Vigil held for mum and baby as haunting CCTV shows beloved teacher Kate Paterson and daughter April hours before deaths
Footage shows the family on a normal outing before the mum and child were found dead in their home.
Neighbours and friends gathered for a candlelight vigil to honour a mother and her young child, whose deaths had devastated colleagues, local school parents, and the community
The vigil on Boliva Rd, Logan, remembered Kate Paterson and her one‑year‑old daughter April, with residents bringing candles and flowers as a song was played and a minute’s silence observed.
The community came together as CCTV footage revealed the family walking with their stroller a day before police believe Kate and April were killed.
In the footage, Kate is seen holding April in her arms while her partner walks beside them — a scene detectives say appeared like any normal family going about their day.
What seemed like an ordinary moment is now overshadowed by the tragedy that followed.
“When I found out the age of the victims I was hoping it was not them because I didn’t know them personally,” Neighbour Nipun Pawar told 7NEWS.
“I used to see them walk past… happy family… always happy… always smiling.”
Police discovered Kate, 38, and April inside their home Thursday morning with stab wounds, after officers arrived to notify Kate her partner — and April’s father — Blake Seers, had been struck by a car on a nearby main road.
Detectives now believe Seers fled the home before running onto Loganlea Rd, where he was hit by a passing vehicle.
He remains under police guard at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, with investigators waiting to speak with him.
The deaths have shaken the community, with flowers and handwritten notes piling up outside both the home and Windaroo State School, where Kate had recently returned to teaching after maternity leave.
Parents have told 7NEWS younger students have struggled to understand why their beloved teacher won’t be coming back.
Friday’s vigil is expected to draw a large crowd, united in grief for a mother and daughter whose final hours appeared heartbreakingly ordinary.
The investigation remains ongoing.
News
THE MOMENT HIS STORY CHANGED: When investigators confronted Tanner Horner with GPS data, phone records, and delivery timestamps from the truck route that day, detectives say his explanation began to shift. That turning point led to a confession revealing what happened during the final hour involving 7-year-old Athena Strand — details that investigators say still leave many unanswered questions…
In the punishment phase of Tanner Horner’s capital murder trial in Tarrant County, Texas, in April 2026, prosecutors presented a mountain of digital and forensic evidence that dismantled the former FedEx contract driver’s initial explanation for what happened to 7-year-old…
THE GPS TRAIL: Authorities later revealed they reconstructed every stop made by the truck driven by Tanner Horner using GPS data and delivery scans. That digital trail eventually pointed investigators toward the rural location connected to Athena Strand, turning a routine delivery route into the key timeline detectives had been searching for…
In the punishment phase of Tanner Horner’s capital murder trial in Tarrant County, Texas, in April 2026, prosecutors presented a meticulously reconstructed timeline of the final hours on November 30, 2022. Using GPS data, delivery scans, cellular records, and the…
THE FIRST WORDS HE ADMITTED: During questioning, Tanner Horner reportedly admitted that the first thing he told 7-year-old Athena Strand after she entered the truck was a short command: “Don’t scream.” Investigators say that single sentence later became one of the most chilling details in the entire confession…
The First Words He Admitted: “Don’t Scream or I’ll Hurt You” — The Chilling Opening Line in Tanner Horner’s Confession In the punishment phase of Tanner Horner’s capital murder trial in Tarrant County, Texas, in April 2026, prosecutors presented one…
THE 60-MINUTE TIMELINE: Investigators say the entire sequence involving 7-year-old Athena Strand unfolded in less than 60 minutes. From the moment she disappeared near her home to the moment Tanner Horner drove away from the area, detectives later reconstructed a minute-by-minute timeline that revealed how quickly everything changed…
The 60-Minute Timeline: How a Routine Delivery Turned into Tragedy in Less Than an Hour On November 30, 2022, in the rural community of Paradise, Texas, a single FedEx delivery visit to a family home unfolded into one of the…
THE AUDIO THAT KEPT RECORDING: The interior camera inside the delivery truck used by Tanner Horner didn’t capture clear video that day — but investigators say the audio system continued recording for several minutes. Prosecutors later told jurors that those sounds from inside the truck involving 7-year-old Athena Strand became a key piece of evidence revealing what happened in the final moments before everything suddenly went quiet…
In the punishment phase of one of Texas’s most disturbing capital cases, jurors in Tarrant County have been forced to confront evidence that even seasoned prosecutors described as “horrible.” On November 30, 2022, seven-year-old Athena Strand was abducted from her…
THE TWO-MINUTE AUDIO: Investigators played a nearly 2-minute recording from inside the FedEx truck driven by Tanner Horner. In the background, the voice of 7-year-old Athena Strand can reportedly be heard crying while the vehicle keeps moving. Court officials say the audio suddenly cuts off before the recording ends — and detectives say the next few seconds became one of the most important clues in the entire case…
The Two-Minute Audio: A Chilling Clue in the Murder of Athena Strand In the quiet rural community of Paradise, Texas, on November 30, 2022, seven-year-old Athena Strand vanished from her family’s driveway. What began as a routine FedEx delivery of…
End of content
No more pages to load
