'Killer' mum leaves trail of eerie social media posts before being found dead
A mum believed to have murdered her three-year-old daughter left behind a spine-chilling trail of social media posts - from joyful pregnancy selfies to dark religious proclamations - before she was found unresponsive in her prison cell and later died in hospital.
Lauren Ingrid Flanigan, 32, allegedly stabbed her toddler Sophia Rose 'multiple' times in the front garden of their home in Moore Park Beach, Queensland, Australia, on Monday May 26. Just days later, Flanigan was discovered unconscious in her high security cell at Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre. She was rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital in critical condition and died on Sunday evening. In a series of old Instagram posts, Flanigan shared positive and hopeful messages as a mum-to-be. The page was also filled with snaps of sun-drenched beaches, scenic hikes and happy days out with pals before she became a mum.
In early 2021, she announced she was pregnant with her first child, posting: '16 weeks pregnant and totally loving becoming your mama my sweet girl,' alongside a smiling selfie, lovingly cradling her bump.
Friends and followers flocked to congratulate her. Flanigan laughed off the nausea and joked about her changing body: 'I am enjoying pregnancy a lot more now that I am in the second trimester and not feeling sick all the time haha! Just not looking forward to the weight gain but I guess it's all part of it lol.'
By April that year, the tone of her posts turned reflective. In one, she described the 'rapid transformation' she was going through - 'mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally'. 'Becoming a mum is the most amazing journey,' she wrote. Just a fortnight before Sophia's birth, Flanigan posted one final bump shot with the caption: 'Can't wait to hold you in my arms.'
A few weeks later, Sophia made her Instagram debut, wrapped in a floral swaddle, a bow headband atop her head, and the caption '7 days old' beside wooden milestone blocks. But after that, things went silent. Flanigan's Instagram remained inactive for nearly three years.
Then in August 2023, she reappeared in a friend's post at the Moore Park Beach Festival, beaming with Sophia in one hand and her baby boy strapped to her chest. By January 2024, she made a full return to Instagram, sharing date-night pictures with her ex and showing off her growing brood.
'Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and above all things, Love,' she captioned one post. A photoshoot followed, showing her 'divine babies' - Sophia, her baby daughter, and young son - cuddling, dancing, and playing together in matching clothes.
But by May, her posts took a deeply spiritual turn. A selfie shared alongside Christian imagery read: 'Today I rise. Clothed in fire. Covered in grace. Armoured by God.' The following day, she posted images of waves crashing on Moore Park Beach, using hashtags like #JesusOverEverything and #ChristianInfluencer.
'Each of us shaped by the waves of life we've passed through…' she wrote. On 4 May, she posted again: 'I have given my life to serve… I wake up every day with breath in my lungs and fire in my spirit.'
Then came the most haunting video of all - little Sophia playing in a beach hut that would soon become her memorial. 'Time won't be on your side forever…' the caption read. Her final post, the day before Sophia's death, read: 'This is Kingdom Rising. We move. We build. We burn with holy fire. No more delays. No more compromise. Tag your generals. It's time to RISE.'
One of the posts she shared to her followers said there was 'no warning, no guarantee of a second chance, no promise that tomorrow will wait'. She then re-shared a post on the day of Sophia's death, which read: 'Every breath you take is one closer to your last.'
On May 26 at around 4.45pm, Flanigan allegedly stabbed Sophia multiple times. Her two younger children were inside the home. Horrified neighbours reported hearing Flanigan scream her daughter's name as the little girl lay in the yard. 'It was a horrific scene,' said Acting Superintendent Brad Inskip. 'A terrible tragedy for everybody.'
Flanigan was arrested, charged with murder, and placed in a high-risk cell. On Friday, she was found unresponsive and died two days later in hospital.
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