Coroner announces date, location, to deliver findings in Kumanjayi Walker inquest

The coroner has revealed the time – and place – where she will deliver her findings into the death of Kumanjayi Walker. Find out more.

Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage. Picture: Glenn Campbell

The coroner has announced a time and place to deliver her findings from the inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker.

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage will deliver her findings from the inquest into the 19-year-old’s death on June 10 in Yuendumu.

In a statement from Territory Courts, Ms Armitage said she had accepted an invitation from the Parumpurru Committee of Yuendumu to deliver the findings in the town where Kumanjayi died.

“The Coroners Court has a history of, where possible, conducting inquests, or parts of inquests, in the geographical area where a death has occurred,” the statement said.

Kumanjayi was shot by former NT police Zachary Rolfe in November 2019 during an arrest attempt in Yuendumu.

Former NT Police constable Zach Rolfe leaves the Alice Springs Local Court in May 2024, during the final week of evidence at an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker. Picture: Jason Walls

A 2022 Supreme Court trial acquitted Mr Rolfe.

The inquest into Kumanjayi’s death began in September 2022.

Throughout the course of the inquest, there have been more than 70 hearings, during which the scope of the inquest shifted away from the death of Mr Walker to investigating allegations of systemic racism with the police and other government departments.

Racist awards were put before the court – by Mr Rolfe himself – while former NT Police commissioner Michael Murphy admitted he’d known about them, but did nothing about it.

Ahead of final submissions for the inquest in November last year, 1190 pages of written submissions had been tendered to the courts.

During final submissions, Ian Freckelton SC, representing the NT Police force, labelled Mr Rolfe a “racist”, which his lawyer Luke Officer called an “extrapolation”.

Ms Armitage was invited by the Parumpurru Committee to deliver her findings in Yuendumu during final submissions in Alice Springs in November last year.

Originally published as Coroner announces date, location, to deliver findings in Kumanjayi Walker inquest