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Monster foster father who killed 12-year-old schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer is found ‘unresponsive’ in his prison cell where he was serving a life sentence
- Rick Thorburn was found unresponsive in his jail cell on Tuesday morning
- He was serving life for the murder of 12-year-old schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer
- It’s believed the convicted killer attempted to take his own life in his single cell
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A man convicted of murdering his 12-year-old foster child has been found ‘unresponsive’ in his jail cell.
Rick Thorburn, who was sentenced to life for the murder of Tiahleigh Palmer in 2018, was taken to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital after he was found unconscious in his cell at about 8.30am on Tuesday morning.
Queensland Corrective Services said in a statement that 62-year-old Thorburn was in a single cell at Wolston Correctional Centre at the time he was discovered.
Rick Thorburn, who was sentenced to life for the murder of Tiahleigh Palmer in 2018, was taken to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital after he was found unconscious in his cell at about 8.30am on Tuesday morning
Tiahleigh Palmer was just 12-years-old when she was murdered by her foster father in 2015
‘Initial advice is that the 62-year-old man appeared well earlier in the morning, however was found unresponsive in his cell at about 8:30am,’ a spokesperson said.
‘Responding officers commenced first aid and worked with Queensland Health staff to stabilise the prisoner until paramedics arrived.’
Thorburn’s current condition is not known.
It’s believed the convicted child-killer tried to take his own life.
He was jailed after confessing to killing schoolgirl Tiahleigh to cover up the fact his son Trent had been having sex with the underage girl.
Thorburn later dumped Tiahleigh’s body – naked except for underpants – on the banks of the Pimpama River on the northern Gold Coast, Queensland.
Thorburn was jailed after confessing to killing schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer to cover up the fact his son Trent had been having sex with the underage girl, and later dumping her body on the banks of the Pimpama River on the northern Gold Coast, Queensland
Trent Thorburn was sentenced to four years in prison for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice
Following his arrest Thorburn was on suicide watch and it’s believed Tuesday was his second attempt at taking his own life.
Although her foster father pleaded guilty to her murder, he claims he accidentally suffocated her.
In the hours before Tiahleigh died, she had been to a hip-hop dance class where she complained of stomach pains.
That day, Trent confessed to his mother that he’d had sex with the schoolgirl and feared the stomach pains were a sign she was pregnant.
Trent was sentenced to four years in prison for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
A large amount of his sentence was served in solitary confinement, after he was subjected to vicious assaults by other inmates.
Trent was allowed to walk free in 2018 after just 16 months behind bars.
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