A suicidal father who strapped his nine-month-old baby to his chest and jumped to both of their deaths had threatened to kill his daughter and her mother in the past.
Henry Shepherdson, 38, frequently posted sappy videos and pictures of Kobi for the world to see on social media, including a final video showing the little girl babbling and laughing as her dad spoke ‘baby talk’ to her.
But the father-of-one from South Australia was privately in and out of the court system, charged with breaching a restraining order and threatening to kill or endanger a life.
On Wednesday, he jumped from the Whispering Well dam in the Barossa Valley of South Australia with Kobi strapped to his body as onlookers watched on in horror.
Police say witnesses did what they could to stop him, and others performed CPR on little Kobi until emergency services arrived about 4.30pm.
She was declared dead about 15 minutes later, while Shepherdson died on impact.
Shepherdson’s social media was littered with references to his daughter, including one post in which he drew attention to National Child Protection Week.
Emergency services worked on the little girl for about 15 minutes before she, too, was declared dead at the scene
Back in November, Shepherdson uploaded a sweet video of Kobi as she babbled and played in her rocker. It was his final post before he died.
Shepherdson spoke baby talk to her as she watched her father, giggling at him as he made noises to get her attention.
An open beer bottle was visible in the corner of the video.
‘I love you Kobi,’ he told her in the footage. ‘Yes I do love you Kobi bear, you little cutie… You are so adorable bubba.’
Despite the outward displays of affection, Shepherdson had a sickening criminal history.
The 38-year-old last appeared in court on March 19 for contravening an intervention order set by the courts.
Three weeks earlier, he was in court again facing several serious offences, including making threats to kill or endanger a life, commit aggravated assault against his own child or spouse and false imprisonment.
He had appeared in court on three other occasions throughout 2020 and 2019 for breaching the intervention order.
Shepherdson was legally entitled to see Kobi, despite earlier suggestions she had been kidnapped
Paramedics were called to the Whispering Wall dam in the Barossa Valley about 4.30pm to respond to a psychiatric incident
Back in November, Shepherdson uploaded a sweet video of Kobi as she babbled and played in her rocker. It was his final post before he died
Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott confirmed on Thursday the matter was being treated as a murder suicide.
Shepherdson was legally entitled to see Kobi, despite earlier suggestions she had been kidnapped and his long list of previous charges relating to family violence.
Mr Parrott admitted there was a lengthy history of domestic violence within the family and that Shepherdson was known to police.
While not at a liberty to discuss the details of the previous offences, he did say they occurred between Shepherdson and Kobi’s mother.
‘We have been involved on some domestic violence incidents in the past and there are court orders in place in relation to the family,’ Mr Parrott said.
‘It’s resulted in this absolutely tragic outcome.’
Despite frequently sharing updates about Kobi, who is named after late basketballer Kobe Bryant, Shepherdson was hesitant to share photos of himself online.
Kobi’s face will be ‘the face of domestic violence moving forward’, Mr Parrot said, urging the public to ‘remember her beautiful face’ through photos that her heartbroken mother has supplied to the police
Kobi (pictured) was killed after her father plunged from the Whispering Wall in South Australia
Kobi’s heartbroken mother shared a selection of adorable pictures of her happy baby with the hope that she will be remembered for how much joy she brought her family.
Mr Parrot said it was likely her smiley face will become ‘the face of domestic violence’ moving forward.
A formal identification process is yet to take place, and the investigation will continue.
Late on Wednesday, a chilling dispatch log uncovered by Daily Mail Australia revealed the chaotic moments that unfolded as ambulances, police crews and rescue teams raced to the tourist spot, where they found stunned tourists watching on in horror.
Mr Parrott said several witnesses had tried to stop him from jumping and talk him off the ledge.
The callout was listed as ‘psychiatric’ on an emergency services scanner; a term used for an incident involving mental illness or a suicide attempt.
Despite the outward displays of affection, Shepherdson had a sickening criminal history
A man and baby girl tragically plunged to their deaths from the ‘Whispering Wall’ dam
The man (not pictured) was already dead when emergency services found him at the bottom of the wall after 4.30pm. Paramedics tried to revive the baby but she also died at the scene
Two minutes later, a call for help was placed to teams from the Playford and Oakden ambulance stations for an ’emergency’ situation that was unfolding.
Things escalated as units arrived at the dam, with the MEDSTAR (Medical Shock Trauma/Acute Resuscitation) helicopter sent at 4.36pm.
Just minutes after that team was called, emergency services sent out its Special Operations Team – a crew of paramedics who specialise in high-risk search and rescue procedures usually involving water and cliff rescues.
One mother, who claims she was at the popular lookout with her children, took to social media to describe the horror she witnessed.
‘So painful having to see what happened with my babies,’ she said.
Local MP Stephan Knoll vowed to investigate the safety of the region if a coronial inquest found it was lacking.
‘It is a very popular tourist attraction and something that young people and kids of generations have been going to visit and not before have we heard or seen of an incident like this,’ he said.
‘But, having said that, if things need to be done to modify the structure, then that’s something we need to look at.’
He also said the incident was awful.
‘It is just heartbreaking… it does hit everybody hard… and we all do need to band together,’ Knoll told ABC Radio Adelaide.
Police said they are not seeking anyone else in relation to the deaths at this stage.
Detectives from Barossa CIB, forensic investigators and the Major Crime Branch remained on the scene on Wednesday evening looking into what caused the tragedy.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing mental health issues contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
DV Crisis Line 1800 800 098
A chilling dispatch log (above) shows how the first team of paramedics from Hamley Bridge station were sent to a suspected psychiatric incident
As more crews arrived the mission changed to a rescue mission and then body retrieval
The Whispering Wall is the retaining wall of the Barossa Reservoir, and in recent years has become a tourist attraction for carrying sound from one side to the other