Social media posts made by a woman charged with the murder of her three-year-old daughter – including references to training “like it’s war” and being a “warrior of light” – have been revealed.
Lauren Ingrid Flanigan, 32, is charged with the murder of the child after police made the grim discovery at a Regency Rd home in Moore Park Beach – in the Bundaberg region of Queensland – at 4.45pm on Monday.
She was not produced before Bundaberg Magistrates Court the same morning when her matter was briefly mentioned, before being adjourned to July, the ABC reports.
Acting Superintendent Brad Inskip on Tuesday said two other children at the address were not injured.
They are being cared for by other family members, he said.
Superintendent Inskip did not specify on allegations of mental health issues or concerns for the woman’s mental health at the time.
One reporter asked: “Can you confirm the mother cried out something like God told her to do it before the (alleged) attack?”
“I can’t confirm that, they’re details I’m not prepared to go into,” Superintendent Inskip replied.
“It is before the courts now … so we’ll have to leave that for ongoing investigations.
“I’m not in a position to speak about anybody’s mental health at the time. But no doubt that will play a part in our inquiries and ongoing investigations.”
A bladed knife has been seized from the scene, he said.
Superintendent Inskip said multiple triple-0 calls had been made in regards to the alleged incident.
Police and paramedics located the child’s body and the mother in the front yard of the address.
“There were multiple wounds to the child’s body,” Superintendent Inskip said.
“It was a horrific scene, a terrible incident for everybody – including the witnesses, including the emergency services, police and ambulance officers who attended and the investigators doing the ongoing investigation.
“This is not something we ever want to attend and want our people to have to deal with.”
In social media posts, Ms Flanigan advocates action on domestic violence and digital work options for moms.
Others show her posing with her baby bump back in 2021 and sharing pictures of her children.
One post on her Instagram asserts “God is calling His army out of hiding”, urging people to “remember who you are” and stand against the “system,” “trauma” and “lives of fear.”
“You are ROYALTY. You are CHOSEN. You are HOLY. You are a WARRIOR OF LIGHT,” her post made just two days before her arrest reads.
“Train like it’s war — because it is. Discipline is deliverance. Refine your algorithm. Refine your soul. God is calling His army out of hiding.”
Ms. Flanigan ends the post urging people to “tag your generals. It’s time to RISE.”
Her profile description reads: “Faith. Family. Future. Fitness. Built for wealth. Wired for freedom. Digital Systems. Elite Strategy. No Excuses” and encourages people to direct message her a flame emoji to “scale and become the 1 per cent.”
In a statement on Monday, Queensland Police assured there was no threat to the community and investigations into the circumstances of the child’s death were continuing.
Queensland Police Service Chief Inspector Grant Marcus told reporters the incident was a “horrendous tragedy.”
“Multiple calls were coming in … police have rushed out and unfortunately have located this child deceased at the residence here,” he said.
The body is not linked to the disappearance of 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop, who went missing in suspicious circumstances on her way to Bundaberg Airport from Gin Gin last week.
A large-scale police search for Pheobe is continuing.
