By Aidan Knight
Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains the name and image of a person who has died.
Following the tragic death of young Morwell man Kaiden Morgan last week, the fractured community came together to bring as much attention as possible to the effects of the youth crime epidemic sweeping the state.
This took place in the shape of a public commemorative march (held Tuesday, September 30) from the Morgan/Johnston family home to his final resting place on The Boulevard, where his life was taken on Saturday, September 27.
Morgan, the victim of an alleged machete attack, was found by police around 10.25pm the night of the AFL Grand Final and was then rushed to hospital, where he died that night. As reported in last week’s Police Beat, another young man, Tyrese Walsh (a Warragul resident aged 20), was also hospitalised after being found in a similar state on Gillie Crescent, only a few blocks away. Police have not supplied any further details on the second victim, as the investigation is ongoing.
Police claim that all people involved in the incident were known to each other.
Tributes flowed for Morgan, with many describing the 18-year-old as a “young Indigenous leader” who revered and loved his family, friends, and culture. He appeared on ABC’s Takeover program in May, as part of an Indigenous dance group, The Boorun Boys, that performed at the MCG, something he was very passionate about.
The Gippsland Trades and Labour Council was one of the first organisations to pay their respects publicly, stating, “Kaiden was more than just a participant in the Community Turf Force program; he was a mentor, a role model, and a friend of GTLC. Kaiden brought heart, strength, and generosity to everything he did, inspiring others with his leadership, conversation, connection to culture, and quiet determination to support others.”
They also described him as “a great listener, and his ability to hold space for others was a rare gift, and one that touched many.”
Latrobe City River Ward Councillor, Tracie Lund, said Kaiden “wasn’t just a young man with his whole life ahead of him”.
“Violence like this hasn’t just taken a life, it will leave scars on families and friends that will never truly heal, and it has shaken our community,” she said.
Jordan Johnston, fellow Boorun Boy, spoke publicly on the deeper issue of it all, and the normalisation of violence in the area.
“It’s messed up when you can’t even walk home safe in your own hometown,” he said.
“Just because Kaiden’s killers got caught doesn’t mean this won’t happen again. This is exactly why I don’t live in the Valley anymore.
“When is government going to step up and do something real for people? Why is it left to our parents, uncles, aunties, role models, and ourselves to keep us safe, but get in trouble when we’ve got to take matters into our own hands?”
“I grew up in Latrobe Valley thinking this was just normal life. Until I left and realised it’s not. And don’t say ‘there’s trouble everywhere you go’ because that’s only true to a certain extent.
“The stats don’t lie. Latrobe Valley crime rates are now on par with Melbourne’s CBD. How can we let that happen in a smaller community?
“We’ve got to make a stand. Take a look at each other. Take a look at yourself and act on what you can do. If you wanna love where you live and take pride in your home. Now is time to do something about it. “
While crime overall is getting progressively worse in Latrobe, ranking second-highest in local government areas in data released by the Crime Statistics Agency in September (up 10.5 per cent), edged weapon assaults have swept the state in the past year.
Police don’t publish data on the number of edged weapon-related deaths or crimes, but by the end of August, an estimated 11,000 edged weapons had been seized since the start of the year in Victoria, while only 1386 have been collected via the ‘machete bin’ amnesty program launched by Premier Jacinta Allan.
The discourse reported on last week’s front page of the Express (‘Crime debate deferred’, October 1) highlights just how topical an issue this has been in 2025 alone, but the crimes just seem to continue as each government agency tries to pass the ball to another, as seemingly nobody has a solution.
There has been a 31 per cent increase in knives seized and destroyed since 2015, equally reflective of the popularity of the crime as the prevention of it, as there was an average of 40 seized per day last year, which is forecast to be exceeded by the end of 2025.
The ratio of knives seized in Victoria is actually 1.5 times more than there are knife crimes recorded in Victoria currently, but there is still a noticeable rise in how common it is, with many locals knowing someone who has been threatened or attacked with an edged weapon, or simply carries one themselves.
Despite police interception efforts, the case of Kaiden Morgan underscores how weapons already in circulation can cause irreparable damage before they are confiscated. Victoria Police cannot effectively prevent weapons from circulating, but it is undeniable that too many people, especially youth, are being harmed in the midst of this epidemic.
On Tuesday, September 30, Kaiden Morgan’s extended family organised a ‘justice for Kaiden’ march from his home to his final resting spot. A march of a similar variety was organised for the following Saturday, this time going to the Morwell Police Station.
Tuesday’s walk saw more than 200 come together to remember the beloved young man, retracing his final steps to “walk with him one last time”. Kaiden’s family spoke briefly after a moment of mourning when they arrived at the final resting place of their son, brother, and nephew.
“He moved a lot of people,” said his father, William Morgan. “He was a great young man. He didn’t do drugs, loved his mum tenfold.”
Kaiden’s mother, Sascha Johnston, thanked everybody for attending, to walk that one last walk with her in spirit, and told the crowd how he was simply walking to his friend’s house when his life was taken.
Together, as a family and community, everybody gathered at The Boulevard to say goodbye to Kaiden, letting off balloons in colours of the Indigenous flag, and holding each other as members played clapsticks and a didgeridoo, and laid flowers where their loved one had last laid.
Cousins and brothers climbed up the tree close to his last location and took dead limbs from the tree, before lighting a small fire for everyone to “throw a stick on”, as instructed by his Kaiden’s grandfather, “to say goodbye to Kaiden”.
Victoria Police helped facilitate this event, blocking off roads of the residential streets for a block or so to allow the walk to take place, and everyone to be uninterrupted in their grief.
Such was the intensity of it, officers had to call for an ambulance to attend to one of Morgan’s aunties, who collapsed where the flowers were laid, obviously deeply affected by this immeasurable loss to her family.
Upsettingly, the family’s anguish didn’t end there, as a video of Kaiden’s last moments, filmed by his attackers, was circulated and published by several tabloid media outlets later that week.
A second march was held on Saturday, October 4, from The Gathering Place community centre in Buckley St, to the Morwell Police Station.
This time the walk attracted more than 1000 people, all rallying together to mourn the life lost, the toll it has had on the families and friends, and what it means for the safety of the Latrobe Valley community.
Tributes were shared, flags were raised, and many contributed to a banner dedicated to Kaiden, with a red handprint, which was then left on the steps of Morwell Police Station with a pair of clapping sticks. William Morgan Senior addressed the crowd, saying he “will not stop till I catch up with my son”, advocating for violence to end, and to ensure he is remembered.
“I always told my kids to carry heart, don’t carry weapons.
“Violence, in general, women, kids, it’s got to stop. We’ve got to pull together”.
These were words that rang out from the PA system and were heard by everybody present, for the sake of what was the third machete death in September, the same month the weapons became officially illegal.
The state government’s controversial ‘machete bins’ were also mentioned at the march, where one elder called out the Allan Labor government, telling them to “wake up” on the notion that offenders will hand in their weapons, and violence will suddenly stop.
“This shows what’s not working,” he continued, while others held up signs with messages like “are you gunna listen now”. The community is listening. But they are also hurting.
What was once another crime statistic has become a personal tragedy for hundreds who gathered to walk together in Kaiden’s name.
As balloons lifted, as hands pressed against the banner, and as clapsticks sounded in mourning, the message was clear: the Latrobe Valley is united in grief, and in its demand that no more young lives be lost to the violence gripping the state.
The extended family of the victim took to social media, damning anyone sharing and in possession of the clip, which brought further pain to the family as they were forced to relive the traumatic event.
Kaiden’s brother, also named William Morgan, said via Facebook on Friday, October 3, “This will always be a no-go limit for us, so don’t be so insensitive and send anything … if you have common sense, use it”.
“This is the definition of sensationalism, so don’t be sick and let the media profit off my baby brother’s death,” he said.
Two males were arrested Sunday night in relation to the incident, aged 19 and 16.
The younger offender cannot be named for legal reasons unbeknownst to the Express, but the 19-year-old has been identified as one Tyson Fenton from Traralgon.
Fenton faced court on Monday afternoon in Morwell, while the younger offender faced a children’s court later that day.
The incident resulting in the death of Kaiden Morgan was Fenton’s first recorded offence, and he had never been in custody before, which his lawyer cited when detailing the alleged’s “fear of retaliation” if convicted.
The lawyer also referenced an unconfirmed intellectual disability and an asthma diagnosis, pairing this with “custody management issues” when advocating on his behalf in court.
No application for bail was made by either offender and Fenton has been remanded until February 10, 2026, when he will appear before the court again.
Both are being charged with murder and intentionally causing serious injury.
The 16-year-old faces court this month before a committal hearing on January 14.
A loss not only for the Morgan and Johnston families and Morwell community, but for the GunaiKurnai people, now without a promising young man who helped practice and maintain his First Nations story, and would have one day been a great leader within its future.
A second march was held on Saturday, October 4, from The Gathering Place community centre in Buckley St, to the Morwell Police Station. This time the walk attracted more than 1000 people, all rallying together to mourn the life lost, the toll it has had on the families and friends, and what it means for the safety of the Latrobe Valley community.
Tributes were shared, flags were raised, and many contributed to a banner dedicated to Kaiden, with a red handprint, which was then left on the steps of Morwell Police Station with a pair of clapping sticks. William Morgan Senior addressed the crowd, saying he “will not stop till I catch up with my son”, advocating for violence to end, and to ensure he is remembered.
“I always told my kids to carry heart, don’t carry weapons.
“Violence, in general, women, kids, it’s got to stop. We’ve got to pull together”.
These were words that rang out from the PA system and were heard by everybody present, for the sake of what was the third machete death in September, the same month the weapons became officially illegal. The state government’s controversial ‘machete bins’ were also mentioned at the march, where one elder called out the Allan Labor government, telling them to “wake up” on the notion that offenders will hand in their weapons, and violence will suddenly stop.
“This shows what’s not working,” he continued, while others held up signs with messages like “are you gunna listen now”. The community is listening. But they are also hurting.
What was once another crime statistic has become a personal tragedy for hundreds who gathered to walk together in Kaiden’s name.
As balloons lifted, as hands pressed against the banner, and as clapsticks sounded in mourning, the message was clear: the Latrobe Valley is united in grief, and in its demand that no more young lives be lost to the violence gripping the state.
