Death of Tiahleigh Palmer

Palmer's friends and family carry her coffin at her funeral. Her alleged killer, Rick Thorburn, is the second pallbearer from the left.
Date	Last reported seen 30 October 2015 Remains found 5 November 2015 Remains identified 6 November 2015
Location	Logan, Queensland, Australia

Tiahleigh Palmer
Palmer in her school uniform
Born	Tiahleigh Alyssa Rose Palmer 2002 or 2003
Disappeared	30 October 2015 Marsden - Waterford West Logan
Died	30 October – 5 November 2015 (aged 12)
Body discovered	Kerkin Road North Pimpama River

Tiahleigh Alyssa Rose Palmer (sometimes known as Tia or Tiah) was an Australian girl who lived in Logan City, Queensland,^[1] She disappeared on 30 October 2015, her remains were found six days later and her foster father, Rick Thorburn, was charged on 20 September 2016 with her murder.

Palmer's foster father says he drove her to Marsden State High School on 30 October 2015, dropping her off at about 8:10am.^[2] She did not attend any classes and was not seen for the rest of the day. On 5 November, police released photos and appealed to the public for information on Palmer's whereabouts in a press conference.^[3] Later that day, the remains of a female aged 12–18 were found on the bank of the Pimpama River and, on 6 November, they were officially identified as Palmer's. Police then began a search for Palmer's backpack and school uniform.^[4] On 7 November, a vigil was held in Logan for Palmer and, on 14 November, her funeral was held and attended by more than 600 people.^[5][6]

On 4 December 2015, a shoe believed to be Palmer's was found near where her body was discovered.^[7] Police conducted many interviews, searched the area around the Pimpama River and forensically examined a number of houses and vehicles. The investigation failed to find her missing backpack and school uniform.^[8][9]

Palmer's foster father, Rick Thorburn, was a person of interest to police from the earliest days of the investigation. The Thorburns fostered no more children after Palmer's disappearance, but continued to run a daycare service from their home until April 2016 when the state's education and child safety departments were advised by police that Rick Thorburn was facing nine serious charges unrelated to Palmer, and the family's daycare approval was revoked and their foster care approval was suspended.^[10]

In September 2016 a car formerly owned by Rick Thorburn was seized by police for forensic examination, and on 20 September 2016, Palmer's foster parents and their two sons were taken into police custody for questioning. Rick Thorburn was charged with her murder and with interfering with a corpse. He collapsed shortly after his arrest and was subsequently placed in an induced coma for several days, missing a scheduled court appearance the next day. Police are looking into whether he took pills just before or after his arrest, in a suicide attempt.^[11] Palmer's 19-year-old foster brother, Trent, was charged with two counts of perjury and one count each of attempting to pervert the course of justice and incest, and was denied bail.^[12][13] Palmer's foster mother, Julene, and older foster brother, Joshua, were both charged with perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice and released on bail.

Palmer's grandmother has told reporters that, months before she died, Palmer had declined an option to move in with her mother because she had a crush on Trent, and because she loved the horses on the Thorburn property. In a court hearing on 21 September 2016 prosecutors said that two days before Palmer's death, Trent confessed to a cousin that he had had sex with Palmer on the previous Monday, and that Palmer had told his mother about it.^[14][15] The court also heard that, shortly before her disappearance, Palmer had told a friend that Trent would have sex with her when Mrs Thorburn went out, and she had told her foster mother about the abuse. Prosecutors say that Trent now admits he was lying when he had earlier repeatedly denied the abuse to his parents and police.^[16]

On 23 September 2016, investigators began excavating the Thorburns' rural property in a search for evidence.^[17] Rick Thorburn said nothing to investigators, but Julene and Joshua made statements to police.^[18] On 10 October, Julene and Joshua Thorburn's lawyer told a court they would plead guilty to all charges and had agreed to be witnesses for the prosecution.^[19][20]

• List of people who disappeared mysteriously