of Wellington.

In a statement, police said they conducted a targeted search in a concentrated area along Moonshine Rd, off State Highway 58.

This is 20 minutes by car from the Taita home where Ru lived and received the injuries that caused his death.

“Items of property highly relevant to the homicide investigation were located during the search and are undergoing forensic examination,” police said in a release.

“This was information that wasn’t available when Ru died. Part of that work included searching for items that have been deliberately concealed.”

Police wouldn’t say what the new information was, but confirmed it did not come from the public.

Detective Inspector Pritchard said police hope the latest development jogs people’s memory, especially those on Moonshine Rd.

“Our message to them is please contact us if you saw something out of place on October 22 last year.”

Police are also appealing for sightings of the vehicle that carried away items from the crime scene, a grey-green 1994 Nissan Sentra, registration TE6972.

The items police have been seeking included a duvet cover, strap, hard drive used to record CCTV footage at the house, and power back-up unit. It was not known at the time whether these items had been destroyed or hidden.

In February, Pritchard said police believed they knew who cleaned up the crime scene.

However, they did not have enough evidence to charge anyone.

Baby Ru's family visit his grave daily after he died at Hutt Hospital’s emergency department on October 22, last year. Photo / Ngatanahira Reremoana

Wellington police still have six full-time investigators working on the case and insist they are zeroing in on the person – or persons – responsible.

Ruthless-Empire Souljah Reign Rhind Shephard Wall – since officially named Nga Reo Te Huatahi Reremoana Ahipene-Wall – died shortly after arriving at Hutt Hospital’s emergency department on October 22, last year.

“Baby Ru” was two days short of his second birthday.

Rosie Morunga and her partner Dylan Ross were at the house with Ru’s mother at the time of the incident which claimed the little boy’s life.

According to police, they remain the only “persons of interest” in the case.

Morunga posted on her Instagram story on Tuesday with the caption, “Missed dearly aunty is so sorry boy I couldn’t save you. Aunty and uncle will get justice.”

In another post, she wrote, “One year and it won’t get any easier”, against an image of a baby holding a woman’s hand.

This week, the toddler’s mother Storm Wall also told Three News she wasn’t involved in her child’s death and wanted whoever was responsible for killing Ru to “tell the truth”.

“He was only 1, turning 2. Three more days. Justice is all we need.”

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