A Bundaberg woman charged with the murder of her three-year-old daughter has been identified as 32-year-old Lauren Ingrid Flanigan.
Ms Flanigan is set to appear before Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday after being charged with the murder of her three-year-old daughter, who was found unresponsive in the front yard of a home in Moore Park Beach, about 24 km north of Bundaberg, late on Monday afternoon.
Emergency services raced to the Regency Road home about 4.45pm on Monday after receiving several triple-0 calls reporting a child had been stabbed multiple times.
She was declared deceased at the scene.
“Police located a three-year-old child in the front yard of that address,” said Acting Superintendent Brad Inskip.
“Despite multiple attempts from [police] and [ambulance officers] to apply first aid to that child, that child unfortunately died due to the injuries that she had received.”
Police said a bladed weapon was recovered from the scene.
Two other children, aged one and two, were also home at the time but unharmed, and are now in the care of others.
An investigation was immediately commenced and Queensland Police charged Ms Flanigan with one count of murder on Tuesday morning.
Ms Flanigan posted photos to social media in 2021 showing off her baby bump and talking about her excitement at becoming a mother.
“26 weeks pregnant. So far it’s been a rapid transformation in every way.. mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Becoming a mum is the most amazing journey. Feeling so blessed,” the caption states,” the caption on one photo states.
Professional photos taken in late 2022 show the mother and an unnamed man with a baby and another young child.
The same man appears in photos of a dinner posted in January 2024.
Photos from September 2024 show a happy little girl in a pink dress and a younger toddler in shirt and bow tie.
More recent posts have taken a darker tone. Earlier this month Ms Flannigan directed a long message to “every woman who has lived through domestic violence”.
A video uploaded on Sunday shows a woman with bruises on her arms and face, overlayed with “remember your pain as it fuels your purpose” and what appear to be lyrics from a US heavy metal band: “Another nightmare about to come true. Will manifest tomorrow. Another love that I’ve taken from you,” the text states.
It is understood the girl’s father was away working at the time of the three-year-old’s death but has returned home after being alerted to the incident.
Daily Mail Australia reported two other children were also inside the home at the time but were unharmed.
Chief Inspector Grant Marcus told reporters on Monday, before the woman was charged, that “a lot” of processing was to take place.
“We’re trying to now process this whole scene to determine what on earth has happened,” he said.
“This is a really tragic evening. There’s a lot of processing to be done.”
The 32-year-old is expected to appear in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday, May 27.
