Key Takeaways
- Soul Mathew Turany, a 16‑week‑old infant, suffered fatal head trauma in August 2014 and died the following day at Christchurch Hospital.
- Police concluded that only his mother, Storme Turany, and her then‑boyfriend, Tony Farmer, had opportunity to inflict the injuries.
- Both individuals repeatedly denied responsibility during multiple police interviews; no one has been charged.
- Medical experts described extensive bleeding and hypoxic‑ischemic brain injury, indicating a non‑accidental assault that occurred 6–12 hours before hospitalization.
- The inquest heard distressing emergency‑services calls, highlighted the parents’ struggles with newborn care, and noted the lack of forensic evidence at the tidy rural home.
- Despite over a decade passing, the exact circumstances of Soul’s injuries remain unresolved, and the coroner’s inquest continues to seek answers.
Case Overview and Timeline
Soul Mathew Turany was just 16 weeks old when he suffered a catastrophic assault on 30 August 2014. Emergency services were called after his mother, Storme Turany, her sister Skye Lamborn, neighbour Natasha Brougham, and his mother’s boyfriend, Tony Farmer, all expressed concern about the infant’s breathing and overall health. He was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital, where he was pronounced dead early the next morning. Soul would have turned twelve on the Saturday following the inquest, but his brief life ended amid a cloud of uncertainty that has persisted for more than a decade.
Investigative Focus and Suspects
Detective Superintendent Darryl Sweeney, the officer in charge of the investigation, told the coroner that, based on the established facts, only two individuals could have been responsible: Storme Turany and Tony Farmer. He emphasized that a scene examination had eliminated any third‑party involvement, noting that “during the critical time period, there have been no persons other than Ms Turany and Mr Farmer that had access to Soul.” Consequently, the police maintained an open mind but considered the injury pattern to point squarely at one of these two caregivers.
Mother’s Statements and Claims of Innocence
Throughout three police interviews—including a written statement given at the hospital within hours of Soul’s admission—Storme Turany consistently denied shaking or hurting her son. She admitted to struggling with motherhood and having contemplated ending her relationship with Farmer around the time of Soul’s death, but she maintained her innocence and did not name any other possible perpetrator. Sweeney observed that her complaints of extreme fatigue (“So tired, I think I’ve had at the most two hours’ sleep aye”) were typical of new‑parent stress and did not, in his view, indicate culpability.
Boyfriend’s Statements and Relationship Dynamics
Tony Farmer was interviewed four times—on the day of Soul’s admission, a fortnight later, in November 2014, and again in July 2016—accumulating roughly eight hours of questioning. Like Turany, Farmer repeatedly asserted that he was not involved in the infant’s death and did not suggest anyone else might be responsible. After Soul’s passing, Farmer sent Turany a message professing his love and insisting he would never hurt the child or jeopardize the family they had envisioned together. Their relationship ended shortly after Soul’s death, underscoring the emotional fallout surrounding the tragedy.
Scene Examination and Lack of Forensic Clues
Despite the severity of Soul’s injuries, the home environment offered little forensic insight. Sweeney described the scene as “an unremarkable… very nice, tidy, well‑kept house” with no signs of struggle or third‑party intrusion. He noted that while the living conditions indicated a well‑cared‑for baby who met developmental milestones, the absence of blood spatter, fingerprints, or other trace evidence made it impossible to reconstruct the exact mechanics of the assault from the scene alone.
Medical Evidence: Injuries and Brain Damage
Dr. Ross Keenan, a neuroradiologist at Christchurch Hospital, presented a stark picture of Soul’s condition. A scan taken at approximately 10:20 am revealed blood both atop and beneath the brain, hemorrhaging in one eye, and extensive damage to the outer brain tissue—described as “dead or dying.” Keenan characterized the findings as an “extremely ominous scan” indicating a massive hypoxic‑ischemic insult, i.e., a severe lack of oxygen and blood supply to the brain. He explained that while the brainstem might sustain basic heart and respiratory functions, higher‑order capacities—emotion, attention, executive function, hearing, movement, sensation—would be irrevocably lost.
Expert Opinion on Timing and Nature of the Injury
Based on the imaging, Keenan estimated that the traumatic event occurred between six and twelve hours before the scan. He warned that the injury would likely deteriorate rapidly, leading to brain swelling, herniation (“coning”), and an irreversible downward spiral unresponsive to treatment. Importantly, he stressed that a three‑and‑a‑half‑month‑old infant lacks the mobility to self‑inflict such trauma, reinforcing the conclusion that the injuries were non‑accidental unless proven otherwise.
Emergency‑Services Calls and Family Distress
The inquest played recordings of the frantic calls made to emergency services on the morning of 30 August. Skye Lamborn’s voice, pleading “Come on, baby, come on, come on, come on, come on,” conveyed palpable desperation as Soul’s breathing became gurgly and infrequent. Storme Turany, speaking to Healthline earlier, described the infant’s persistent screaming, a cold, and creamy discharge from his ears. By the time responders arrived at 7:10 am, Soul was barely responsive, underscoring how swiftly his condition had deteriorated. The audio brought Lamborn to tears repeatedly, forcing her to leave the courtroom during the proceedings.
Aftermath: No Charges, Ongoing Inquest
More than ten years later, no charges have been filed against either Turany or Farmer. Superintendent Sweeney outlined that three potential criminal liabilities—murder, manslaughter, and infanticide—were examined, but the evidence did not meet the threshold for prosecution. The couple’s relationship dissolved soon after Soul’s death, with Farmer’s message attempting to reassure Turany of his innocence and affection. Coroner Ian Telford continues to hear testimony, seeking to clarify the unresolved question of how Soul sustained his injuries while confirming that the assault was intentional. The case remains a haunting reminder of the vulnerabilities of infants and the challenges faced when forensic evidence is scarce.