Devastated friends of a mother who died alongside her three children at the hands of their suicidal father broke down in tears at the scene of the unspeakable act of evil.
Flowers and gifts have been turned into a makeshift shrine on Raven Street, in Camp Hill, Brisbane, after Rowan Baxter slaughtered his entire family there on Wednesday by torching a car with his children and wife inside.
One of Hannah Clarke’s devastated friends visited the scene on Thursday afternoon. She slumped to her knees and cried next to the growing pile of floral tributes on the scorched grass.
‘At least she’s with her babies. They didn’t deserve this,’ she said.
The woman was so overwhelmed with grief she couldn’t stand for 10 minutes.
She was one of dozens of mourners who arrived on Thursday to pay their respects to Ms Clarke and her children – Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three. All three children burned to death in the horrific attack.
One of Hannah Clarke’s friends doubled over in pain as she visited the scene of the murder in Brisbane. She cried at the memorial which has been building up since Wednesday
Family: Fitness trainer Hannah Clarke is pictured with her children Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three
Dozens of mourners poured into the quiet suburban street on Thursday to pay their respects to Hannah and her three girls
Ms Clarke survived the initial blast but died hours later in hospital. Baxter stabbed himself in the chest at the scene, but waited long enough to make sure his children would remain trapped inside.
The memorial offers a stark contrast to the desolate property where Baxter spent his final weeks.
Just 3km away, the Carindale red-brick still has remnants of the well-loved family home it once was.
A trampoline and toys are scattered across the backyard still, despite the children leaving weeks ago.
Similarly, a little girl’s Anna bed cover, from Frozen, still hung on the clothes line. Neighbours told Daily Mail Australia it had been there for weeks.
The family home once shared by the family is now empty. Photographs show some toys scattered throughout the backyard
A lone trampoline and sheets on the line were also spotted. A neighbour said the sheets hadn’t been moved in weeks
Another young woman, believed to be Ms Clarke’s friend, broke down in tears as she said her goodbyes
She stood back up and sought comfort in another woman, reaching out to embrace her with tears streaming down her face
An Anna bedspread has reportedly been on the clothing line for weeks at the Carindale home the family once shared. Baxter was reportedly living there on his own before taking his own life
Hannah Clarke was desperate to save her babies even when covered in flames with her skin melting off
Before the separation, neighbours described a happy family, with the sounds of the children playing in the backyard often filling the air.
‘They seemed like a nice happy family. He was always polite and said hello,’ one said.
‘We would see them walk the kids to school and daycare up the road.’
Since the split, Ms Clarke had set her sights on the future and had told friends and family she was looking forward to the year ahead.
Earlier on Thursday, about 40 mourners gathered to pay tribute to the life Ms Clarke had dreamed of, which was tragically cut short.
Standing in a semi-circle holding flowers and tributes, they cried and embraced each other before taking turns to add to the growing memorial.
‘We love you, we’ll miss you, you’ve got a great family here,’ one man said to the crowd.
Mourners arrived constantly on Thursday to pay their respects to Ms Clarke and her three children, who perished in the fire
Most brought flowers, creating a shrine on the side of the street where Wednesday’s devastating events unfolded
Grief: Two women embrace as they lay flowers at the scene of the grim tragedy in south-east Brisbane on Thursday morning
Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner rests a teddy bear at a growing vigil in Camp Hill
Dozens of neighbours, friends and mourners turned out on Thursday to pay their respects and say goodbye to a beloved member of the community
The family was supported by anti-suicide charity Lifeline volunteers who maintained a presence all day to support mourners and shell shocked neighbours who saw Wednesday’s chaos.
‘Your legacy will continue through our actions and behaviours, our happiness and how we care for our little ones. Rest in peace, Hannah.’
Mourners, who showed up as a group after a social media call by former members of the couple’s gym Integr8, which shut down after they split, were mostly too upset to talk.
‘I only saw her on Tuesday at the school. I didn’t know how to tell the kids what happened,’ one woman said.
A family friend spoke of how good a parent Ms Clarke was to her kids.
‘Hannah was a loving mum who adored her children and will be dearly missed,’ she said.
‘She was a beautiful person and we’re all going to miss her.’
On Thursday morning dozens of family and friends visited the scene of the tragedy to pay tribute to Ms Clarke
Mourners pay their respects at a makeshift shrine near the scene. Mothers were seen kneeling by the flowers with children
Left: Hannah Clarke pictured with her ‘main man’, son Trey in a beach snap. Right: Mrs Clarke on her wedding day with her husband
Aaliyah (left), six, Laianah (right), four, and Trey (centre), three, were killed in a quadruple murder-suicide on Wednesday morning when their father set their car alight on their way to school
Pictured: Hannah Clarke with her three smiling babies during happier times swimming in the ocean
A chaplain from anti-suicide group Lifeline spoke to some of the mourners afterwards, encouraging them to get help when they needed it.
‘This is a traumatic event for everybody, whether you knew them or didn’t,’ he said, choking back tears.
‘Let people know they can survive, we don’t want people ending up doing stupid things.
‘I appreciate your emotion and response. I have no words. Care for yourself and care for each other.’
Away from the big group, Ms Clarke’s high school boyfriend Lee Fry walked to a memorial to pay his respects.
‘Hannah was a great girl, really smart and never judgemental. She didn’t judge me and I was really nerdy in school,’ he said.
‘The first movie we ever watched together was Along Came Polly, I still remember that. I’ll have to watch it again this weekend.
The shocking murder-suicide that has left Australia reeling unfolded just metres from the home of Ms Baxter’s parents on Raven Street, Camp Hill, as she drove her children to school
A lone ball belonging to a child was spotted in the backyard of a home once occupied by a family of five who have now died in tragic circumstances
Burned-out wreck: Rowan Charles Baxter, 42, and his three children, Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three, all died when the family’s white SUV was set alight at Camp Hill
Flowers and a dolly were placed on a grassy patch near where the tragedy unfolded after three young children were killed
‘I still have a teddy she gave me, too.’
Mr Fry said he had hoped to have a get together with school friends he hadn’t seen in years, including Ms Clarke.
‘We will be next week as terrible circumstances have brought us together,’ he said.
‘This shouldn’t have happened.’
In the moments after the attack, Baxter attempted to limit the help any of the bystanders could offer his children.
As Ms Clarke desperately tried to put out the flames on her body, she repeatedly screamed: ‘My children are in the car’, witnesses reported.
Meanwhile Baxter was busy trying to keep help at bay, ‘going crazy’ and telling residents he wanted his family to die.
‘He was so angry and just going absolutely crazy… he wanted [the car] to burn,’ witness Aaron Snell told News Corp.
On Thursday morning dozens of family and friends visited the scene of the tragedy to pay tribute to Ms Baxter
One woman knelt down to have a quiet moment to herself before she continued to the memorial to lay flowers
Queensland Police officers were called to a family violence incident that allegedly involved the couple just last month, the Courier Mail reported.
But neighbours said they never heard any fights or either of the couple ever even yelling at their children.
Behind closed doors, the couple were having relationship issues.
In a moving Facebook post on Thursday morning, Ms Clarke’s brother Nathaniel Clarke described the killer as a ‘heartless monster’ and revealed his parents had funded his sister’s custody battle.
‘My mum and dad have given every little thing they own to help my sister try and get away from this monster,’ he wrote.