Oranga Tamariki caregiver received death threats, labelled 'murderer' after toddler's mystery death

This year Deajay Parkinson-Batt should have been preparing to celebrate his first day of school. But two years since the toddler was rushed unresponsive to hospital and life support switched off, his death in state care remains a mystery. Now in an exclusive interview, the little boy's Oranga Tamariki caregiver says her family loved Deajay and are not responsible for his death. Lane Nichols reports.

What killed little Deajay?

After an intensive months-long police investigation, numerous witness interviews, forensic testing, a detailed pathology report and coronial inquiry, no one knows how the little boy died.

Officially, the cause of Deajay's death on June 2, 2020 is listed as "unascertained".

However a just-released coroner's report, obtained by the Herald, reveals new details about Deajay's final hours and police efforts to solve the mystery of his death.

And now, the woman who was made responsible for Deajay's care says her family were forced to move house after receiving death threats in the weeks after her "baby son" passed away.

"People were calling us murderers," Oranga Tamariki caregiver Donna Hapeta told the Herald.

Hapeta, 43, says she is "broken" and still grieving for the cheeky and fun-loving little boy who changed her life. She is also adamant that no one harmed Deajay and wants the world to know how much she loved him.

"We'd never do anything to hurt him. He was my baby and he always will be. To me, he was my son too."

A finding by Coroner Peter Ryan shows there were "a number of family members" at Hapeta's Palmerston North house the day Deajay lost consciousness, and a suggestion the 2-year-old boy "may have drunk alcohol from a cup".

Deajay Parkinson-Batt was just 2 years old when he died at Palmerston North Hospital in June 2020. Photo / Supplied

Police told the coroner it was difficult to determine precisely people's movements "as the statements provided by those family members have some significant variances", though this was attributed to the family's grief affecting their recall.

There were also traces of alcohol detected in Deajay's tiny body, as well as isopropanol in his urine, blood, organs and stomach - a chemical compound and secondary alcohol commonly found in disinfecting pads and hand sanitisers.

Despite these revelations, police told the coroner they were satisfied the death was not attributable to the "actions or inactions of any person".

No one was charged and the coroner says Deajay's death appears to be "due to a naturally occurring event".

Deajay's short life

Deajay, who loved cars, trains and dinosaurs, was born at just 30 weeks gestation in October 2017 to parents Talia Parkinson and Dion Batt.

He was taken into Oranga Tamariki custody in June 2018 and placed in the care of Hapeta; who is also a church volunteer.

Dion Batt and Talia Parkinson with their son Deajay Parkinson-Batt, who died in Oranga Tamariki care in Palmerston North in June 2020. Photo / Supplied

Two years later, on June 1, 2020, Hapeta put Deajay to sleep in a bunk bed before visiting family, leaving the toddler in the care of her husband and daughter, the coroner's finding says.

Later, she received a phone call saying, "Deajay may have drunk some alcohol from a cup".

Hapeta returned home to check on Deajay, who was pale and could not be roused from sleep.

She rushed him to Palmerston North Hospital's emergency department, arriving at 8.20pm. Both the receptionist and triage nurse thought Deajay was dead. But a medical team recovered a pulse after "extensive resuscitation" efforts including doses of adrenalin.

A CT scan revealed he had suffered severe global cerebral ischaemia - when blood flow to the brain is stopped or reduced, usually triggered by cardiac arrest.

Doctors advised that Deajay's prognosis was "very grave".

Deajay Parkinson-Batt died at Palmerston North Hospital on June 2, 2020 after life support was switched off. Photo / Mark Mitchell

They considered transferring Deajay to Starship children's hospital but decided not to because it "would not change his prognosis", instead making him comfortable until whānau gathered at his side.

Parkinson and Batt received a text that night saying Deajay was fighting for his life. They rushed to be with their son and, after initially being turned away at reception, were eventually let up to ICU.

"He was in bed on life support. No one would say anything. I told everyone to just pray," Parkinson told the Herald two weeks after losing Deajay.

"After a couple of minutes the doctor said, 'He has a severe brain injury', then, 'He's not there anymore'. After that I just started crying.

"We just said our last words and he smiled at both of us. His eyes went all watery and I know he was crying."

Deajay was declared brain dead and life support turned off about 2am.

Dion Batt and Talia Parkinson are desperate for answers about the death of their son Deajay while in state care. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The coroner's finding notes that a report by the pathologist who performed a post-mortem found the cause of death could not be ascertained.

While it found swelling on the brain, there was no evidence of injury that could have caused the swelling.

Blood and toxicology tests recorded traces of alcohol and caffeine, but experts said this could be due to "means other than deliberate ingestion".

The source of the isopropanol was unknown, but there was no evidence to suggest it had been ingested and could be due to contamination during a medical procedure, or the natural "decompositional process" of the body.

The coroner ruled that Deajay had stopped breathing, resulting in severe global cerebral ischaemia, "but the cause of this cannot be identified".

"Police are satisfied that Deajay's death was not directly due to the actions of any other person. I accept the conclusion of police in this regard," Coroner Ryan said.

"It appears that the death was due to a naturally occurring event, but there is no evidence to identify exactly what caused his death."

Deajay Parkinson-Batt, 2, is interred at a Gladstone cemetery and his grave covered with his favourite toys. Photo / Supplied

'He just wouldn't wake up'

Hapeta told the Herald losing Deajay had been devastating.

She remembers trying to rouse him from his sleep but "he just wouldn't wake up".

Hapeta drove to the hospital with her hazard lights on in a state of shock and fear, "praying the whole way".

She said hospital staff would not let her see Deajay for several hours while he fought for his life in ICU. Hapeta's mother begged staff to let her in, saying Deajay might respond to the sound of Hapeta's voice.

She was eventually allowed in and remained at his bedside as life support was switched off, even accompanying Deajay to the hospital morgue.

She had wanted to bury him at a local cemetery near his family, but the birth parents instead interred him 100km away in Wairarapa.

Hapeta said she made the three-hour return trip every week to visit Deajay and tend to his grave, which is covered with his favourite toys.

Not knowing how he died made it hard to move on. Police told the family to consider it a "tragic loss similar to cot death".

"I can't really explain it. It's just sad we don't know what happened. We want answers so he can be put to rest."

Oranga Tamariki caregiver Donna Hapeta says she is "broken" since the death of Deajay Parkinson-Batt who was in her care. Photo / Supplied

Hapeta said relatives visited the house the day Deajay died. Someone thought Deajay had drunk alcohol from a McDonald's cup in the fridge containing the RTD Purple Goanana. However, Hapeta said he only consumed water.

After Batt's family took Deajay's body from the morgue, police accompanied Hapeta to the funeral home to retrieve his body so she could prepare Deajay for burial.

However police left empty handed after realising the birth parents had legal ownership of his body - even if Deajay had been in state care.

"The police were there to help on our behalf," Hapeta claimed, "because they believed Deajay should have been with me and our family."

She said she was stripped of her rights when Deajay passed away and offered little support by Oranga Tamariki.

Though Deajay's death had caused division in the family, Hapeta said she had reconciled with Parkinson, who was "hurting" just like she was.

Hapeta said she still cried randomly at "little memories" and missed her amazing little boy.

'Pain and sadness'

The Herald put numerous questions to both police and Oranga Tamariki about the coroner's finding, most of which went unanswered.

Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive Dee McManus-Emery said the death of any child was utterly distressing.

The agency acknowledged the pain and sadness of those who knew and loved Deajay.

"As the coroner details, the cause of Deajay's death cannot be identified.

"While it is understandably upsetting for loved ones to be unable to ascertain the cause of Deajay's death, Oranga Tamariki respects the coroner's decision."

McManus-Emery refused to comment on suggestions Deajay had drunk alcohol from a cup or say what internal investigations had been carried out into his care arrangements and subsequent death.

Detective Inspector Craig Sheridan says police extend their deepest sympathies to Deajay's whānau. Photo / NZME

Manawatu police Detective Inspector Craig Sheridan said police extended their deepest sympathies to Deajay's whānau.

Police had worked closely with the whānau since Deajay's death and were grateful for their assistance.

"The thorough police investigation did not determine any evidence of criminality involved in Deajay's death. The police file, in its entirety, was provided to the coroner.

"As confirmed by the coroner, the post mortem and subsequent testing concluded that the cause of Deajay's death was unascertained."

Parkinson, 25, and Batt, 26, could not be reached, but earlier said they remained distraught about their son's death and desperate for answers.