The ordinary rhythm of a working family shattered on a Brisbane morning when police officers arrived at a home in Belivah with news of a traffic accident. Instead of notifying a concerned partner, they made a discovery that has left the surrounding community devastated.
Kate Paterson, 38, and her one-year-old daughter April were found dead inside their Belivah home on March 12 after officers went to inform them that Blake Seers had been struck by a vehicle on Beaudesert Beenleigh Road. The bodies bore injuries consistent with an edged weapon, according to Detective Superintendent Chris Ahearn.
What emerged in the following hours was a tragedy layered in tragedy. Around 7:30 that morning, witnesses observed a man, covered in blood, running towards oncoming traffic near a supermarket on Beaudesert Beenleigh Road. The 38-year-old man, later identified as Seers, was struck by a black utility vehicle. Investigators believe he may have deliberately run into the path of the car.
Seers, originally from Auckland, remains under police guard at Princess Alexandra Hospital in a serious condition. He has been charged with two counts of domestic violence-related murder, including one count relating to a domestic violence offence against a child. He is scheduled to appear via video link in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
For investigators, the central puzzle remains opaque. Detectives have found no prior domestic violence orders protecting Paterson or April, despite the deadly outcome. The investigation is examining the nature of the relationship between the couple and their living arrangements.
The impact on the community, however, is unmistakable. Paterson was a Year 5 teacher at Windaroo State School, located south-east of Brisbane. She had recently returned from maternity leave, stepping back into the classroom with apparent enthusiasm to teach her students. A community vigil held on Friday drew about 200 people. Flowers and handwritten tributes accumulated outside both the school and the family home.
A statement from Paterson's family, shared through a fundraising appeal, described her as a loving daughter, sister, mother, partner and friend. They noted that the family had been preparing to celebrate April's first birthday and their wedding when the tragedy unfolded. Paterson's colleagues at Windaroo State School reported that younger students have struggled to understand why their beloved teacher will not be returning.
The deaths have added to a grim toll. In 2024, family and domestic violence accounted for 46 per cent of homicide victims in Queensland, with 43 of the 94 recorded victims. Queensland recorded 19 family and domestic violence homicides in 2023-24, with 68 per cent having a known history of domestic violence.
The absence of a domestic violence protection order in this case raises a practical question: what barriers prevent women at risk from seeking or obtaining such orders, and how many women in danger do the statistics fail to capture? That question sits uncomfortably alongside the broader reality that preventing intimate partner violence requires intervention before the moment of crisis.
For those seeking support, the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service is available 24 hours on 1800 737 732. The investigation into the deaths remains ongoing as authorities await the opportunity to speak with Seers.