Police investigating the violent death of toddler Ruthless-Empire have released information about a vehicle they want sightings of in connection to the case. 

The car is a silver sedan with number plates TE6972, and Police said it was the vehicle used to take baby Ru to hospital on the day he died. 

Detective Nick Pritchard fronted media on Friday morning saying 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 baby Ru 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 the car 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 have now seized and examined the vehicle. 

Police investigating the death of BabyRu are seeking sightings of this vehicle on October 22, the day the toddler was taken to Hutt Hospital. Photo / NZ Police 

Pritchard said police are 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. 

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“There has been progress, we have been interacting with them and others to build a picture of what happened that morning.” 

He said police returned to the address in Taita where Baby Ru lived recently to do further testing. 

“To see this level of violence against a young child, it is really hard to fathom,” Pritchard said, noting it’s a difficult case for police staff to work on. 

It is also tough on the wider whanau and police are working to provide support to them as best they can, he said. 

Pritchard said they were now 20 days into their investigation, and “Police 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.” 

Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard says police are seeking sightings of the silver sedan on October 22, the day Baby Ru died. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

Police are also aware of information being posted on social media about the case and are working to analyse it. 

Pritchard would not detail what items had been taken from the scene but said they were crucial to the investigation of the homicide. They had been taken away by a person or persons, he said. 

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 he was frustrated that it has so far taken 20 days to get justice for the whanau of baby Ru, Pritchard said homicide investigations need to be pursued methodically. 

When asked if drugs were found at the address, Pritchard said he couldn’t comment on what items were found. 

On October 22, up to 12 hours after receiving his severe injuries, Ruthless-Empire Souljah Reign Rhind Shephard Wall arrived at Hutt Hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward. 

The toddler was living at a home in the Lower Hutt suburb of Taitā with his mother Storm Wall, Rosie Morunga and her partner Dylan Ross. 

On Tuesday, police could be seen back at the address. A police spokeswoman confirmed staff were present at the address “as part of the ongoing investigation into the death of the toddler, Baby Ru”. 

No arrests have been made to date. 

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. 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.” 

Baby Ruthless-Empire died in hospital on October 22. 

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 little boy to 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. 

Morunga took to Instagram on Wednesday saying she wanted to defend herself and said there would be justice for Ruthless-Empire. 

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 told the Herald that, like for many New Zealanders, Ruthless-Empire’s “needless death” had “been weighing heavily on my mind”. 

“Whenever a child is killed, Oranga Tamariki staff feel it deeply. We are an organisation made up of thousands of social workers whose life focus is to care for tamariki and whānau. 

“Again, I would like to acknowledge the grief Baby Ru’s whānau will be experiencing.” 

Te Kani confirmed the toddler was not in Oranga Tamariki 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.