Townsville boy, 9, allegedly bludgeoned to death by a woman he was living with is identified as more ‘confronting’ details emerge

By ASHLEY NICKEL FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA and AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: 07:42 GMT, 27 January 2025 | Updated: 08:30 GMT, 27 January 2025

A young boy and his alleged killer have been identified.

Thai-li Ned, nine, was found dead inside a home in the Townsville suburb of Kirwan, about 7.10pm on Saturday after suffering a ‘significant head injury’. 

A 24-year-old woman, Schynada Karkadoo, was charged over the boy’s alleged murder and had a ‘loose’ family connection with him, according to police.

Thai-Li was living with Karkadoo and her three children in the months prior to his death as his mother, Tiarne Ned, is in custody.

It’s understood investigators suspect a wooden plank was allegedly used to kill Thai-li up to eight hours before his body was discovered. 

Queensland Police Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles described the crime scene as ‘confronting’.

‘The injury is consistent with what I would say at this stage appears to be blunt force trauma,’ he told reporters on Monday.

‘We will await the outcome of the autopsy before we make an absolute determination what weapon may have been used.’

Nine-year-old Thai-li Ned (pictured) was found dead in a Townsville home on Saturday night

Schynada Karkadoo (pictured) has been charged over the boy’s death

‘We believe the child may have sustained the injury within eight hours, as to what point the child was deceased will be a matter for the autopsy.’

‘We do have information as to what may have transpired, but we will await a definite outcome from the autopsy before we will commit as to exactly what that was.’ 

Detective Miles alleged other children were at home at the time.

‘Anything involving a traumatic injury and the death of a child, which in circumstances like this occurs, is quite abhorrent,’ he said.

‘No child should be subjected to anything that obviously leads to this sort of outcome for them.’

Police attended the Kirwan home on Saturday night following a welfare check request.

Officers alleged that a relative in Doomadgee, in Queensland’s north-west went to their local police station after receiving a concerning phone call from Karkadoo.

‘The call came from another relative, whom the 24-year-old had had a conversation with, who alerted police,’ Detective Miles said.

Police allege Thai-li (pictured right with his mother, Tiarne Ned) was killed with a wooden plank but are awaiting further details from his autopsy

The Kirwan home (pictured) is expected to remain an active crime scene until Thai-li’s autopsy is complete

Karkadoo’s case was briefly mentioned in Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday.

A brief of evidence was ordered.

The Kirwan home is expected to remain a crime scene until an autopsy is complete later this week. 

Police had previously visited the home several times for unrelated matters.

Officers also had minor interactions with nine-year-old Thai-li. 

‘We had had very brief interactions with this young person, but obviously being nine years of age, (he) hadn’t come to our attention for any offending behaviour or anything like that,’ Detective Miles said.

Several stuffed animals and notes (pictured) have been left outside the crime scene in tribute to the ‘polite and humble’ nine-year-old

Stuffed animals and sentimental notes have been left at the crime scene in memory of the young boy. 

‘You (were) so polite and humble,’ one online tribute read.

Another said: ‘Fly high. You will be sadly missed by us all here in Mount Isa.’

Karkadoo was remanded in custody and her case was adjourned until April 23.

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Townsville boy, 9, allegedly bludgeoned to death by a woman he was living with is identified as more ‘confronting’ details emerge

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