Man charged with murder over death of toddler at Burpengary

A 33-year-old man has been charged with murder following investigations into the death of a toddler north of Brisbane.

Police are investigating the murder of a child in Burpengary last month.

A man has been charged with murder following investigations into the death of a toddler north of Brisbane.

The 33-year-old was on Wednesday evening charged with murder over the death of 16-month-old Jaylen at his home in Staaten St at Burpengary, north of Brisbane, on December 30.

He is due to face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday morning.

In a post for an online fundraiser, a friend of Jaylen’s family said the 16-month-old slipped and fell in an accident at his Staaten St home.

“He had an accident on December 30th 2021,” the GoFundMe page said.

“He had heard his dad’s voice from the room and came running to see him and have a cuddle but unfortunately, he slipped on the floor in the hallway and fell.

“He was taken to the hospital and placed in ICU for nine days, where he passed due to the doctor’s being unable to save him, as the extension (sic- extent) of the damage was too severe.”

Savannah-Rose Wilson with son Jaylen who died on January 8.

A homicide investigation has been launched into Jaylen’s death.

Jaylen’s injuries were too much for his little body, and the youngster died at the Queensland Children’s Hospital on January 8.

Police are considering the circumstances of the boy’s death, and on Wednesday, Queensland Police Detective Senior Sergeant Joe Zitny, Officer in Charge of Pine Rivers Child Protection Investigation Unit, announced a homicide investigation had been launched.

Sen Sgt Zitny revealed the boy’s mother, Savannah-Rose Wilson, was at the home with her partner when paramedics were called about 2:40pm on December 30.

It’s understood one of the pair called triple-0.

Police at the scene. Photo Steve Pohlner

Sen Sgt Zitny said the child’s cause of death was yet to be determined, however there were “some indications that have assisted police inquiries,” following a post-mortem on the boy’s body.

When asked why police were investigating Jaylen’s death as suspicious, Sen Sgt Zitny said he was limited on what he could reveal.

“I’m limited in what I can say in relation to that, however what I can say is what we do know has led us to form that belief,” he said.

The woman who organised the fundraiser to cover Jaylen’s funeral expenses said she had only met the tot days before he was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

She said he was “a beautiful baby.”

Police at the scene in Burpengary. Photo Steve Pohlner

“Was no trouble at all, (he) came to me almost immediately. A lovely boy … I had carried him around the house.”

Ms Wilson had previously posted many photos online of her boy, including one image of the youngster strapped into a car seat capsule.

The caption on the photo said: “Big day running around with the older kids, think(s) he’s a big boy too, not napping today.”

“Growing up so fast now, even at kindy where he got the bruises,” the post continued.

Savannah-Rose Wilson’s Instagram image referencing bruises from kindy of her son Jaylen.

died at the Queensland Children’s Hospital on January 8.

One Staaten St resident, who asked not to be identified, said the child’s death was a tragedy.

As a mother, the woman said the news of the child’s death “hits really hard.”

“It actually hits really hard to hear that a little child’s life has been lost,” the woman said.

“It is really sad this has happened and I don’t wish anyone to go through it, or anyone to go through it, and it is really sad a child’s life has been lost.”

The woman said she’d returned home from a family day out to find the ambulance parked across the driveway of the Staaten St house on December 30.

“I didn’t see anything, I saw the ambulance that was there but nothing else,” she said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Joe Zitny. Photo Steve Pohlner

Ms Wilson and her partner have been assisting police, as well as some others who were within the house at the time the triple-0 call was made.

Earlier on Wednesday Sen Sgt Zitny said no one was a suspect in relation to the boy’s death.

“At this stage we’re still sifting through all the information and I’m not in a position to nominate anybody as a suspect,” he said.

“We’ve obtained versions from the people that were within the house and we’ve scrutinised those versions as well, and we feel we need to seek additional information from people who can further our inquiry.”

Sen Sgt Zitny urged anyone with information to come forward.

“The purpose of today is more-so about a focus on appealing to members of the community and members of the public who are in a position that know some information that may be provided to the police to assist us with the investigation in establishing the facts that led to this young child’s demise,” he said.

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