Saddest garage sale: Toys and clothes belonging to four children and their mother, 35, 'killed in a murder-suicide crash' are put up for sale - as it's revealed separate funerals will be held
- Charmaine McLeod, 35, died in a horror car crash with her four kids on May 27
- Police suspect it was a murder-suicide after finding a handwritten note nearby
- Her sister Katie Harris is now selling their possessions through a Facebook ad
- Four kids bikes are on sale along with toys, clothes, beds, and a dining table
The sister of a woman killed along with her four young children in a horror car crash has begun the painful process of selling off their possessions.
Charmaine McLeod, 35, died was killed along with Aaleyn, 6, Matilda, 5, Wyatt, 4 and Zaidok, 2, when her car collided head-on with a truck on May 27.
The crash on the Bunya Highway near Kumbia in Queensland, three hours from their Hervey Bay home, is being treated as a suspected murder-suicide.
Ms McLeod's sister Katie Harris is now advertising all their possessions for sale as she prepares to bury the family wiped out in the fiery crash.
Charmaine McLeod, 35, died was killed along with Aaleyn, 6, Matilda, 5, Wyatt, 4 and Zaidok, 2, when her car collided head-on with a truck on May 27
Ms McLeod's sister Katie Harris is now advertising all their possessions for sale as she prepares to bury the family wiped out in the fiery crash
Photos of the items for sale showed four children's bikes, a toy car, and a $100 dining table piled high with CDs and boxes of other goods.
Ms Harris said she also had several single mattresses available when a prospective buyer responded to her post on a local buy and sell group.
Ms McLeod's ex-husband James McLeod revealed she and the children will have separate funerals, which are still being arranged.
Ms Harris was frequently seen at Ms McLeod's home in the Hervey Bay suburb of Eli Waters, and was very close to the children.
The devoted aunt has struggled with them all being killed in the days since the crash, posting heartbreaking photos of the family on her Facebook.
'I miss them so much,' she wrote on Monday, next to a photo of the four children smiling happily.
Photos of the items for sale showed four children's bikes and a toy car parked in the garage
There is also a $100 dining table piled high with CDs and boxes of other goods
The devoted aunt was frequently seen at Ms McLeod's home in the Hervey Bay suburb of Eli Waters, and was very close to the children
Police suspect Ms McLeod intentionally crashed her car into the oncoming truck after veering on to the wrong side of the highway.
Investigators reportedly found a handwritten note 200m from the scene that led to homicide detectives being assigned to the case.
Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart confirmed the crash was 'absolutely' being investigated as a homicide.
He said homicide detectives were working the case as 'there is a potential that there was an intention for someone to die'.
There were no skid marks along the wrong side of the road where Ms McLeod's car hurtled towards the truck that crushed it and killed everyone inside.
The crash was initially believed to be an accident as she overtook a truck, but the driver said she got around him safely.
Ms Harris has struggled with them all being killed in the days since the crash, posting heartbreaking photos of the family on her Facebook
Ms Harris cuddles up to a sleeping Madeline in one of many snaps she posted over the years as a proud aunt
'I miss them so much,' she wrote on Monday, next to a photo of the four children smiling happily
The driver, named Mark, posted on social media about the crash because he said he wanted Ms McLeod's family to know the facts.
'I must clear something up that is unfair on this poor family,' he wrote.
'This poor mother was not overtaking me, absolutely nothing in my witness statement suggests she was overtaking me.
'I was right behind her and although I won't discuss anything I saw with anyone other than the detective in charge, I will not let this family think she overtook me dangerously. She did not. Fact.'
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Mark said Ms McLeod had overtaken him some distance back, without incident. although he would not go into detail about what he saw next.
'It's just not right that the families who are going through hell will spend the rest of their lives thinking those kids died because their mother overtook dangerously,' he said.
'I can't talk about the impact in front of me, but I can say she overtook me very safely.
'What happened in front of me few dozen metres later is up to the experts to determine.'
Police suspect Ms McLeod intentionally crashed her car into the oncoming truck after veering on to the wrong side of the highway
A family picnic from 2017 with the four children and Ms McLeod's former husband James and sister Katie
Investigators reportedly found a handwritten note 200m from the scene that led to homicide detectives being assigned to the case
'Those kids were something else I tell you and lived like princes and princesses for their short life they had but there was nothing materialistic to it they were just so happy and loved and their happiness came before anything,' a friend said
Commisioner Stewart said it may take some time to uncover what caused the crash and, for the time being, the deaths haven't been added to the national road toll.
Police also don't know where Ms McLeod was heading when the accident occurred, as the car was travelling south along the highway, about three hours from home.
They believed the family were driving from the Bundaberg area, about 90 minutes north of Hervey Bay.
Superintendent Dave Johnson previously said officers were looking at the case from 'all angles' to determine the exact causative factors.
Despite being part of a seemingly happy family, Ms McLeod posted comments in online support groups about troubles in her life, including her marriage breakdown.
On one occasion, she wrote about about feeling 'lost and alone', while in another post she replied to a question about items she would rescue from a burning house.
'My children can't be replaced, so I would rescue my children first,' she wrote.
Detectives say Ms McLeod's car did not leave skidmarks on the highway, south of the turn off to the Bunya mountains, toward Dalby. Pictured: The scene
The crash was initially believed to be an accident as she overtook a truck, but the driver said she got around him safely
Emergency workers described the crash as 'catastrophic' and one of the worst scenes they had ever been to. Police have called in specialist detectives to investigate the circumstances of the crash
The family is alleged to have also had involvement with the Department of Child Safety, but the department refused to comment on the matter.
A friend of Ms McLeod said she was in the process of moving when her life was cut short.
In an emotional farewell to her close friend, the woman wrote: 'The night you all grew your wings was meant to be your fresh start.'
'No one knows exactly what happened and why it happened but it happened and your fresh start ended so quickly.
'Thank you for your support and thank you for your chats. Will be forever grateful.'
The father of the children and Ms McLeod's ex-partner, James McLeod, said there were no friends or family who lived in that area, and he had no idea why they were there at the time of the crash.
Despite being part of a seemingly happy family, Ms McLeod posted comments in online support groups about troubles in her life, including her marriage breakdown (ex-husband James McLeod pictured with their children)
The family is alleged to have also had involvement with the Department of Child Safety, but the department refused to comment on the matter
A friend of Ms McLeod said she was in the process of moving when her life was cut short
Mr McLeod told Daily Mail Australia there was a lot about the tragic accident that didn't add up, but he was waiting for police to get to the bottom of it.
'Once the police investigation is done the story is going to explode again,' he said.
'I just want to wait for the facts and the police are going to report the facts,' he said.
The truck Ms McLeod slammed into also caught fire but the driver, a 47-year-old man, escaped the wreckage and was taken to hospital.
He suffered burns to his arms while heroically trying to free the family from the car as it was engulfed in flames.
Three of Ms McLeod's children were unable to be rescued and died in the back seat of the family's station wagon, and a fourth child was rushed to hospital but died on the way.
Ms McLeod's church, who she blasted in April for their lack of support, dedicated a memorial to the woman and wrote: 'We will miss them all dearly,' on its Facebook page
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