Friends and neighbours of a woman who has been accused of the murder of her two baby girls by leaving them in a hot car, say she loved her children but was in desperate need of help.
Kerri-Ann Conley has been charged with two counts of murder following the death of her two-year-old daughter Darcey and one-year-old Chloe-Ann.
The two girls were trapped inside the family car outside their home in Logan City, south of Brisbane and could not be revived despite attempts.
One of Conley’s friends told the Daily Mail the deaths were nothing short of a terrible accident.
“She didn’t mean to hurt those girls. She loved them so much,” the woman said.
“She needed help but didn’t know how to ask.
“Kerri-Ann is no monster and this would be killing her.”
Conley is believed to have fallen asleep and forgotten about her two daughters who were still in the car on Saturday as temperatures reached 31 degrees.
“My granddaughters saw the babies being carried out of the house soaking wet,” one neighbour told The Courier Mail.
“It is a tragic accident; she was a good mum.”
Neighbours claim it was not the first time Darcey and Chloe had been left in the car unattended.
“I’ve seen them in the car before,” one neighbour told The Australian.
“Whenever you see that you just think, ‘maybe she’s forgotten something inside or something’,” she said.
A number of reports had also been filed to the Department of Child Safety from neighbours who had concerns about the girls’ welfare.
Babysitter Gina McKenzie also told reporters that people had complained about the girls being left alone in the car.
“I have known both of them since they both were born,” she said.
“They were lovely little girls, full of life. Chloe-Ann was just about to start walking. They loved being outside.”
Police are still putting together the events of the day, but one woman claimed her grandson noticed the girls in the car about 6.30 am – meaning they would have been trapped for at least seven hours before police arrived at 1:30pm.
Queensland Police Detective Inspector Mark White told reporters the two girls died from extreme heat exposure.
“Paramedics made attempts to revive those children, unfortunately they were both declared deceased at the scene,” he said.
“The two children showed evidence of being exposed to extreme heat.
“It’s tragic and we are putting a lot of emphasis on supporting our staff, because they do a very difficult job.”
Investigators are now appealing for information about a man who was seen wearing hi-vis clothing near the park at the same time the girls were found dead.
The man is not considered a suspect in the case, but police believe he may hold a clue into what happened.
They are also investigating as to whether the 27-year-old mother had drugs in her system at the time of Darcey and Chloe’s deaths.
