A Melbourne mother made a chilling plea to Facebook friends, months before she was arrested for the alleged murder of her own eight-year-old son.
Last November, Joanne Finch, 41, shared a link asking friends to join her in signing a petition to retrial South Australian mother Lorien Norman.
The change.org appeal expressed outrage at how Ms Norman was spared jail after she pleaded guilty to aggravated assault towards her eight-month-old daughter.
Joanne Finch, 41, was arrested for the alleged murder of her son Brodie, 8
The eight-year-old was found dead at the home he shared with his mother in Tootgarook, Victoria early on Thursday afternoon
Finch’s chilling final Facebook post was a link to a change.org petition asking friends to join her in signing a petition to retrial South Australian mother Lorien Norman who pleaded guilty to assaulting her baby daughter
Part of the petition reads ‘so many children are left in care of violent families and once the children lose their lives it is too late for you to say sorry!’
On Thursday, Joanne Finch was arrested for the alleged murder of her son Brodie as tributes for the youngester flowed in.
This morning, several of Brodie’s classmates from Tootgarook Primary School came to leave toys and messages for their friend.
One tribute signed from grade two classmate Robbie was attached to a Hulk doll and read ‘to Broadie (sic), I will miss you’.
Another came from a local Tootgarook family who admitted even though they didn’t know the boy, they ‘are so sorry to hear (he’s) no longer here to enjoy life as little kids should’.
Tributes have flowed for Brodie (centre) the eight-year-old boy allegedly killed by his mother Joanne Finch (left) on Thursday afternoon. (They are pictured with Brodie’s father Lee Moran)
Brodie Moran was allegedly suffocated by his mother at the home they shared on Alma Street at Tootgarook, south-east of Melbourne, on Thursday afternoon.
After learning of his son’s death overnight his father Lee Moran, who is English, took to Facebook on Friday morning to pay tribute to his ‘always happy’ little boy.
‘Thank you to everyone that has sent well wishes,’ a shattered Mr Moran commented.
‘At the moment I feel empty, still in shock. I have lost the best part of me… words can not describe how much I love and miss my little fella.’
It is understood the family lived in the United Kingdom before Brodie moved out to Australia with his mother. Mr Moran is believed to currently be based in Shanghai, China.
Finch faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday charged with one count of murder.
She reportedly rang Triple-0 asking for help, but when officers arrived at the house they found the boy dead.
A dazed Finch was refused bail at a closed out-of-sessions hearing on Thursday night where the court heard she needed to be given anti-depressants after the incident.
One note left at the front of their home read: ‘God bless little man RIP all the angels will be with you now.’
A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia the pair largely kept to themselves and had only been living in the street about a year.
Ms Finch (left) allegedly rang Triple-0 asking for help, but when officers arrived at the house they found Brodie (right) dead
Mr Moran took to Facebook to pay tribute to his son on Friday, saying he had ‘lost the best part’ of his life
Finch was charged with murder after her son was found dead at their rented home (pictured) on Alma Street in Tootgarook, 80kms south-east of Melbourne, about 1.30pm on Thursday
Police arrived shortly after and arrested the boy’s 41-year-old mother, who charged Thursday night
‘I believe it’s a rental property and I don’t think they’ve been there a very long time,’ she said.
‘I’d see her out the front every now and then and wave and say hello, it was just your normal neighbourly relationship – they were pretty quiet.’
As part of their investigation, police are looking into whether Brodie was suffocated.
Prospective buyers were due to walk through the family’s home this Saturday at an open inspection.
The three-bedroom house was listed last month with a buyer’s guide of $550,000 to $600,000.
Meanwhile, locals have described the arrested mother as a friendly resident who would go out of her way to say hello to her neighbours.
Prospective buyers were due to walk through the family’s home (pictured) this Saturday morning at an open inspection
The house has been described by real estate agents as an ‘ideal holiday getaway or an excellent investment’ property
Paramedics were initially called to the property on Alma Street, responding to reports that someone had been suffocated, 7 News reported
Alma Street resident Tina Wallace said she was ‘horrified’ to learn of the child’s death, Herald Sun reported.
She added: ‘It’s absolutely tragic, I’ve got a ten-year-old son myself and it scared the hell out of me to hear what had happened.’
‘He was always a happy child,’ a separate neighbour told 9 News.
‘We’d wave hello as we were collecting the bins. They’d always say hello back.’
Nearby residents said no commotion was heard in the afternoon and they couldn’t recall any previous trouble at the home, which has children’s play equipment surrounding it.
Paramedics were initially called to the property, responding to reports that someone had been suffocated, 7 News reported.