Family shares pain after six-month-old baby found dead in car next to dad
The family of a six-month-old baby found dead in an apparent murder-suicide have revealed his mother’s grief at losing the little boy.
Baby William’s body was found alongside his 46-year-old father on an isolated track in the Beerwah State Forest on the Sunshine Coast in a red Holden Commodore on Wednesday.
His mother’s cousin Katie Buckingham started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the funeral costs, saying William’s mother has gone through “hell”.
“This mother needs all the help we can give her so she can grieve for the loss of her child,” she wrote.
“The courts have let her down and not kept the baby’s father away from her son!
“Now this beautiful and innocent baby boy has been taken from her by the man who did nothing but make her life hell.
“This is the saddest day for everyone involved.”
Council workers found the bodies at the camping ground on the banks of Coochin Creek.
They notified police, who are now investigating the incident as a murder-suicide.
Detective Inspector Dave Drinnen confirmed that the deceased are father and son, adding that the child had been missing for two days before they were found.
“A six-month-old child deceased with the father, they’d obviously been there for some time,” Det. Insp. Drinnen said.
“The father and child failed to turn up in relation to some custody arrangements and as a result of that the mother was concerned.
“It’s extremely distressing, a very tragic incident. The mother was distraught, as you can well imagine.”
No weapons were found in the car.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.
