‘Narrative of suicide’: Qld mother issues plea following the ‘illogical’ death of teen son

A Queensland mother has issued a plea for the Coroner to release information into the “illogical” death of her son, which was deemed non-suspicious, as traces of different DNA were found at the scene. WARNING: Confronting

A Queensland mother has issued a fresh plea for the Central Coroner to release information into the “illogical” death of her son Samuel Palm after the lab that declared DNA found on the trigger of a gun from the scene “insufficient to identify” became the centre of a state inquiry.

The 19-year-old’s body was found on the top step of the cattle property Tooloombah Station, near Rockhampton, a rifle between his legs, in January of 2019.

According to the autopsy, the farmhand had sustained “obvious nonsurvivable head injuries”, a gunshot wound to the head.

The forensic team also examined multiple pieces of Samuel’s brain and skull as well as “two irregular shaped pieces of scalp tissue”.

But mother Jacqueline McCamley believes the “narrative of suicide” was set “unreasonably soon”, almost immediately after Samuel’s body was found by his boss.

Samuel Eamon Palm's last Christmas with mum Jacqueline McCamley and grandfather Sir Graham McCamley on December 25, 2018. Photo – Supplied.

“One of Sam’s best mates was told that Sam was his usual cheerful self, ‘happy as Larry’, chatting away at the Marlborough Pub on the evening of January 12 approximately 1 to 2 hours before Sam was dead, and they, like us, cannot believe Sam ended his own life,” she said.

Ms McCamley said as far as local police and the central coroner are concerned, the investigation into Samuel’s death is “closed”.

But when Queensland Health and Forensic Scientific Services lab scientist Angelina Keller tested the trigger of the black Remington firearm, she found Samuel’s DNA along with the “possible presence of additional low level DNA below the reportable threshold of Forensic DNA analysis”.

Keller’s lab is now at the centre of a state inquiry, led by former President of the Court of Appeal, retired judge Mr Walter Sofronoff KC.

Samuel Eamon Palm in happier times. Photo – Supplied.

“The coroner stated in his findings that someone else’s DNA was on the trigger of Sam’s rifle, but insufficient to identify. I had accepted that statement in good faith, so it has been dreadfully distressing to find out this year of the forensic lab’s negligence,” Ms McCamley said.

“Completely separate to grief, on top of grief, is a different level of trauma resulting from the ongoing limbo, frustration and sense of helplessness because of the coroner ignoring me.

“Sam deserves for it to be known what happened to him, and we need closure.”

Queensland Police Service forensic scientist Jane Churchill said in her statement of witness report that based on the technique used “characteristic gunshot residue particles were detected on the stubs used to sample the hands of Samuel Palm”.

“However due to there being other unknown sources of these elements, I was unable to unequivocally assign them as being of gunshot residue (GSR) origin,” she wrote.

Samuel Eamon Palm on his way to the family holiday home on Curtis Island in a light aircraft. Photo – Supplied.

Samuel’s father, Andrew Palm said “within hours police had knocked on his mothers’ door and advised her that Sam had taken his own life”.

“This hasty opinion from the QPS paved the way for the bare minimum of investigation to take place, essentially a line was ruled and the scene of his passing was not treated as a potential crime scene or his death ever considered suspicious,” he said.

“As such, the treatment of physical evidence, including DNA samples was treated as a box ticking exercise with no regard to expanding on any possible scenarios.”

Ms McCamley has written several letters to the Central Coroner since 2019 and started a Change.org petition to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk requesting that the “balance of information” regarding her son’s death be released.

“I have patiently awaited an independent ballistics report, which cannot be formalised in writing until necessary information is released.”

Samuel Eamon Palm on Tooloombah Station, near Rockhampton, where his body was found on January 13, 2019. Photo – Supplied.

A Coroners Court of Queensland spokesman said the death of Samuel Palm was reported to the Central Coroner in January 2019.

“The family provided the Central Coroner with lengthy concerns and information regarding his death,” he said.

“These concerns were considered and various inquiries made, before the coroner concluded the investigation by the issuing of coronial chamber findings in March 2020.”