Article from: PerthNow
January 10, 2009 02:00pm
7PM UPDATE: THE body of baby Zach O'Kane, discovered in a shallow bush grave near Collie, was allegedly kept in the boot of his father's car for three days.
Police found the four-month-old's body in Wellington National Park after his father, John Patrick O'Kane, 40, allegedly led Major Crime investigators to the site.Mr O'Kane was charged with murder after detectives went to a long, dusty track, 10km south of Collie, off the Coalfields Highway.
The track is bordered by a water pipeline that leads into the heavily wooded national park.
``At that location (Mr O'Kane) identified an area where we found the body of a young baby,'' Major Crime Squad Det-Sen-Sgt Mark Fyfe said.
``At this time we are of the belief that it is baby Zach. However, formal identification has not taken place.''
Police will allege that Zach was killed on Monday while in the care of his father and the body was put in the boot of a car for three days while parked outside his paternal grandmother's home in Langford.
It is alleged that on Wednesday, Mr O'Kane drove to Collie, 200km south of Perth, and buried his son in a bush grave.
``We will allege that baby Zach died on the morning of Monday, January 5, (and) that he was placed in the boot of Mr O'Kane's vehicle,'' Det-Sen-Sgt Fyfe said.
``We will further allege that the vehicle remained parked at the front of the address in Langford for three days until Wednesday afternoon, at which time we will allege the vehicle was driven to that location at Wellington National Park and baby Zach was buried in a shallow grave.''
Zach was last seen alive on Monday morning when his mother left him in his father's care at their Hillman home.
Mr O'Kane allegedly phoned his de facto partner the same morning while she was out shopping, telling her he was taking Zach to stay with relatives in Langford for two nights.
He had a change of clothes, nappies and bottles for his son, and enough milk formula for four days.
On Friday, police issued a nationwide alert for Mr O'Kane and Zach after they were reported missing on Thursday morning.
Police said a woman driving on South Western Highway at 5.30pm on Friday spotted Mr O'Kane's light-blue Suzuki Swift parked at a rest area 8km south of Pinjarra.
Prompted by media reports about the disappearance of Zach and a description of the car, she contacted CrimeStoppers, which kept her on the phone while the call was diverted to Major Crime investigators.
``Major Crime Squad kept the lady on the phone and co-ordinated a police response from the Waroona, Pinjarra and Yarloop police stations,'' Det-Sen-Sgt Fyfe said.
``When police arrived, they located our person of interest, John O'Kane, in the vehicle with an injury to his left arm that was self-inflicted.''
St John Ambulance paramedics took Mr O'Kane to Peel Health Campus where he received medical treatment for his injury, before he was returned to Pinjarra police station and interviewed by detectives.
It is expected the baby will be formally identified on Sunday. A post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the precise cause of death. Police declined to say if there were injuries on Zach's body.
Det-Sen-Sgt Fyfe said dealing with the death of children was one of the worst jobs of being a police officer.
``Any homicide is difficult, but the age of young baby Zach made it that little bit harder,'' he said.
Officers involved in the case would be offered counselling, he said.
Det-Sen-Sgt Fyfe said Zach's mother was deeply upset and being supported by family and the police chaplain.
``She is extremely distraught. She was visited by a member of the Major Crime Squad and the police chaplain after we received information. She has asked that her privacy be respected,'' he said.
Mr O'Kane was taken from Pinjarra police station to the East Perth lock-up.
He will remain in custody until he appears in Perth Magistrates Court on Monday.
Mr O'Kane is an unemployed truck driver who has spent time living in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
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