By AIDAN KNIGHT and KATRINA BRANDON
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this story includes names and images of Indigenous people who have died.
SO MUCH can happen in the space of 12 months.
On September 27, 2025, 18-year old Kaiden Morgan was killed a street away from his home in residential Morwell. A proud young leader in the local First Nations community, Kaiden was of Yorta Yorta, Wurundjeri, and Waka Waka descent, and had made huge waves in recognition for his mob within, and far away, from the Latrobe Valley.
Mr Morgan was stabbed to death in The Boulevard, leaving a devastating void in the community he uplifted, as well as a family determined to keep his memory alive.
Two days after his death, more than 200 people retraced Kaiden’s final steps in a silent ‘Justice for Kaiden’ march to The Boulevard, releasing balloons in the colours of the Aboriginal flag, and lighting a small ceremonial fire led by his grandfather.
Later that same week, more than 1000 people marched from The Gathering Place on Buckley
Street to the Morwell Police Station in solidarity with Kaiden’s loved ones. Mourners left a red handprint banner and clapsticks on the station steps, as Kaiden’s father, William Morgan Sr, gave a powerful plea through the PA system: “I always told my kids to carry heart, don’t carry weapons.
Violence, in general – women, kids – it’s got to stop”.
The family’s trauma deepened as a viral video of Kaiden’s death, filmed by his alleged attackers, was sent personally to members of the JohnstonMorgan family, and then circulated further by tabloid media. Kaiden’s brother, William Jr, publicly pleaded online to locals not to perpetuate this senseless harm within their own online circles, saying, “Let the media profit off my baby brother’s death … use common sense”.
The funeral was one of the area’s most attended, as thousands mourned the young Morwell boy’s passing at Kernot Hall, on October 15. The service celebrated a boy remembered as “a gatherer of things, and friends,” and “a young man who stood up for those who couldn’t”.
Kaiden’s death became a flashpoint for a regionwide demand for structural reform.
Local and state figures referenced the horrific event amid concerns over the Latrobe Valley’s youth crime trends, with statistics revealing 14,011 offences recorded in the region by November 2025, while edged-weapon assaults had risen 20 per cent statewide over the three years prior.
The community’s anger boiled over at a packed community safety forum at the Morwell RSL on November 6, 2025, where Member for Morwell Martin Cameron and Shadow Police Minister David Southwick listened to more than 100 grieving residents, including the Morgan and Wright families. William Morgan Jr asked where the “justice workers” were as young offenders continued to cycle through bail. Local Elders condemned the state government’s controversial machete bin amnesty program, with one calling on the then Allan Government to “wake up” to the reality that criminals do not voluntarily hand in weapons. Yet amid the political finger-pointing, the cultural heartbeat of Kaiden’s legacy remained unbroken.
On November 1, hundreds gathered on The Boulevard for Kaiden’s Last Dance, a spirit dance led by his brother William Jr and performed by the Boorun Boys – the Gunaikurnai dance group Kaiden had danced with for more than a decade.
Walking through a cleansing smoking ceremony, the community helped send Kaiden’s spirit peacefully to the Dreamtime. “Without him, there’d be no me,” William Jr said. “He shaped me into the leader I am.”
One hundred days before he passed, the young leader completed the requirements of the Community Turf Force Mentor Program – a five-week volunteer leadership role, maintaining lawns and gardens around the Latrobe area. He was invited back by the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council due to his strong involvement and leadership.
In the New Year that followed, Kaiden’s profound impact on his community continued to be widely recognised. During the opening of Reconciliation Week in late May 2026 outside Latrobe City Council headquarters, the Boorun Boys performed their routine, leaving a deliberate empty space in their formation to honour Kaiden. Ms Johnston noted the group “held space for him in each and every performance.”
In June 2026, Kaiden was posthumously awarded the prestigious NAIDOC Youth of the Year Award by Victoria Police. Only a fortnight later, the state’s Acting Inspector informed Ms Johnston that the awards had been cancelled for 2026 – a decision that left the family confused and disappointed. Shortly afterwards, Kaiden was unexpectedly honoured with the RDAC NAIDOC Youth of the Year Award at Kernot Hall, recognising “his representation of culture to community and the example he set across all age groups”.
On what would have been his 19th birthday, family and supporters created a living memorial for Kaiden in a new Morwell estate backing onto the Morwell River, planting 20 Strzelecki gums – native to the Country Kaiden’s Mob come from and an endangered species. At his graveside, a custom gravestone designed by Lionel Rose Jr was installed in the shape of a pelican, or Boorun, the totemic figure Kaiden danced under. That evening, the family held an elaborate birthday memorial at Kaiden’s roadside shrine, setting up an outdoor projector for a slideshow of photographs, lighting the area with around 200 candles and inviting an Indigenous singer to perform three songs.
The first anniversary of Kaiden Morgan’s death took place last Sunday in the form of another community walk, drawing more than 250 participants.
While inevitably sombre, Kaiden’s family worked to make the day one of positive reflection as well – celebrating how effectively a community can rally around tragedy and promote the message of preventing further violence. A free sausage sizzle was provided by Kaiden’s former coworkers at Bunnings Mid Valley, with assistance from the Morwell CWA, complimentary coffee from Ngwala Willumbong, and a seperate wildlife session from Mumsupials – a local family business Kaiden often participated in.
Continuing the same message, but with a slightly different tone to previous marches, the family of Mr Morgan walked alongside two other local families who have lost loved ones to violent crime. This included the mother and sister of Dr Ash Gordon, a 33-year-old Morwell man killed in January 2024 after confronting teenagers who had broken into his home, and the sister of Roy Poole of Moe, who was fatally stabbed in 2011 in a parking spot dispute on High Street, Moe.
While the focus remained overwhelmingly on Kaiden and the first full year without his presence, these three women joined Sascha Johnston to push a unified message to end violence – demonstrating the profound impact it has on the Latrobe Valley community.
“The magnitude of today is absolutely amazing,” Natalie Gordon, Ash’s sister said.
Bec Kennedy, representing the Poole family, emphasised: “I don’t think it matters how long ago you lose a loved one – it doesn’t get any easier.
We can’t forget the lives we’ve lost, but we can change the future of young people who think this violence is okay.”
Over the past year, the Morgan-Johnston has endured birthdays, holidays and cultural days without Kaiden – each one a reminder of his absence.
Heading into court on August 24, Sascha said: “They [the alleged offenders] have already done the worst to me. There’s nothing that can hurt me more than what’s already happened”.
During this period, Sascha delivered her son’s dying declaration to the court – a statement made by a person who believes their death is imminent, explaining the circumstances leading to it.
With court cases ongoing, the Melbourne Supreme Court saw around 40 supporters stand alongside Sascha outside the building, holding posters and banners calling for “Justice for Kaiden” during the three-week period she was required to attend.
“It reminds you that there are good people in this world to make that positive change,” she said.
