Dozens of mourners gathered in Logan, south of Brisbane, on Friday night for a vigil honoring Kate Paterson, 38, and her one-year-old daughter April, whose bodies were discovered in a home on Belivah Road in Belivah on Thursday.
Floral tributes and stuffed toys were placed around a tree as high school students and community members paid their respects. The vigil, organized by Windaroo resident Caroline Bower, included a moment of silence and a song to honor the victims.
Police made the tragic discovery after a 39-year-old man, believed to have fled the Belivah home, was hit by a car near a supermarket on Beaudesert Beenleigh Road at Bannockburn earlier that morning. The man is receiving medical treatment at Princess Alexandra Hospital and is assisting police with investigations.
Detective Superintendent Chris Ahearn stated that the three individuals lived together as a family unit. While the exact cause of death has not been confirmed, injuries to the woman and child appear consistent with an edged weapon. Police do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the community.
Witnesses reported hearing screaming from the property around the time of the incident. Gloria Seal, who drove past the accident scene, described seeing the man covered in blood. Police are appealing for anyone in the vicinity between 7am and 8:30am on Thursday to come forward.
