Rowan Baxter's daughter left him a message on her mother's phone just over a year ago.
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Four-year-old Laianah Baxter, who was burned to death in a horrific SUV blaze alongside her mum and two siblings, sent a heartbreaking video to her dad before he killed them, telling him how much she loved him.
She, along with Aaliyah, 6, and Trey, 3, was founddead inside the burnt vehicle on Raven St in Brisbane's Camp Hill at around 8.30am on Wednesday.
Her mother, Hannah, 31, was rushed to hospital but later died of her injuries. Witnesses say her father, Rowan Baxter, 42, jumped into his estranged wife's car on a school run, setting fire to it before stabbing himself to death.
His Facebook page was filled with pictures of his children who he described as his "world".
One video Baxter shared around a year ago showed "little middle" Laianah sending him a heartfelt message from her mother's phone.
"Hi Dad, I miss you. I miss you at work," the young girl said before wrestling for the phone with her elder sister. "I miss you so much and love you so, so much."
Queensland Police said it was too early to tell whether Wednesday's incident was a murder- suicide or an accident, although one witness said Baxter's wife ran from the car screaming, "He's poured petrol on me".
Detectives are still trying to establish how the fire started.
"How the fire actually occurred has not been ascertained at the moment, so for us to call it a murder-suicide or a tragic accident, it's inappropriate at this stage," Detective Inspector Mark Thompson said.
Laianah, Trey and Aaliyah Baxter with their father Rowan. Photo / Facebook
"I've seen some horrific scenes – this is up there with some of the best of them. It's a terrible thing to be presented with."
Neighbours reported hearing multiple explosions before seeing the SUV engulfed in flames in Raven St about 8.30am on Wednesday.
Neighbour Murray Campbell said he heard a number of loud bangs. "It was just horrible, multiple explosions, very loud," he told AAP. A man who tried to help at the scene was also taken to hospital with facial burns.
The Baxters owned a fitness business called Integr8 and are believed to have separated before Christmas last year. The family was not involved in any Family Court or Federal Court proceedings.
Baxter was a member of the New Zealand Warriors NRL squad in the mid-2000s but did not play a first-grade game. His estranged wife was a trampolining champion.
Childhood Domestic Violence Australia CEO Tracy McLeod Howe said it was a tragedy.
"I'm not going to particularly talk about this family, it would be inappropriate, but in the history of families where I have seen this occur and he [the father] has been a good bloke," she told Nine Network on Thursday.
WHERE TO GET HELP:
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.
