Killer dad Rowan Baxter rushed into his estranged wife’s car, put a knife to her throat and told her to drive, then set her on fire with their three children when she stopped for help.
Hannah Clarke, 31, and her kids Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three, burned to death after Baxter, 42, set the Kia Sportage on fire on Wednesday morning.
Her shattered father Lloyd Clarke has pieced together the horrific timeline of events that led to the tragic loss of four lives.
Despite suffering burns to 97 per cent of her body, Hannah was able to give police at the scene a detailed statement about what had transpired.
Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left, with his grandson Trey) was a hands-on grandpa to Hannah’s three children
![Hannah Clarke (pictured with daughters Aaliyah and Laianah) was murdered by her estranged husband on Wednesday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/06/24999326-8027953-Ms_Whaley_also_shared_this_image_of_Ms_Clarke_at_the_beach_with_-a-2_1582267270602.jpg)
Hannah Clarke (pictured with daughters Aaliyah and Laianah) was murdered by her estranged husband on Wednesday
She was taking the children to school after 8am from her parents’ house in Camp Hill, Brisbane, while her killer lay in wait.
Notorious control freak, Baxter, had been spiralling since Hannah left him with the kids in November and decided to get his revenge.
‘Rowan must have been lurking somewhere close, either hidden around the side of the house or in the neighbour’s driveway,’ Mr Clarke told Daily Mail Australia.
‘His car was found down the street, this was definitely premeditated.’
Hannah got the children into the car and walked to the back seat to buckle Trey’s seatbelt as the girls could do their own.
That was all the time her killer needed.
‘He was very quick, being an ex-athlete. So as she’s doing that, he’s run into the passenger seat and held a knife to her throat and told her to drive,’ Mr Clarke said.
‘She got down to the corner here, turned left, and saw a neighbour washing his car and drove towards him to get help.’
![A shrine grows at the scene where Hannah and her three kids were doused in fuel and set alight, while one person leaves a poignant sign about domestic violence (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/10/24955882-8028417-A_shrine_grows_at_the_scene_where_Hannah_and_her_three_kids_were-a-54_1582279776308.jpg)
A shrine grows at the scene where Hannah and her three kids were doused in fuel and set alight, while one person leaves a poignant sign about domestic violence (pictured)
![The shocking murder-suicide that has left Australia reeling unfolded just metres from the home of Ms Clarke's parents on Raven Street, Camp Hill, as she drove her children to school](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/06/24929514-8027953-The_shocking_murder_suicide_that_has_left_Australia_reeling_unfo-a-9_1582267312627.jpg)
The shocking murder-suicide that has left Australia reeling unfolded just metres from the home of Ms Clarke’s parents on Raven Street, Camp Hill, as she drove her children to school
![Hannah Clarke (pictured with her three children, aliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3) died of her injuries on Wednesday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/10/25016308-8028417-image-a-67_1582280449563.jpg)
Hannah Clarke (pictured with her three children, aliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3) died of her injuries on Wednesday
Michael Zemek was the heroic first responder to the horror that was about to engulf Raven Street and traumatise dozens of residents.
As Hannah stopped alongside him and yelled ‘he’s poured petrol on me’, Baxter realised his time was up, and lit the fire while he was still inside the car.
‘When he gets trapped in a corner, he has no empathy so he would have just gone ”ok, that’s it, light it, boom, gone”,’ Mr Clarke said.
‘In a way I hope he poured it (the petrol) on the girls because that would have been quicker.’
As the car was engulfed in flames, Hannah jumped out while her activewear was on fire and the flaming petrol melting her skin.
Mr Zemek helped her smother the flames by dropping to the ground and rolling, then sprayed water on her horrific burns with his garden hose.
He suffered burns to his face and hands in the process and is still recovering in hospital.
![Hannah Clarke (pictured with her three children, aliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3) is seen enjoying a day with her own grandmother (far left)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/10/25016372-8028417-image-a-68_1582280558209.jpg)
Hannah Clarke (pictured with her three children, aliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3) is seen enjoying a day with her own grandmother (far left)
![Hannah Clarke pictured with her 'main man', son Trey in a beach snap](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/14/24915046-8029269-Hannah_Clarke_pictured_with_her_main_man_son_Trey_in_a_beach_sna-a-34_1582296009023.jpg)
![Rowan Baxter and Hannah Clarke (pictured) are seen on their wedding day](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/14/24932438-8029269-Rowan_Baxter_and_Hannah_Clarke_pictured_are_seen_on_their_weddin-a-35_1582296009205.jpg)
Left: Hannah Clarke pictured with her ‘main man’, son Trey in a beach snap. Right: Mrs Baxter on her wedding with her husband
Astonishingly, even with burns to every part of her body except the sole of one foot, Hannah was able to explain exactly what happened to police who soon arrived.
‘She still had enough strength and was still conscious enough to give a detailed description to the first responders saying what had happened,’ Mr Clarke said.
‘He ambushed her and got into the car. She managed to give a detailed report to medicos and first responders there, the police,’ he told A Current Affair.
‘Almost like a police report they said. She was so articulate. At this time he did this and he did that.
‘To the end she fought to make sure if he survived he got punished doing to her babies. She was so brave.
‘I didn’t know she’d been able to be that detailed. She made sure she got out as much information as possible.’
![Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) appeared on A Current Affair with his wife Suzanne (centre) and son Nat (right) as they paid tribute to their family](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/11/25017290-8028417-Lloyd_Clarke_pictured_left_appeared_on_A_Current_Affair_with_his-m-23_1582282854507.jpg)
Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) appeared on A Current Affair with his wife Suzanne (centre) and son Nat (right) as they paid tribute to their family
![Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) and Suzanne (right) are seen meeting baby Trey for the first time, along with his big sister Aaliyah. Trey was to die at three years old along with his sisters and mum](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/10/25017278-8028417-image-a-79_1582282014105.jpg)
Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) and Suzanne (right) are seen meeting baby Trey for the first time, along with his big sister Aaliyah. Trey was to die at three years old along with his sisters and mum
The shattered father said he wrestled with how much he wanted to know about his daughter’s last moments and there was more detail the police hadn’t yet shared.
‘I do want to find out and I don’t want to find out,’ he said.
‘I don’t know what his agenda was, was he driving somewhere to do it somewhere else, was he just going to do Hannah?’
Witnesses told Daily Mail Australia that even while Hannah was on fire her thoughts were with her children.
‘My children are in the car, save my children,’ she called out.
But it was too late. The heat was so intense that the kids had no hope, and tradies who tried to open the doors burned their hands.
‘She loved her kids, there was nothing she wouldn’t have done for them. Even at the end she fought to save them,’ Hannah’s mother Suzanne said.
![Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) was an active and involved granddad, often taking the kids out on day trips. He is seen with Aaliyah, 6 and Laianah, 4](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/10/25017302-8028417-image-a-81_1582282032862.jpg)
Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) was an active and involved granddad, often taking the kids out on day trips. He is seen with Aaliyah, 6 and Laianah, 4
![Suzanne Clarke (pictured) with Aaliyah, 6 and Laianah, 4 said her grandchildren were 'her world'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/10/25017304-8028417-image-a-80_1582282021699.jpg)
Suzanne Clarke (pictured) with Aaliyah, 6 and Laianah, 4 said her grandchildren were ‘her world’
By contrast, cowardly Baxter tried to fight off neighbours trying to put out the fire in the car, then stabbed himself in the chest until he died.
During the A Current Affair interview, Hannah’s devastated mother revealed she had even discussed writing a will, saying: ‘She said to me only last week, ‘Mum should I do a will?’
”What happens to my babies if he kills me? Because he’ll go to jail for murder, who gets my children?’ She said, ‘I want you and dad to have them or Nat. I don’t want his family to have them’.
‘I didn’t think he’d hurt the kids. She was concerned he would kill her. I believed that could be possible.’
The family said the dedicated mum would do anything for the young kids, and was working to start a new life for them.
![Hannah Clarke was burnt alive along with her three children after her abusive husband, Rowan Charles Baxter, set their car alight on the school run in Brisbane on Wednesday morning](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/10/25015234-8028301-Hannah_Clarke_was_burnt_alive_along_with_her_three_children_afte-a-20_1582280077059.jpg)
Hannah Clarke was burnt alive along with her three children after her abusive husband, Rowan Charles Baxter, set their car alight on the school run in Brisbane on Wednesday morning
![Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) enjoyed gardening with his grandchildren before the horrific murders](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/21/10/25017306-8028417-image-a-85_1582282324463.jpg)
Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) enjoyed gardening with his grandchildren before the horrific murders
Sat clutching each other’s hand during the interview, the Clarkes said they began to fear for their daughter’s safety when she finally left her abusive husband in November last year.
He hadn’t been physically abusive to her before that, instead using financial, sexual and emotional manipulation.
Asked whether she was concerned about her daughter’s life, her mother said: ‘More so when she was getting ready to leave.
‘While he felt he was still in control of the situation it was all not physically as dangerous.
‘But we knew there was no way she could say ‘I’m going’ and walk out the door.’