Why murdered Mason Parker’s mum agreed to marry his killer

MOTHER who agreed to marry her baby’s murderer reveals what she was thinking. WARNING: Confronting content.

Warning: Confronting content

THE Queensland mother who agreed to marry her baby’s murderer within days of his death insists she did the best she could, and “didn’t contemplate” her partner could have been responsible.

Cindy Sandeman told Nine’s 60 Minutes she was a “good mother” and that she’d been portrayed “nothing like I am” as she spoke publicly for the first time since 16-month-old Mason Parker was murdered in 2011.

Mason had a 17cm fracture to his skull, numerous internal injuries including a ruptured bowel, and was covered with bruises. When paramedics presented at the Townsville home he was already dead.

Detective Sergeant Ben Hunter, who investigated the case, said there was never any doubt Mason had been murdered.

The injuries had been obtained when Mason was in the sole care of his mother’s boyfriend Troy Reed, and they weren’t the first.

Mason was murdered by his mum’s boyfriend.

Mason John Parker.

The toddler had been showing up to both the childcare centres he attended with severe bruises over his body, and both had been documenting his injuries.

When Ms Sandeman was notified of her son’s bruises, she accepted Reed’s explanation that her son had fallen from a high chair on to a pop-up toy.

Even after Mason’s death, Ms Sandeman refused to believe her partner could have been involved, even thought police only thought two people could have been responsible, Reed and Ms Sandeman herself.

“It didn’t make sense,” she said.

“You don’t sit there and think, this man that says he loves me is here and doing all these things, and has kids of his own, you just don’t think that.

“That’s where my head was at, absolutely. There was another explanation, another answer. It just didn’t come into my head at all.”

Troy Reed demonstrated to police his version of how Mason obtained injuries, but was unable to explain how he died. Picture: Channel 9

Mason’s mother’s was alerted to her son’s severe bruising in the months and weeks before his death. Picture: Channel 9

Following Mason’s brutal murder Ms Sandeman accepted her boyfriend’s explanation and his marriage proposal.

She now sees the flattering request that came three days after Mason’s death, between police interviews, wasn’t about a wedding and getting married at all.

“It was about him making sure I was there with him staying by his side, not talking to police. Things like that,” she said.

The wedding never went ahead.

Reed was convicted of Mason’s murder and is five years into a fifteen-year sentence.

Mason's grandparents Sue and John Sandeman have pledged to fight for abused children in Mason’s name, and say he’s already saved lives. Picture: Channel 9

There has been one positive to come out of the horrific tragedy, but Ms Sandeman has nothing to do with it.

Since the 2011 tragedy her parents, Sue and John Sandeman, who have since disowned their daughter, have devoted their lives to making sure what happened to Mason is never repeated.

Their fight has led to the introduction of Mason’s Law, which enforces mandatory reporting of injuries by childcare centres. It comes into effect in July.

The devastated grandparents say Mason’s safety was the responsibility of his mother — his sole career.

“That’s the bottom line,” Mrs Sandeman said.

But they also said they believe if both childcare centres who had noticed Mason’s injuries had reported them to authorities, their grandson would still be alive.

Mrs Sandeman recalled the last time she saw baby Mason, and the disturbingly prescient last thing she said to him.

“I said to myself ... am I sending you to your death?” she shared through tears.

But instead of living with regret Mrs Sandeman and her husband have pledged to continue fighting, first with the expansion of Mason’s law into Western Australia and Victoria, the two remaining Australian states without mandatory reporting from childcare centres.

“There’ll always be something we can do to help little kids with their future,” Mr Sandeman said.

While her parents continue their fight in her son’s name, 60 Minutes says Ms Sandeman has put her son’s murder “firmly behind her”, and is focusing on raising the two children she’s since had with her new partner.

“I’m a good person and honest, and most importantly a good mum,” she said.