Murder trial of Zachary Rolfe over Yuendumu shooting death of Indigenous man Kumanjayi Walker begins today

One of the most significant trials in the Territory’s history will start on Monday behind closed doors in Darwin, the trial of Zachary Rolfe over the death of Kumanjayi Walker.

NT police officer Zachary Rolfe’s murder trial will begin Monday.

ONE of the most significant trials in the Territory’s history will start on Monday behind closed doors in Darwin.

A judge will begin hearing legal arguments before a jury is brought in to decide if NT police officer Zachary Rolfe murdered 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker during a botched arrest in 2019.

Rolfe was charged after the teen was fatally shot three times, which followed an earlier attempt to arrest Walker.

The incident took place in the outback community of Yuendumu, about 300km northwest Alice Springs, and for the community of 900, this trial will be watched closely.

Jimmy Langdon, a Yuendumu leader and chairman of the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation, told The Australian his community wanted justice.

“We put our trust in the justice system,” he said.

“We want justice to be delivered. If it is not delivered, we will feel upset and angry – not only in Yuendumu but also in a lot of other places too.

“It’s going to be a huge shame job for all of Australia … people will linger on it.”

Rolfe, who is the son of well-known Canberra businesspeople and philanthropists Debbie and Richard Rolfe, faces a mandatory life sentence if found guilty of murder.

Walker was 19 when he died and had breached bail to attend a relative’s funeral in his hometown. There was no medical staff in the community when Walker was shot because nurses had fled the town following a series of break-ins.

Almost $380,000 has been donated to an online fundraiser in Walker’s name, with more than 7600 donors having made a contribution.

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However, some family members have raised concerns around the initiative and how the money will be spent.

Alice Springs deputy mayor and CLP Senate Candidate Jacinta Price is related to Walker on her mother’s side. Ms Price told The Australian the family had been forgotten about by members of the public engaging with the death.

“The whole issue has been hijacked by activists, and the actual family has not been respected,” she said. “The activists are encouraging division because they want to control the narrative … there’s more concern about who gets the media kudos than there is about the actual issue.”

Speaking outside court last month, NT Police Association president Paul McCue said the union continued to support all the officers involved in the upcoming trial.

Rolfe arrived in Darwin from Canberra – where he was on bail – ahead of the trial. According to comments made in the Supreme Court earlier this month, key lawyers set to prosecute the case against Rolfe were currently locked down in Sydney, which could potentially cause delays for the trial.