This was published 1 year ago
Woman charged with murder of father, daughter who perished in shed fire
A woman has been charged with murder of a man and his 10-year-old daughter who perished in a burnt-out shed days before Christmas.
Emergency services were called about 12.20pm on Tuesday, December 20, to a shed fire outside Biggenden, about 240 kilometres north of Brisbane.
The remains of 54-year-old Todd Mooney, who was set to get married within one week, and his daughter Kirra were found in the shed once the fire was put out.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Pettiford said the woman was not known to Mooney, his daughter or his fiancee.
Aftermath of a shed fire in the Queensland town of Biggenden; Todd Mooney, 54, (inset) was killed alongside his 10-year-old daughter Kirra.Credit: Nine News
When asked what drove the accused to do this and what lead to the arrest, Pettiford said he could not comment.
“We’ve still got a hell of a lot of work to do and it’s all quite sensitive,” he said.
He said the accused had connections to Biggenden after attending school in town but had since lived in Maryborough.
Pettiford said numerous searches had been conducted at the property and the highway with SES and police divers were at Ban Ban Springs searching a body of water there on Friday as investigations continued.
“We have found some items of interest but again I can’t comment on those items,” he said.
Pettiford said the family of Mooney and his fiancee were devastated.
“As you can imagine, it is a sense of relief on one hand but on the other hand, it’s devastating and it’s something that they will never get over,” he said.
Pettiford previously described the scene.
“A large open shed on the property was used as an entertainment area that housed a pool table, ping pong table and a bar,” he said in a press conference in December.
“Next to that shed is what was described as a lean-to, which housed a vehicle that was like a van, a small van, and some plywood that was kept out of the weather.”
Police released a statement on Friday, January 6 of the charges that were laid following investigations.
A 24-year-old Maryborough woman has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of arson.
She will appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Saturday.
Investigators are appealing for any person who may have seen a white Holden Barina wagon, with a distinctive solar panel on the roof, driving in the area on December 20 to contact police.
The vehicle was allegedly driven by the accused from Biggenden to Ban Ban Springs between 10am to 2pm.