Two Men Found Guilty of Aboriginal Schoolboy Cassius Turvey’s Murder in Australia - Bio Points News

Two Men Found Guilty of Murdering Aboriginal Schoolboy Cassius Turvey in Australia

Perth, Australia:
Two men have been found guilty of the violent and senseless murder of Cassius Turvey, a 15-year-old Aboriginal schoolboy, whose death in 2022 sent shockwaves across Australia and drew international attention.

After a 12-week trial in Perth, a jury on Thursday convicted Jack Steven James Brearley, 24, and Brodie Lee Palmer, 29, of murder. A third man, Mitchell Colin Forth, 27, was found guilty of manslaughter, while a woman present at the scene was acquitted.

A Case That Outraged a Nation

Cassius, a proud Noongar Yamatji boy, was attacked while walking home from school in October 2022 on the outskirts of Perth. He died of severe head injuries 10 days later after being struck multiple times with a metal pole.

The attack, widely seen as a racially charged act of vigilante violence, sparked nationwide vigils, protests, and conversations about racism, violence, and justice for Indigenous Australians.

Speaking outside court following the verdict, Cassius’ mother, Mechelle Turvey, said she felt "numb with relief" but emphasized that true justice could never be achieved because her son would never return.

“Justice, to me, will never be served because I don’t have my son, and he’s not coming back,” she said.

Background to the Tragedy

The court heard that the attack on Cassius was the result of retaliatory violence unrelated to him. Prosecutors explained that the men were allegedly "hunting for kids" after someone damaged Brearley’s car. On CCTV footage before the attack, Brearley was heard saying,

"Somebody smashed my car, they’re about to die."

Though Cassius had no connection to the incident, he and a group of friends were confronted by the men while walking home from school. As the children scattered, Cassius was caught and struck at least twice on the head with a metal pole, resulting in a brain bleed.

Despite emergency surgeries, Cassius succumbed to his injuries.

In disturbing evidence presented during the trial, Brearley was recorded boasting about the attack, saying,

"He was laying in the field, and I was just smacking him with a trolley pole so hard, he learned his lesson."

Both Brearley and Palmer blamed each other during the trial, but the jury ultimately found both responsible for Cassius’ murder.

A Nation in Mourning

Cassius’ death ignited grief and fury across Australia. Vigils were held in more than two dozen cities and towns, with events extending as far as the US and New Zealand.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the attack "clearly racially motivated", though race was not formally pursued as a motive in court. The incident reopened urgent national conversations around violence against Indigenous Australians and systemic racial discrimination.

Human rights lawyer Hannah McGlade told the BBC at the time,

“Australia does have a shocking reputation around the world for this kind of violence.”

Cassius Remembered

Cassius was described by his mother and community as a funny, kind-hearted boy who worked hard to challenge negative stereotypes about Aboriginal youth. He and his friends had even started a lawn-mowing business to help local neighbors.

“He was funny. He loved posing,” his mother told the BBC shortly after his death.

Cassius' memory continues to live on through community movements and a national reckoning over justice, race, and violence.

Sentencing Ahead

The convicted men are due to return to court for sentencing on 26 June 2025.