Donations flow for murdered baby girl’s mum

Kobi Shepherdson was plunged to her death last Wednesday after her father Henry Shepherdson, 38, jumped from the reservoir in Williamstown with her.

A number of witnesses, including children, saw the man and infant drop and called triple-0 for help.

When emergency services arrived they found the father deceased and the baby unresponsive.

Despite the efforts of witnesses and later paramedics, Kobi was pronounced dead at the scene.

SA Police said there was a history of domestic violence between Mr Shepherdson and Kobi’s mother, with court documents revealing he threatened to kill them in December last year and also assaulted his partner at an address in Adelaide’s northwest.

The Torrensville man also appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court just hours before his death in an attempt to change two court-imposed conditions.

A GoFundMe page has since been established, titled “In loving memory of Kobi Shepherdson”, with all proceeds going directly to Kobi’s mother.

The infant has been described as “a bright, clever, happy little girl with a smile that could light up a room”.

“She will be sorely missed and forever remembered,” the page description reads.

“This page has been lovingly created by Kobi’s friends to help support her family through the unimaginable pain, grief and heartbreak they are going through.”

A total of $10,000 is aimed to be raised and has already had more than $5,000 donated after just two days of the page being active.

Heartfelt comments have also been left on the page, including one by a mother who has an eight-month-old son.

She said she was “heartbroken” by the news.

“I cannot even begin to fathom your pain,” the woman wrote in her comment.

“You will miss your sweet Kobi for all of time.

“I hope this eases your worry in just the slightest. You deserve love and happiness, as did Kobi.

“She will be remembered:”

Other comments read: “Our hearts break for Kobi’s family and friends.”

“No parent should ever have to feel this kind of heartbreak. Keep smiling beautiful Kobi. You are so loved,” another wrote.

“May Kobi play and dance forever in the stars and rainbows, and may those who love her find solace and peace within their grief,” a third person commented.

Following the incident, locals also paid tribute to Kobi, laying flowers and teddy bears along a roadside sign at the Whispering Wall in the Barossa Valley.

Among those tributes was a note which read: “words seem inadequate to express the sadness we feel at the tragic loss of Kobi”.

“During times of loss we find ourselves troubled by things we do not understand,” it continued.

“There are no answers to comfort your grief.

“Our hearts go out to you and your family at this unfathomable time.”

Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott dubbed the tragic incident a “murder-suicide” when he addressed the media last week.

“Obviously this is a highly distressing and emotional set of circumstances, not only for the family and friends of Kobi, and also Henry, and Kobi‘s mother as well, but for the people who were witnesses who tried to assist Kobi at the scene,” he said on Thursday.

“We have a beautiful face, which would probably be the face of domestic violence moving forward.”

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