A six-year-old girl who screamed “my grandma is dead” after watching the alleged stabbing murder of her grandmother will be traumatized for life, a close family friend has said.
Vyleen White, 70, spent Saturday morning praying for those in need before taking her granddaughter to the Town Square Redbank Plains Shopping Center in Brisbane’s south-west that evening.
The pair were in the city centre’s underground car park, near Aldi, about three minutes from her parents’ home, at around 6.10pm when the elderly woman was allegedly fatally stabbed.
The young girl screamed for help as the alleged knifeman escaped in her grandmother’s blue 2009 Hyundai Getz. A local doctor heard the commotion and saw Mrs. White lying in a pool of blood on the ground.
He called triple-0, but she had lost too much blood by the time paramedics arrived and died at the scene.
The Getz was then reportedly dumped on a street in nearby Springfield Lakes. A neighbor told Daily Mail Australia how she raised the alarm when she saw a group of ‘children’ pulling up in the car around 6.30pm on Saturday.
Vyleen White will celebrate her 70th birthday with her family in June
Police have released CCTV images of four men who they believe can assist their investigation (photo). One has been arrested
The woman, who asked not to be identified, claimed the teens were laughing and joking as they got out of the car.
She called police when she saw news reports saying detectives were looking for a car matching that description, and realized the Getz was still parked on the street.
She said: ‘On Sunday morning I saw the car was still there with the windows open and I thought it was a bit strange.
“Then I saw on the news that they were looking for a Hyundai Getz, so we called the police.”
Granddaughter probably affected ‘for life’
Katherine Lameree, a close family friend, told Daily Mail Australia on Monday that the little girl who witnessed the incident will likely have to deal with the trauma for the rest of her life.
“She’s doing as well as a six-year-old girl, given the circumstances, but children respond to trauma differently than adults because they don’t have coping mechanisms,” she said.
“It will probably affect her for life.”
Mrs Lameree said the grandmother had a good relationship with all her grandchildren and was very involved in their lives.
“I had someone she was giving religious education to contact this morning. “She was a big influence and would help anyone,” she said.
“She often prayed for anyone in need, and she did just that Saturday morning.”
Mrs. White’s family wants her to be remembered as a kind and compassionate person who was an active member of her religious community, and not for what allegedly happened to her.
They have also called for justice.
“We call for action and repercussions,” Ms Lameree said.
Vyleen White (pictured) was about to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary when she died
Police (pictured at the scene) have asked members of the public to come forward if they know anything about Ms White’s alleged murder.
“We don’t want lives to be lost due to (alleged) senseless violence… (allegedly) killing someone’s mother or grandmother, and for what? Why? It’s pointless.’
She pointed one GoFundMe campaign to help Ms. White’s family cover funeral costs.
“Vyleen was such a selfless woman who cared so much for her family and everyone she came into contact with,” the fundraiser said.
“She held prayers for anyone who needed them in their time of need. She would even do this on the day of her death. This is what they want her to be remembered for and not defined by someone else’s action.”
The daughter’s desperate plea
Ms White’s daughter Cindy Micallef told Daily Mail Australia her mother had struggled with her health in recent years but still put others first.
“She was our guardian angel – she bought my sisters and me into this world and her prayers kept us alive,” she said.
“I have personally had quite a few serious medical issues and it has only been the prayers of my mother, family and devoted friends that have bought me so far.”
Ms Micallef said the only thing that brought peace to her family was knowing her mother is in heaven.
“Anyone reading this, never miss the opportunity to tell people you love them,” she said.
A local man is pictured leaving a floral tribute for Mrs White at the shopping center where she died
Boy, 15, arrested as manhunt continues
Queensland Police have released CCTV images of four men they believed could help with investigations.
The group was described as possibly a mix of adult and young men who appeared to have African appearance.
On Sunday evening, a 15-year-old boy presented himself at Ipswich police station.
He was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle in connection with the allegedly stolen car.
He will appear at Ipswich Children’s Court on Monday.
Detective Acting Chief Inspector Heath McQueen appealed for the public’s assistance in identifying the four people who “dumped the victim’s vehicle on the street at Springfield Lakes, got out of that vehicle and walked away.”
“I can say that there is believed to be one person involved in the attack on this elderly lady, operating alone,” he said.
“However, it is possible that we may identify additional perpetrators peripherally connected to this perpetrator who committed the murder.”
A candlelight vigil was held for Mrs White on Sunday evening, attended by more than 100 people.
Locals also placed flowers in the shopping center to pay tribute to Mrs White.