Police launch murder probe after death of baby at Annerley

Police investigating the suspicious death of a five-month-old baby have appealed for public information, saying “someone knows something”.

Homicide detectives on Sunday questioned a Brisbane mum in relation to the death of her five-month-old baby, after new medical evidence provided investigators a fresh lead into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

On the morning of November 16 at King Street, Annerley, a 32-year-old mother made a triple-0 call to paramedics and reported her infant daughter was unconscious and not breathing. Despite paramedics’ best attempts, the youngster was declared dead a short time later.

According to police, the baby’s death was initially treated as a heartbreaking tragedy, until an autopsy and forensic pathology reports days later led detectives to believe the incident was suspicious.

CCTV of the last time a baby was seen alive at Buranda Shopping Centre. Picture: QPS

Police say the baby had no physical signs of injury or distress, however “as a result of investigations and now with medical evidence, (police) are treating the death of this baby as suspicious”.

Security camera footage (inset) of the little girl’s last public outing, taken at 5pm at the Buranda shopping centre on November 15, revealed the girl was “happy and healthy”, police said.

Queensland Police Service Detective Inspector Rod Watts made a public appeal for information yesterday.

“Someone knows something,” he said.

“Between 5pm on the 15th of November and 8am on the 16th (of November), something has happened to that child which is suspicious.

“Something happened between then … (and) when the baby was found unresponsive.

CCTV of the last time a baby was seen alive at Buranda Shopping Centre. Picture: QPS

“This appeal goes out to people who might have seen the family at Buranda, neighbours of King Street, Annerley, and even family and relatives that may be able to assist with information.”

He said there was a “very small circle of people involved”, and said the family were a “tight knit community family”.

CCTV of the last time a baby was seen alive at Buranda Shopping Centre. Picture: QPS

The Courier-Mailunderstands both the baby’s parents work in the medical research field and had been living at the King Street unit complex for about six months before moving out about one week ago.

The young girl did not have any siblings and the family was not previously known to police or child services.

One man who lives at the unit complex said he had not known his neighbours well, but said he was shocked to learn of the baby’s death.

“We’d hear the baby cry, but kids cry, so it seemed normal to me when we would hear it was upset,” the man, who did not want to be named said.

The baby’s mother was released from the Morningside police station without charge yesterday while police continue to piece together the final hours of the infant’s life.