Coroner says Rick Thorburn deliberately killed Brisbane schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer

A Queensland coroner has found that Tiahleigh Palmer was most likely choked or smothered to death, rejecting the courtroom confession of her killer foster father that it was an accident.

A coroner says she does not believe child murderer Rick Thorburn’s claims he killed 12-year-old Tiahleigh Palmer by accident — finding he most likely choked or smothered her.

A two-day coronial inquest into the murder of Tiahleigh took place earlier this month, with foster carer Rick claiming he killed her by accident when he grabbed her as she tried to run away.

Tiahleigh was reported missing on October 30, 2015, from the Chambers Flat home where she’d been living with foster carers Rick and Julene Thorburn and their sons Joshua and Trent.

Coroner Jane Bentley said Tiahleigh Palmer was a gentle, popular young girl despite the hardships she had endured.

Rick told police he’d dropped 12-year-old Tiahleigh off at the school gate on the morning of October 30 but later discovered she had not arrived for class.

Her naked body was found on November 5 on the banks of the Pimpama River by a trio of fishermen, although a cause of death could not be determined because she was so badly decomposed.

Rick later pleaded guilty to her murder, with the court hearing he killed her on the night of October 29 after learning she had been sexually abused by his son Trent.

Trent had confessed to his mother that he’d had sex with the schoolgirl and Tiahleigh was now worried she might be pregnant.

Earlier court hearings were told Rick killed Tiahleigh so that his son would not go to jail.

But Rick, who claims he now suffers from memory loss, said he killed her by accident after an argument they’d had over Tiahleigh going to bed.

The inquest was held to investigate what Rick took with him when he killed her, how he disposed of her body and what happened in the hours and moments before her death.

Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley said Tiahleigh was a “kind and gentle” girl despite suffering many adversities in her short life.

“She loved hip hop dancing, cheerleading, animals and horse riding,” she said.

“She was described as a delightful girl and a child people fell in love with by those who knew her.

Rick Thorburn gave evidence at the inquest that he had accidentally suffocated his foster daughter. File picture

“Despite being subjected to neglect, abuse, abandonment and adversity, Tiahleigh remained a kind and gentle girl.

“She had many friends at high school. She was not streetwise but immature and naive for her age.”

Ms Bentley said that although a cause of death could not be determined, it was most likely Tiahleigh was choked or suffocated.

“At about 5.15pm on the 5th of November 2015, three men looking for a fishing spot found Tiahleigh’s naked and decomposed body on the water’s edge of the Pimpama River,” she said.

“At this inquest (Rick Thorburn) gave evidence that he accidentally killed Tiahleigh,” she said.

“I reject his account.

“I find that Richard Thorburn deliberately killed Tiahleigh.”