Tragedy unfolded in Queensland, Australia, after a young mother and her baby daughter were discovered dead in their home — just hours after the child’s father was struck by a car miles away in a mysterious incident that has left investigators searching for answers.
Police say 38-year-old teacher Kate Paterson and her 1-year-old daughter, April, were found dead inside their home on Belivah Road in the Brisbane area on the morning of Feb. 11. Authorities made the grim discovery after responding to a separate emergency involving the baby’s father, 39-year-old Blake Seers.
Earlier that morning, around 7:30 a.m., emergency crews were called to Beaudesert Beenleigh Road in Logan — about 10 miles from the family’s home — after reports that a man had been hit by a vehicle.
Witnesses told police they saw the man, later identified as Seers, running into the roadway before the collision. According to Detective Superintendent Chris Ahearn, several witnesses said Seers appeared to already have injuries before he was struck.
“There are some witness accounts that suggest he was running towards where he was hit by the car and already had some injuries to the neck area,” Ahearn explained during a press conference.
Seers was rushed to the hospital and remains unconscious, leaving investigators unable to question him about what may have happened.
While officers were working to identify and notify the man’s family, they went to his home — where they made the horrifying discovery of Paterson and her infant daughter.
Authorities later confirmed that both victims had suffered stab wounds. Investigators believe an edged weapon may have been used in the attack, though police have not yet released further details about what may have led to the killings.
Detectives are now trying to piece together the sequence of events that unfolded before the shocking deaths.
“We are obviously investigating the nature of why that gentleman came to be hit by a car,” Ahearn said. “Our minds are open as to what’s going on here, but again it is a suspicious death.”
Neighbors described the quiet community as being shaken by the sudden tragedy.
Local resident Riley Evans said the morning began like any other before emergency vehicles flooded the street.
“I looked out the window and then I saw all the coppers and the ambos pull up and the fire brigade,” Evans said. “I thought it was just like a car crash or something. Then my mate told me someone had been hit and he saw someone lying on the ground.”
Friends and colleagues say Paterson had recently returned to work after maternity leave and was excited to be back in the classroom while raising her young daughter.
Police are also examining whether Seers may have had a history of mental health struggles as part of the ongoing investigation.
For now, authorities say many questions remain unanswered. With Seers still unconscious in the hospital, investigators are waiting to speak with him in hopes of understanding what happened in the hours leading up to the deaths of Paterson and baby April.
Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward as the investigation continues.