Man and baby girl dead in suspected murder-suicide at Whispering Wall in SA

Police are treating the deaths of an Adelaide man and his young daughter as a murder-suicide after they fell from a dam wall at Williamstown, north of the city.

The deaths of a man and his young daughter  in South Australia are being treated as a murder-suicide, police say.

The deaths of a man and his young daughter in South Australia are being treated as a murder-suicide, police say. Source: Supplied by Danyal Syed

Warning: This story contains details that may distress some readers. 

The deaths of a man and his young daughter, who fell from a dam wall in South Australia, are being treated as a murder-suicide, police say.

Henry Shepherdson, 38, was seen by witnesses to jump from the Whispering Wall at Williamstown on Wednesday afternoon while holding nine-month-old Kobi in a child carrier.

They died at the scene.

Police released their names on Thursday and Kobi's mother supplied photos of her daughter.

Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said there was some history of domestic violence in the family, but Mr Shepherdson had lawful access to his daughter.

In a statement, SA Police said early investigations had "shown a history of domestic violence between Henry Shepherdson and the mother of Kobi", adding that "no one else is being sought over the deaths".

"Obviously this is a highly distressing and emotional set of circumstances," Mr Parrott said.
He said the mother was not present at the dam but had called the police emergency line within a short time of witnesses also calling triple zero.

"Clearly, they have had a child together, there was a relationship there but something has happened within that relationship," he said.

"For reasons that I think all of us can't fathom to understand, it's resulted in this tragedy."

Mr Parrott said police are investigating the circumstances of the deaths, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence or sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit . The Men’s Referral Service provides advice for men on domestic violence and can be contacted on 1300 766 491. In an emergency, call 000.

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline crisis support on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25). More information is available at and . supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.


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2 min read
Published 22 April 2021 2:45pm
Updated 22 April 2021 4:43pm
Source: AAP, SBS


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