Major update in alleged murder of grandmother in Queensland as a 16-year-old is charged with her murder

A 16-year-old has been charged with murder and four more boys have been arrested after a 70-year-old woman was fatally stabbed outside a Queensland shopping centre.

The charges come after three 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old were taken into custody in Ipswich, west of Brisbane, on Monday, assisting police, following the fatal stabbing of the grandmother, identified as Vyleen White.

Ms White was shopping with her six-year-old granddaughter in Redbank Plains, west of Brisbane, when she was stabbed in the chest in the center’s car park on Saturday.

She died at the scene a short time later.

The girl was unharmed.

Detectives had previously released CCTV footage of four youths in a Hyundai Getz, which was allegedly stolen from Ms White.

“Unfortunately, the motive was to steal a Hyundai Getz,” Det McQueen said of the fatal stabbing.

“I stand before you today and talk to you about a murder of a grandmother in front of a six-year-old… and the result was a stolen Hyundai Getz – that’s the motive.”

He described it as a ‘heartless, cowardly, violent crime’.

“She was a loving family woman,” he said.

‘She took her granddaughter to the shops. This is senseless violence.’

The South Sudanese Community Association of Queensland issued a statement condemning the “unfortunate and shocking” incident and calling for calm on Monday evening.

“The SSCAQ leadership condemns in the strongest possible terms the murder committed,” a statement said.

“The incident is an isolated incident and the actions of individuals do NOT represent South Sudanese as a community and as a people.

“The leadership urges the families of the victims to discourage anyone who could take advantage of the unfortunate and shocking incident that occurred last weekend.”

Mrs White’s husband of almost 50 years, Victor, who is blind and leans heavily on her for support, broke his silence to Daily Mail Australia on Monday afternoon.

He revealed that his wife jokingly said, “If I go, no one will miss me.”

“If only she knew what was going on right now,” he said, referring to the outpouring of love and support his family has received following his wife’s tragic death.

The grieving widower shouted a demand for justice in a conversation with A Current Affair.

“When this particular animal stabbed my wife, it stabbed four of us in the heart,” he said.

“He didn’t kill her alone, he killed four of us with her.

“Justice must be done, not for my sake, but for Vyleen’s memory.”

One of their three daughters, Julie Ryan, struggled to understand how someone could hurt her mother, especially because she cooperated when confronted by the alleged attacker.

“She was a small, fragile woman,” Ms. Ryan said.

“She handed over the keys. They took her purse, wallet and nothing, so why did they have to (allegedly) kill her?”

Ms Ryan’s young daughter was with Ms White at the time of the alleged attack.

Resident Sarah Stanley wrote in an online petition calling for more security at the mall that the little girl begged bystanders to save her grandmother.

“I was in that parking lot and I had my grandchild with me,” Ms. Stanley wrote. “This attack was disgusting, that poor little girl screaming ‘my grandma’ not quite understanding what had just happened.

‘It’s disgusting and cowardice. This community has had enough and it’s time we fight back. My deepest condolences to all the family and friends of this beautiful lady. We won’t let this be in vain.’

In a cruel twist of fate, she said her mother had only recently returned to the road after losing the ability to drive due to arthritis in her shoulders.

Her trip to the shops on Saturday was the fourth time she had been behind the wheel in weeks.

Ms White’s grandson Joseph said: ‘She allegedly asked her (alleged) attacker: ‘What do you need?’ Can I pray for you?’

Her family remembered her as a loving mother who did everything she could to make people feel special.

Ms Ryan said she was overwhelmed when her mother presented her with a milkshake glass with Hawaiian motifs for her most recent birthday, to match the Hawaiian-themed party thrown for her.

“It just meant so much that she went so far to find that thing because that was such a milestone birthday,” Ms. Ryan said.

“And she was; she just did things to go the extra mile.”

Husband Victor said they met while working together at a broom factory in the 1970s.

They married and had three daughters: Cindy, Danice and Julie.

The couple was due to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in September.

Ms Ryan, her partner and their six-year-old daughter have been living with her parents while they tried to save for their own home.

During that time, Mrs. White and her six-year-old granddaughter built a special bond: eating breakfast together, having playdates, visiting neighbors and spending time drawing.

Mrs Ryan said one of the hardest parts of the tragedy was that her daughter had lost her ‘best friend’.

“And now she’s going to miss it all,” she said.

‘And she had to witness everything. How do you help your child get through that?’

Although the family welcomed news of the arrests, they fear Ms White will not get the justice she deserves.

They are calling on the government to take action by imposing stronger deterrents and punishments on youth offenders.

‘It doesn’t matter how old you are. “If you kill someone you have to pay the ultimate price,” Mr White said.

The family hopes Mrs White will not be remembered for her death, but for the impact she had on those around her.

Her daughter Cindy Micallef said she hopes the community will honor her mother’s legacy by continuing the kindness she spread during her life.

“You don’t know when someone is having a bad day,” she said.

“A kind word can make their day.”

The family begins to make plans for Mrs. White’s funeral.