AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me. This article may cause upset, so reader discretion is advised)
PHOTO: Maree Crabtree (L) is charged with torturing her surviving daughter (R) over seven years. (Facebook)
Maree Crabtree would tell people that her daughter Erin contracted autism from a needle and that another daughter had cancer, an ex-girlfriend of her son Jonathan Crabtree says.
On Thursday, Ms Crabtree was arrested in Brisbane and charged with murdering her son Jonathan, 26, last year, and murdering her daughter Erin in September 2012.
Both deaths were initially considered suicides, until a police investigation culminated in Ms Crabtree being charged with two counts of murder on Thursday.
Police allege she forced prescription medication on them, which led to an array of health and developmental problems and eventually caused their deaths.
Detectives say she used the same method to torture her other daughter over a seven-year period.
PHOTO: Jonathan Crabtree pictured with his ex-fiancé Katelyn Lofts. (Supplied: Katelyn Lofts)
The crimes were financially motivated, police said. Ms Crabtree is alleged to have put in fraudulent insurance claims of more than $900,000.
Her lawyer on Thursday said her client would "vigorously defend" the charges.
Jonathan's ex-girlfriend Cheyenne Taylor said she was shocked that Ms Crabtree had been charged with murdering her children.
Ms Taylor started dating Jonathan in 2010, and kept a long-distance relationship going for a year when the family moved to Queensland from NSW.
"He was honestly the best person ever. He was always happy and smiling and laughing. He would never have done anything to hurt anybody," she said.
"Jonathan and his mum both told me that Erin had autism.
"[Erin] would not talk to anybody other than her mum or Jonathan."
Ms Taylor said she was told one of the Crabtree daughters had cancer, and would receive better treatment north of the border.
"There were some days [she] was fine and you wouldn't think anything was wrong.
"But there were other days that she just looked so sick. She couldn't get out of bed," Ms Taylor said.
Katelyn Lofts was engaged to Jonathan for a year. She said he proposed to her on the beach at Surfers Paradise.
"He was funny, charming, sweetheart, loyal and faithful," she said.
"He's a caring person who was willing to help anyone in need. I miss him so much."
PHOTO: Detectives say Erin and Jonathan Crabtree were murdered by their mother for financial gain. (Supplied)
Police said Ms Crabtree's living daughter, now 25, needed to be hospitalised from the alleged abuse at the hands of her mother and was now recovering.
Ms Taylor said she had no reason to suspect Ms Crabtree, saying the mother would pay for her to travel to Queensland to visit Jonathan and the family.
Having last spoken to Jonathan in 2014, she said she was devastated when she found out about his death on Thursday and the alleged circumstances behind it.
Another friend, Ryan Moore, said he struck up a close bond with Jonathan after meeting him at a Gold Coast nightclub.
They would enjoy working out at the gym, and Mr Moore stuck by his friend when he was seriously injured in a car crash.
Months before the crash, police say Jonathan carried out an armed robbery of a chemist at the behest of his mother in 2015.
"He was the best bloke I ever met. Always happy and loving to all his friends."
Source: Murder-accused mother 'claimed children had autism, cancer'
PHOTO: Maree Crabtree (L) is charged with torturing her surviving daughter (R) over seven years. (Facebook)
Maree Crabtree would tell people that her daughter Erin contracted autism from a needle and that another daughter had cancer, an ex-girlfriend of her son Jonathan Crabtree says.
On Thursday, Ms Crabtree was arrested in Brisbane and charged with murdering her son Jonathan, 26, last year, and murdering her daughter Erin in September 2012.
Both deaths were initially considered suicides, until a police investigation culminated in Ms Crabtree being charged with two counts of murder on Thursday.
Police allege she forced prescription medication on them, which led to an array of health and developmental problems and eventually caused their deaths.
Detectives say she used the same method to torture her other daughter over a seven-year period.
PHOTO: Jonathan Crabtree pictured with his ex-fiancé Katelyn Lofts. (Supplied: Katelyn Lofts)
The crimes were financially motivated, police said. Ms Crabtree is alleged to have put in fraudulent insurance claims of more than $900,000.
Her lawyer on Thursday said her client would "vigorously defend" the charges.
Jonathan's ex-girlfriend Cheyenne Taylor said she was shocked that Ms Crabtree had been charged with murdering her children.
Ms Taylor started dating Jonathan in 2010, and kept a long-distance relationship going for a year when the family moved to Queensland from NSW.
"He was honestly the best person ever. He was always happy and smiling and laughing. He would never have done anything to hurt anybody," she said.
"Jonathan and his mum both told me that Erin had autism.
"She had been given a needle when she was younger and got reactions to it, which had somehow given her autism."
"[Erin] would not talk to anybody other than her mum or Jonathan."
Ms Taylor said she was told one of the Crabtree daughters had cancer, and would receive better treatment north of the border.
"There were some days [she] was fine and you wouldn't think anything was wrong.
"But there were other days that she just looked so sick. She couldn't get out of bed," Ms Taylor said.
Katelyn Lofts was engaged to Jonathan for a year. She said he proposed to her on the beach at Surfers Paradise.
"He was funny, charming, sweetheart, loyal and faithful," she said.
"He's a caring person who was willing to help anyone in need. I miss him so much."
PHOTO: Detectives say Erin and Jonathan Crabtree were murdered by their mother for financial gain. (Supplied)Police said Ms Crabtree's living daughter, now 25, needed to be hospitalised from the alleged abuse at the hands of her mother and was now recovering.
Ms Taylor said she had no reason to suspect Ms Crabtree, saying the mother would pay for her to travel to Queensland to visit Jonathan and the family.
Having last spoken to Jonathan in 2014, she said she was devastated when she found out about his death on Thursday and the alleged circumstances behind it.
Another friend, Ryan Moore, said he struck up a close bond with Jonathan after meeting him at a Gold Coast nightclub.
They would enjoy working out at the gym, and Mr Moore stuck by his friend when he was seriously injured in a car crash.
Months before the crash, police say Jonathan carried out an armed robbery of a chemist at the behest of his mother in 2015.
"He kind of got a bit down, he kept to himself. He told me he'd been depressed and thought about ending it all," Mr Moore said.
"He was the best bloke I ever met. Always happy and loving to all his friends."
Source: Murder-accused mother 'claimed children had autism, cancer'
