Bundaberg mum’s chilling words before allegedly killing three-year-old daughter

A Queensland mum shared a series of bizarre social media posts about her battle against “the system” just days before allegedly killing her daughter.

A Queensland mum posted a series of chilling messages on social media about her battle against “the system” just days before allegedly stabbing her three-year-old daughter to death.

Lauren Flanigan, 32, was charged with the murder of her child Sophia at a property in Moore Park Beach in regional Queensland on Monday night.

“Police located a three-year-old child in the front yard of that address,” Acting Superintendent Brad Inskip said.

“Despite multiple attempts from (police) and (ambulance officers) to apply first aid to that child, that child unfortunately died due to the injuries that she had received.”

Flanigan was in the front yard of the home when authorities arrived. She was taken into custody and charged on Tuesday. A knife found at the scene, which police allege is the murder weapon, was seized.

In the lead-up to Sophia’s tragic death, Flanigan shared multiple social media posts about religion and her trauma.

Her final post before the alleged murder, shared on Sunday night, read: “REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. Not what the system told you. Not what your trauma whispered. Not the lies of fear.”

Lauren Flanigan has been charged with murder. Picture: Facebook

Three-year-old Sophia was found with multiple stab wounds.

“You are ROYALTY. You are CHOSEN. You are HOLY. You are a WARRIOR OF LIGHT. Train like it’s war – because it is,” the post continued.

“Discipline is deliverance. Refine your algorithm. Refine your soul. God is calling His army out of hiding.

“This is kingdom rising. We move. We build. We burn with holy fire.

“No more delays. No more compromise. Tag your generals. It’s time to RISE.”

Flanigan's final post before the tragedy.

“Time to watch my babies grow. Time to breathe. Time to live. Time to love,” another post from Flanigan, a member of Bundaberg’s Alive Church, read.

“We weren’t created to just work, pay bills, and survive the week. We were made to create memories together, lasting legacy, joy, freedom and smiles.

“I have given my life to serve. I have a beautiful little family who remind me of love daily. A community that uplifts me, a church that grounds me.

“Yes, there are challenges. Yes, there are areas that still need refining. But I wake up every day with breath in my lungs and fire in my spirit.”

A post containing multiple images of her three children was simply captioned: “My divine babies.”

Another longwinded post featured a video of the tide rolling in over a shell.

“As I walked along the beach today … I began to notice the shells scattered along the shoreline. Each one completely unique!!

“Different colours, shapes, textures. Some cracked. Some whole. Some smooth and radiant.

Some broken, with holes worn through by the sea. And then I realised … We are like these shells.”

She also spoke about enduring trauma, writing that people are “shaped by the rocks we’ve been broken against”.

“This is how our Creator sees us. Not defined by the damage, but deeply loved for the story we carry.”

Flanigan shared a series of bizarre posts on social media in the days before the alleged murder.

The family’s history, including any mental health, police or departmental history, will form part of the investigation, Superintendent Inskip said, though “there’s no indication that there was any long, intensive history with police”.

Sophia’s siblings, aged one and two, were at the house at the time, he said.

“Neither of them were injured in the incident yesterday, and they’re currently being cared for by family members,” Supt Inskip said.

“No doubt it was a horrific scene. It’s a terrible, terrible thing for everybody, including the witnesses and neighbours, including the emergency services who attended … because it’s not something that we ever want to attend.”

Sophia's father Jai Ruane.

Sophia’s father, MMA fighter Jai Ruane, rushed to be by the side of his two youngest children in the wake of the tragedy, which has left the community of Bundaberg reeling.

Speaking to Nine News on Tuesday night, Mr Ruane described his little girl as “full of life and love”.

“She was always smiling, always wanting to help,” he said.

“She just had a huge heart.”

Sophia ‘was always smiling, always wanting to help’.

‘She just had a huge heart,’ her dad told Nine News.

Police said Mr Ruane had been away for work when the horrific incident unfolded.

Superintendent Inskip said he had now returned and was “no doubt absolutely devastated”.

“He is back in town and he is with the children at the moment, no doubt absolutely devastated,” he said.

Pictures of Mr Ruane on social media show him celebrating his little girl’s birthday and wishing Flanigan a happy Valentine’s Day in 2022.

“Sophia and I both love you very much,” he wrote at the time.

Flanigan will next appear in court on July 21.

Flanigan’s two younger children were at home at the time.

Senior pastors at the family’s church, Adam and Joey Ryan, said their community was “hurting”.

“Sophia was a beautiful little girl. Radiant, happy and just a little bit cheeky,” they said in a statement.

“She brought a burst of joy to every room she entered and she will be dearly missed.

“Our hearts are heavy.”

The family home has been declared a crime scene. Picture: Isabella Pesch

Flanigan’s case was briefly heard on Tuesday at Bundaberg Magistrates Court. Her lawyer did not apply for bail and she was remanded in custody.

She will next appear in court on July 21.

The family home has been declared a crime scene and specialist police from Brisbane have travelled to Bundaberg, about four hours north, to assist.