‘No child deserves this’: Bribie Island mother remembered following alleged murder

A Bribie Island woman, believed to have been murdered in her own home, is being remembered as a “devoted mother and friend to many”, as police said a man is assisting with inquiries

The scene of a home on Milea St, Bongaree where police found a 51-year-old woman dead in her home.

A man was assisting with inquiries after a Brisbane woman was found dead earlier this week, Queensland Police said on Sunday.

A Bribie Island woman, who police think was murdered in her own home, is being remembered as a “devoted mother and friend to many”.

Janet Guthrie, 51, was found dead in a “very confronting” scene at her Melia St, Bongaree home at 3pm on Thursday – a day after neighbours heard a disturbance, police said.

Police were not called about the noises coming from Ms Guthrie’s home until Thursday, with Queensland Police detectives investigating whether she was killed on Wednesday night.

Ms Guthrie’s ex-husband and father to her children wrote on social media that “no child deserves to have to go through what my girls are going through at the moment”.

“As some of you will by now know, my ex-wife and mother to my beautiful daughters was tragically taken from this mortal coil on Thursday,” he wrote.

“Janet and I shared a complicated relationship of more than 20 years and whilst we didn’t always get along or agree with (each) other, we did share a common love for our girls and a commitment to their wellbeing.

“I will be taking some time away from social media so I can be with my girls and help them through this time as well as process my own emotions.”

Ms Guthrie’s ex-husband is not accused of any involvement in her death and no charges have been laid.

Janet Guthrie, 51, was murdered this week. Picture: Supplied

A GoFundMe fundraising account, organised by Trudy Walsh and titled ‘Janet Guthrie Memorial’, has raised more than $7000.

“Due to the unforeseen, tragic circumstances of the loss of Janet, we are raising funds on behalf of Tiahni and India to help ease the financial pressures,” the GoFundMe read.

“Janet was not only a devoted mother and friend to many, but also a strong devoted pillar of the community.”

One of Ms Guthrie’s daughters, Tiahni Guthrie, shared a heartbreaking photo captioned “Forever and always my number one – I love you mumma”.

A woman named Lisa Jane shared a tribute to the “beautiful” Ms Guthrie on a Bribie Island community page.

“Janet was taken from this earth unexpectedly and in horrific circumstances,” she wrote.

“Janet was incredible, beautiful, funny, kind and loved her daughters more than anything else in this world.

“RIP beautiful Janet”.

Janet Guthrie and daughter Tiahni Guthrie. Picture: Supplied

Detective Inspector Ben Fadian on Friday said Ms Guthrie’s death was being treated as a murder.

He said she lived alone at the waterfront property.

“The information we have at this stage is that there was a disturbance at the house at Melia St on Wednesday night,” he said, adding the noises were heard about 11pm.

“The matter was reported to us … on Thursday afternoon by a member of the public.

“As a result of that, we conducted a welfare check at the address and located the female person deceased inside.”

Queensland Police Service Moreton District Crime Group Detective Inspector Ben Fadian talks to the media outside the Caboolture police station about a homicide investigation after a 51-year-old woman was found dead in her home in Melia St, Bongaree, north of Brisbane. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

The Courier-Mail understands Ms Guthrie had attended a “spiritual cleansing” on February 15, hours before neighbours heard the disturbance.

Det Insp Fadian said police also responded to an incident at Ms Guthrie’s home a week earlier.

“At this stage we are conducting investigations as a homicide, we don’t have any confirmed suspects at this stage,” he said.

“In terms of the crime scene itself, I can’t elaborate on what was contained in there as it’s still subject to investigations.

“It’s very early stages of the investigation so we are keeping an open mind … whether it was a break and enter or something else.”

A man living on the adjacent street said he gave police footage from his driveway cameras of a 4WD driving away at speed on February 15.

He added that police had “bailed up” a large man in front of the home a week earlier.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman on Sunday confirmed a man continued to assist with inquiries into Ms Guthrie’s death.

Police have asked that anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage in the vicinity of Melia Street from 6pm February 15 onwards to come forward.