Kaydence Mills murder trial: Everything known about alleged Chinchilla murder of North Qld toddler

A regional Queensland couple accused of murdering and torturing a toddler have plead guilty to moving the little girl’s body from a Western Down’s home to the banks of the town’s water supply. Everything heard during the trial here.

In 2020, investigators charged Kaydence Mills’ mother Sinitta Dawita, 32, and de facto stepfather Tane Desatge, 44, with murder, torture, and interfering with a corpse. Pictures: Supplied and News Regional Media

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that the following article contains images of the deceased.

A North Queensland couple accused of murdering and torturing a toddler not long after moving their family to the Western Downs region in late 2016 will stand trial before a judge at the Toowoomba Supreme Court.

The trial began at Toowoomba Supreme Court on Monday, July 22, weeks before the two-year-old girl, Kaydence Mills, should be celebrating her 10th birthday.

The Cairns born child was missing for at least two years before anyone raised the alarm.

More information:
•Kaydence Mills murder trial day one

•Kaydence Mills murder trial day two

•Kaydence Mills murder trial day three

•Kaydence Mills murder trial day four-five

•Kaydence Mills murder trial day six

Kaydence Mills, two, died just months after her family relocated to Chinchilla from the Cassowary Coast Region.

Missing child investigation

The girl was living with her mother Sinitta Dawita, 32, and her partner Tane Desatge, 44, at Chinchilla at the time of her alleged murder in 2017 sometime between February and May.

On July 16, 2024, the pair indicated they will plead guilty to interfering with her body.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges of torture and murder on July 22.

Tane Desatge and Sinitta Mills moved to Chinchilla in 2016.

Kaydence was unknowingly missing for two years before authorities began looking for her.

Homicide detectives cordoned off the child’s Chinchilla home in December 2019, located on the corner of Inverai Rd and Burbank St.
Her remains were located a few months later on the banks of the Condamine River at the dam about 8km outside Chinchilla.

Following the discovery, Dawita and Desatge were charged and arrested - they have been remanded in custody for more than 1000 days.

On December 3, 2019, meters away from the Warrego Highway investigators cordoned off the little girl's Burbank St home where they excavated a shed in the backyard and drained the water tank. Pictures: Peta McEachern

The trial

The judge only trial began before Justice Sean Cooper on July 22, 2024, and is expected to run for three weeks.

Before the trial began Justice Cooper decided on whether or not to grant a request made by Desatge’s legal team opposing a screen to be erected in court preventing the pair from seeing each other.

He dismissed the application and a screen was put up.

During the first days of March 2020, investigators began searching the banks of the Condamine River at the Chinchilla Weir, finding skeletal remains of Kaydence. Picture: Zoe Bell

Earlier in 2024, an application for the pair to be trialed separately was dismissed.

Dawita was represented by Barrister David Jones KC who was instructed by Legal Aid Queensland, and Desatge by Barrister Frank Martin instructed by Skuse Graham Criminal Lawyers.

Kaydence Hazel Mills was laid to rest on Gulngay Country, September 4, 2020.

More than six months after Kaydence’s remains were found in an unmarked grave, the two-year-old was laid to rest in Tully North Queensland on Gulngay Country.