Shattered mum of Tiahleigh Palmer says her pain is still raw four years after the schoolgirl was murdered by her stepfather because his son sexually abused her
- Tiahleigh Palmer was murdered by her foster father Rick Thorburn in 2015
- He killed her after his son Trent confessed to sexually abusing the 12-year-old
- Her mother Cindy said she misses her daughter’s presence every day
The mother of schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer says her grief is still raw four years after she was murdered by her foster father.
Rick Thorburn killed the 12-year-old on October 29, 2015, just hours after his son Trent, who was 18 at the time, confessed to having sex with her, telling his parents he feared she was pregnant.
Members of the family pretended Tiahleigh had run away – until her body was found on the banks of Pimpama River, Queensland, six days later.
The mother (pictured left) of murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer (pictured right) said she still misses her daughter’s presence four years after she was murdered by her foster father
Rick Thorburn killed the 12-year-old between 8pm and 10pm on October 29, just hours after his son Trent (pictured), who was 18 at the time, confessed to having sex with her, telling his parents he feared she was pregnant
On the fourth anniversary of her daughter’s death Cindy Palmer, who also goes by Cyndi Uluave, said she misses her daughter every day.
‘Not only do we miss enjoying all the major milestones of your life – like Christmas and birthdays – but we miss the everyday parts of life that we don’t get to spend with you any more,’ she told the Courier Mail.
‘Your brothers and sister miss you terribly and struggle to understand and cope with why you aren’t here anymore and why you can’t share in their lives.’
She said her daughter would have been proud of how well her older brother is doing – and would be enjoying life as a 16-year-old.
‘Sadly we have to endure these things without you and it never gets easier. We miss your angelic face and contagious smile and still four years on, we cannot come to terms with how those evil people took away your life,’ she said.
Thorburn was sentenced to life behind bars for killing his foster daughter.
Rick Thorburn (pictured) was jailed for life after murdering his foster daughter and pretending she had run away
His son Trent was sentenced to four years jail for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice in September 2017.
He was released in January 2018.
Thorburn’s wife and other son were convicted of perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Six months after Tiahleigh’s death police still had no strong leads in the investigation – until a tip-off call was made to Crime Stoppers, detailing a Facebook message sent from Trent discussing how he had sexually abused Tiahleigh and feared she was pregnant.
Six months after Tiahleigh’s death police still had no strong leads in the investigation – until a tip-off call was made to Crime Stoppers
Ms Palmer said she has faced accusations she was the reason for her daughter’s after the 12-year-old killed by her foster father, Rick Thorburn
The Thorburn’s house was bugged by police, and their callous conversations in covering up the sexual abuse were recorded.
Talking to police, Josh Thorburn said his father told him that Tiahleigh was dead.
Ms Palmer placed Tiahleigh in foster care because she didn’t want her children alone.
Ms Palmer said she has faced accusations she was the reason for her daughter’s after the 12-year-old killed by her foster father, Rick Thorburn.
‘I was suffering through a very severe domestic violence situation,’ Ms Palmer previously told 60 Minutes.
‘So, I actually went to the department for help because I realised that one day I was just going to die and (she) was just going to be left there by (herself).