- Amy Morris’ son Hunter was a caring and sensitive boy who loved family, reading and swimming
- Amy says she turned to a friend, Christine, one night when she needed a last-minute babysitter
- Daniel Cameron was known to Amy and the 15-year-old had babysat Hunter in the past
- Horrifyingly, after coming home from playing pool, she discovered the teen babysitter had murdered her boy
- Here, Amy, 40, from Otautau, NZ, tells her story
My blond-haired little boy came running towards me, wincing in pain.
“I fell, Mummy,” Hunter said.
“I have just the thing,” I soothed.
Caring and sensitive, Hunter hated the sight of blood so much I kept a supply of band-aids on hand so I could cover any scratches quickly.
I’d always been protective of him, even more so when his dad and I split up when he was just six.
Hunter was surrounded by love, though, doted on by me, my four grandparents, my parents and sister.
He loved his family, reading and swimming.
“You’re my best friend, Mum,” he told me often.
As a primary school teacher, I knew that for Hunter’s development he needed to learn I didn’t have to be constantly by his side.
So, around the middle of 2017, I joined a Wednesday pool competition at the pub, becoming friendly with another player, Christine Cameron, the woman who ran the local post office.
Finding someone special
I also met Hayden Morris, 25.
We started dating in October that year.
Hunter was a little jealous, but Hayden won him over, playing video games.
“Can I call Hayden Dad?” Hunter asked me one day.
“If you want,” I smiled.
That night, at dinner, Hunter slipped “Dad” into conversation and Hayden was thrilled.
In March 2019, Hunter turned nine.
Not long after, I fell pregnant.
“Will you still have time for me?” Hunter asked me anxiously.
“Of course,” I said, hugging him.
He began asking when Hayden and I would marry.
“We’ve got a lot going on right now,” I laughed.
One night, our regular Wednesday babysitter wasn’t available, and I mentioned it to Christine.
“My boy Daniel will do it,” she said.
Daniel, 15, was a typical monosyllabic awkward teenage boy.
But Hunter liked him because he played video games, and the teen babysitter had looked after him at least 10 times before.
On October 30, 2019, Daniel came to babysit so we could play pool.
“Love you,” I said as we left.
Afterwards, we drove home.
A mother’s nightmare
I went in to send Daniel out, while Christine waited outside with Hayden.
But I noticed Hunter’s bedroom light was on.
He should be asleep, I thought, opening his bedroom door. Then I screamed in horror.
My little boy was on his back at the foot of his bed with a large kitchen knife sticking out of his stomach.
There was blood around his mouth, and other knife wounds on his chest and torso.
I knew immediately there was nothing I could do, so I ran outside screaming with shock. Daniel was nowhere to be seen.
Has he been taken by the monster who’s murdered my son? I fretted.
Christine and Hayden ran in and someone called police.
Our home became a crime scene and they searched for Daniel.
“We’ve found him,” an officer announced in the early hours.
“Is he okay?” I gasped.
“Amy, he admitted killing Hunter,” the officer replied.
My knees went weak. I’d never even considered he’d be capable of that.
At the station. they also said Daniel had messaged friends, asking, What would you do if I killed someone?
Horrified, I couldn’t face going home and we moved in with Hayden’s parents.
By now, I was 28 weeks pregnant and my belly was ballooning.
“I’m not fit to be a mum to this baby,” I sobbed to Hayden. “I left Hunter with a killer.”
“You’re a great mum,” he choked, hugging me.
He never wanted to leave my side, now he never will.”
Later, Hayden told me he and Hunter had plotted a proposal for us to go gold panning and Hayden would produce a ring from the pan.
“Hunter was so excited,” he said.
I didn’t blame Daniel’s mum Christine. I even called her and invited her to the funeral.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate,” she replied, and I understood.
On the day, his teacher read one of his stories.
“If I had magic powers, I would stop world hunger and make every person rich and I would make a forever polish that when you put it on your skin you would live forever,” he’d written.
Hunter was cremated and I had a tattoo of his name with his ashes mixed into the ink.
“He never wanted to leave my side, now he never will,” I told Hayden.
The post-mortem showed Hunter was stabbed three times and strangled. It happened 90 minutes after I left at 6pm.
I prayed my little boy was unconscious before Daniel stabbed him, because he hated the sight of blood so much.
A few months later, we moved back home, and in January 2020, I had Hunter’s little brother, Dawson.
But my grief for Hunter didn’t ease.
In June that year, Daniel Alan Cameron pleaded guilty to Hunter’s murder.
He didn’t show a scrap of emotion.
The best the defence could argue was that he had some mildly autistic traits, had been bullied and had problems with anger management.
Cameron, 16, was sentenced to life in jail, with a minimum of 11 years.
Our wedding was bittersweet
Early the following year I fell pregnant again, and in March 2021, on the day Hunter would’ve turned 11, Hayden and I married.
Standing under a flower arch, in the wedding venue garden, I clutched Hayden’s hand.
As the celebrant pronounced us man and wife, our guests cheered.
“Can we also give Hunter a nice loud ‘Happy Birthday’?” the celebrant announced.
“Happy Birthday, Hunter!” everyone yelled.
But my handsome little man wasn’t there to share the joy.
“Hunter so wanted to see us married,” I said tearfully to Hayden.
In September 2021, I had Hunter’s little sister, naming her Hope because it is what she represented.
Hunter got all of me as I raised him.
He gave all of himself back.
My one regret is that I left him that night.
In his late twenties, Daniel, a child killer who can’t explain his savagery, has every chance of being released.
So much for justice!
