One question facing family after gran’s alleged fatal stabbing

The family of a grandmother allegedly stabbed to death in front of her granddaughter at a shopping centre have one big question about her death.

The family of a granny that was allegedly fatally stabbed in a shopping centre car park have been left with one glaring question about her death.

Vyleen White, 70, died after allegedly being stabbed at Town Square Redbank Plains Shopping Centre’s underground car park about 6pm on Saturday.

Police have said the motive for Vyleen’s alleged murder was to steal her Hyundai Getz.

But family members have said the grandmother would have willingly handed over her car keys when she was faced with her attackers.

One of Vyleen’s three daughters, Julie Ryan, struggled to understand how anyone could hurt her mother.

Vyleen White.

Vyleen’s daughter Cincy said her mother would have handed over her keys.

“She was a small, frail woman,” Ms Ryan told A Current Affair.

“She handed over the keys. They didn’t take her bag, wallet, nothing, so why did they need to [allegedly] kill her?”

Ms Ryan’s six-year-old daughter was with Vyleen at the time of the alleged attack.

Vyleen’s husband of nearly 50 years Victor White said it felt as though it was not just Vyleen who had been killed, but the whole family.

“This has changed the course of everyone’s life,” Mr White said.

Vyleen and Victor’s other daughter Cindy Micallef tearfully said if the crime had been a carjacking rather than a stabbing, her mother would have gladly given up her car.

“She just had a love for people, for God and Jesus and her love was just what kept us all alive,” Ms Micallef said.

Vyleen was killed in front of her granddaughter.

“She would have said ‘here’s the keys’. She would have said ‘I don’t care, take it’, as long as we are safe.

“She would have prayed for the offenders.”

The family also praised the six-year-old girl who got help, saying she “deserves a medal”.

“She just ran to get help. She just ran. She just screamed at the top of her lungs and of all people, she finds a doctor,” Ms Micallef said.

Dr Ademola Afolabi ran to Ms White’s aid, but could not save her life.

Mr White, who would have celebrated his 50th anniversary with Vyleen soon, is struggling to come to terms.

Vyleen's husband Victor White on ACA.

“All I knew, she went to (the) shop to get a few quick items and sitting here, hearing all police sirens going on and not long after, I get the knock on (the) door saying she was gone,” he said through tears.

“When this (person) stabbed my wife (they) stabbed four of us in the heart.

“(They) didn’t just kill her, (they) killed four of us with her.

“Justice has to be done, not for my sake, for the memory of Vyleen.”

The family said they did not want the devastating loss of Ms White to morph into discourse about race, but rather about the broader issue of youth crime.

“I did not want community backlash,” she said.

“We thank every nationality in the community that’s been supporting us.

“I don’t want the community targeting anyone.”

Five teenage boys have been arrested. Only one has been charged so far.