WARNING: Some readers may find the following content distressing
A man and his nine-month-old baby girl, who died in what police have described as a “tragic” murder-suicide in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, have been identified.
Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said that while formal identification had not yet been completed, police believe the man to be Henry Shepherdson, 38, and his daughter Kobi from Adelaide’s western suburbs.
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Emergency services were called to the Whispering Wall on Wednesday afternoon after witnesses reported seeing a man who had an infant in a child carrier attached to him, fall from the wall, police said.
The man was found dead when police arrived, while witnesses and paramedics were unable to save the baby girl.
Parrott said the families of both of the deceased had asked for their privacy to be respected at this sad and tragic time.
SA Police on Thursday shared four photos of Kobi, on behalf of her mother.
“Kobi’s mother has been brave enough and strong enough to provide photographs of her beautiful young daughter,” Parrott said.
“There hasn’t been anything passed onto me about how she would like Kobi to be remembered but I think when people see the photographs that her mum has supplied, that tells the story.”
Parrott said early investigations had shown a history of domestic violence between Henry and Kobi’s mother.
“We have been speaking with the mother of Kobi in relation to this matter, and no one else is being sought in relation to these deaths,” he added.
“Obviously this is a highly distressing and emotional set of circumstances, not only for the family and friends of Kobi and also Henry … but for the people who were witnesses and tried to assist Kobi at the scene.”
SA Police are preparing a report for the State Coroner.
The Whispering Wall is the retaining wall of the Barossa Reservoir, with the 36m high structure built between 1899 and 1903.
The popular tourist attraction was bestowed its name as words whispered on one side can be clearly heard at the other, more than 100m away.
Local detectives and forensic crime scene investigators returned to the scene on Thursday to continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The dam will be closed to the public as police continue their investigation.
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