Horror as former NRL player Rowan Baxter sets family alight in Brisbane - The Australian

Ex-NRL player Rowan Baxter and his three children have died in a car fire in a “horrific incident” on a Brisbane street this morning.

Rowan and Hannah Baxter with their three children and, top right, the scene of the tragedy in Brisbane.

What seemed online like the image of a perfect family began to unravel three months ago and was finally shattered in a horrific act of violence on a suburban Brisbane street that left three children and their mother dead.

The children, aged just 3, 4 and 6, were on their way to school with their mother, Hannah Baxter, in their family car when they were ambushed by their father, Rowan Baxter, who had recently separated from his wife.

Their white SUV was doused with petrol and set alight by Mr Baxter, 42, a former NZ Warriors NRL player, who died on the footpath after jumping in the passenger seat and stabbing himself.

“I heard the explosion so I’d come running out,” he told The Australian, fighting back tears. “To me, it sounded like a gas bottle. I said to (a family member) then, before I even left inside, I said: ‘Ring triple-0, it’s a gas bottle exploding.’ Next minute, voomf!, about four other explosions. By that time you couldn’t get near the vehicle; unless you had a proper suit on, you were just no hope. The young lady was rolling on the footpath on flames.”

The three Baxter children, who were killed in a Brisbane car fire on Wednesday.

He spoke to witnesses who saw the incident unfold. “According to them, this vehicle that’s obviously burnt pulled up beside them and the lady yelled out: ‘He’s poured petrol on me!’ ”

Initial information suggests Mr Baxter filled a jerry can with petrol at a local service station before travelling to his parents-in-law’s house. The car was still on fire when emergency services crews arrived.

“I’ve been in the ambulance service for a long time and these things are always confronting when there’s children involved,” said senior operations supervisor Adrian Tong at the scene. “It was confronting. We did all we could.”

Rowan Baxter with former Brisbane Broncos player Matt Gillett. Picture: Facebook

The first ambulance crews to arrive at the scene could do little for those trapped in the burning car and “quickly moved on to the people who needed treatment’’.

The good Samaritan taken to hospital, Mr Zemek, was treated for non-life-threatening burns to his face and upper body.

However, Ms Baxter “had severe burns to a significant part of her body”, Mr Tong said. Detective Inspector Mark Thompson said it was a “horrific scene”. Police were working to confirm the cause of the fire, he said.

“How the fire actually occurred has not been ascertained, so for us to call it a murder-suicide or a tragic accident — it is inappropriate for us to do that,” Inspector Thompson said.

“That’s exactly what we’re investigating though, to try to establish what occurred here today and to compile the evidence together so we can determine exactly what happened.”

Inspector Thompson said the incident was one of the most difficult he had dealt with. “I’ve seen some horrific scenes — this is up there with some of the best of them. It’s a terrible thing to be presented with,” he said.

Rowan and Hannah Baxter with their three children in 2017. Picture: Supplied

The Baxters owned Integr8, a fitness business in Capalaba, southeast of Brisbane. Both were trainers at the business. Ms Baxter specialised in child fitness, while according to the business’s website her husband had worked with NRL, Super Rugby and AFL clubs to improve player fitness.

Photos and videos portray an outwardly happy family, holding or playing with their three smiling children, Laianah, Aaliyah and Trey. Only a year ago, Mr Baxter was organising a fundraiser to help his wife compete for the title of “Australasia’s fittest mum”.

In October, he shared a video praising his wife’s work with children at their gym. But the gym has been closed since December. It was about that time that cracks in the relationship appeared on their social media accounts.

By late December, his posts showed the family had split when he began uploading photos of his children and messages wishing them goodnight and saying he missed them. He made several similar posts throughout January and friends commented to offer their support.

The Baxters had lived in a single-storey brick and tile house in Carindale, east Brisbane, where Mr Baxter was often seen walking his daughter to school.

Ms Baxter and the children moved out about December and Mr Baxter had since been living there alone, neighbours said.

The home was sealed off behind police crime scene tape on Wednesday. Its garage door was open and a small trampoline could be seen in the backyard. “There were no arguments, nothing,” one neighbour said.

“She (Hannah) would talk to everyone. I talked to him a couple of times.”

Another said the Baxters lived there for about 18 months. “The wife and the kids disappeared early December,” he said.