CCTV footage emerges before babysitter and girl killed in Qld
CCTV footage has captured a car leaving a Brisbane home before a fire broke out at the property and claimed the lives of an eight-year-old girl and her babysitter.
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CCTV footage has captured the moments before a fire tore through a home killing an eight-year-old girl and her babysitter.
Raven Contini, eight, and Stephanie Ryan, 31, were found dead after a fire broke out in Bayside Court in Thorneside in Brisbane’s Bayside region on Sunday.
Footage obtained by 9Newsshows a white SUV leaving Bayside Court at 7.10am, three minutes before smoke was seen coming from the house.
Just four minutes later, at 7.14am, the SUV returned to the scene as neighbours rushed to the street, calling for help.
The male driver of the SUV is believed to live in the home, according to 9News.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by him.
“Just because the homicide investigation unit are engaged, doesn’t mean there’s anything that we’ve confirmed that is sinister at this stage, it’s just undetermined the actual cause of the fire and the death of the people involved,” Detective Inspector Paul Dalton told 4BC Brisbane radio station.
No arrests have been made.
Emergency services were called to the Thorneside house at 7.15am on Sunday, with the townhouse fully alight when fire crews arrived.
Raven’s body was found after an initial examination of the scene but Ms Ryan was initially unaccounted for after the blaze.
Queensland Police later confirmed on Monday afternoon the body of the missing 31-year-old had been found.
“A port-mortem and scientific examination will take place to confirm the identities of the deceased,” they said in a statement.
“Investigations are continuing to determine the cause of the fire.”
It’s understood Ms Ryan was on a holiday and was staying at the home after arriving from the NT on Thursday, the Courier-Mail said.
Investigations into the fire continue, with Inspector Dalton saying there was “nothing to say this fire is suspicious in any way”.
“But we will treat it as though it is until we make a determination one way or the other,” he said.
Handwritten notes were left outside the property on Monday, with one letter stating “fly high beautiful girl” and was accompanied by a hand drawn dove.
Another letter stated: “You tried everything you could to (be) the beautiful girl.
“You know that everyone loved you. Even though I didn’t know you, you will be dearly missed.”
“(She was a) very special, very well loved eight-year-old girl,” Raven’s mother and step-father told Nine News.
Neighbour Xia Iheng told ABC she had tried desperately to assist after witnessing the fire tear through the home.
I said ‘I don’t have a hose, I only have buckets’ and a young lady helped me to water the fire, but it was so strong,” she said.
“I feel overwhelmed, many emotions, just shocked and exhausted.”
Inspector Dalton on Monday praised the efforts of bystanders to attempt to battle the blaze.
He said that after reviewing the footage he had noted “some incredibly brave acts” from bystanders.
“And compassion acts done by members of the community trying to put this fire out and assist getting people out of the premises, but I think it was a futile cause,” he said.
– With NCA NewsWire
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