Cassius Turvey left behind a legacy of leadership for all who knew him

Cassius Turvey was tall for a 15-year-old — 181 centimetres to be exact — but those who knew him say his heart was even bigger.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains an image of a person who has died, used with the permission of their family.

A three-month-long trial into the teenager's death has culminated in three men being found guilty: two of murder, and one of manslaughter.

The verdict has turned the page on what has been a tortuous chapter for Cassius's family and friends.

A memorial plaque for the teenager in his community of Midland, east of Perth, sits as an enduring reminder of the legacy he left behind: a "gentle giant", "huggable teddy bear", and a "young leader".

From a shy boy to a leader

Cheryl Kickett-Tucker remembers the quiet 10-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy who walked into a community program she was running.

"He was a shy boy, but he was very humorous," she said.

As he grew, Ms Kickett-Tucker says a leader emerged.

"He was a very tall boy, people had to look up to him. But it was his heart that was larger than his height," she said.

The teenager started his own lawn mowing business with two of his friends and reportedly told his customers — their neighbours — to pay what they wanted.

"The spirit of Cassius is still among us … we've got to continue living our lives and working together, and helping each other, and seeing the best in each other, because that's what Cassius was all about," Ms Kickett-Tucker said.

Nationwide grief and anger

Cassius's death in 2022 sparked rallies across the nation.

First Nations communities recoiled at the news of yet another young Indigenous death.

Noongar traditional custodian Jim Morrison said the intergenerational trauma experienced by Aboriginal people made it difficult not to raise questions at the time about whether race was a factor in Cassius's death; something the court has since ruled out.

"The poor little man buried his father — six weeks prior to his death — who was a Stolen Generations person," Mr Morrison said.

"These sorts of things, our young people experience every day. The amount of racial profiling that exists, and still exists."

While the trial into Cassius's murder heard racial slurs were used on the day the teenager was beaten, there was no mention of any racial motivation behind the attack.

Instead, it was likely a case of vigilantism gone horribly wrong — men enacting misdirected vengeance against children after one of their car's windows had been smashed the day before.

The court heard Cassius was walking with friends after school when he was savagely beaten with a metal handle ripped off a trolley. He died 10 days later in hospital.

Both men convicted of the murder, Jack Brearley and Brodie Palmer, have accused each other of beating Cassius. A sentencing hearing is set for June 26.

Legacy of leadership

Speaking after the verdict, the lead detective on Cassius's case, Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Cleal, made absolutely clear: "Cassius was completely innocent of all the events that led up to this terrible tragedy."

What had happened to Cassius was senseless — something those close to the teenager instinctively knew back in 2022, even without a trial.

But that only fuelled concerns at the time among Aboriginal communities, many of which had become afraid to let their children walk the streets as Cassius had.

Racial and police tensions brewed in the immediate aftermath of the boy's death. But, through all the grief and anger, one voice remained calm.

"Kids matter," Cassius's mother Mechelle Turvey said at a candlelit vigil for her son.

"All our kids. Black, white, brown, pink, yellow, it doesn't matter."

Her message was clear. It was about unity and moving forward, not division and vengeance.

Addressing another rally of thousands in Perth, on a national day of action that saw dozens of similar rallies around the country, Ms Turvey carried on delivering that message, reading from one of Cassius's school reports.

"[Cassius] always enjoys being challenged … this demonstrates his willingness and self motivation to succeed," the report read.

Building each other up, and leading by example — that's the legacy Mechelle Turvey believes her son has left behind.