On the surface, Australia’s Hannah Clarke and Rowan Baxter had the picture-perfect life that many would envy on Instagram. The 31-year-old fitness coach and her 44-year-old ex-rugby star husband looked like a match made in heaven, raising their three sweet kids in the sunny city of Brisbane, Australia. But the truth was far from what their social media feeds showed.
For years, Hannah suffered in silence, enduring a toxic relationship filled with control and cruelty.
Rowan had a say in everything, from the clothes she wore to the jokes she told, and even went as far as cutting her off from her own family. The illusion of their happy family life began to shatter when their six-year-old daughter Aaliyah stood up to him.
Tragically, she paid the highest cost imaginable.
Hannah’s friends shared that she finally understood the deep emotional pain her kids were going through. One day at school, Aaliyah called her in tears, absolutely scared of her own dad. This was a turning point for Hannah, who decided to do something courageous — she chose to leave him. She packed up and moved in with her parents, filed a restraining order, and reported Rowan’s abuse to the cops.
But leaving someone who’s been abusing you can actually make them want to hurt you more, and Rowan wasn’t going to let Hannah and the kids go without trying to get them back.
On 19 February 2020, Hannah planned to take her little ones out for some fun. Aaliyah was six, Laianah just four, and Trey a lively three-year-old. As they all got ready to leave, her mom gave them each a goodbye kiss, having no idea of the terrifying events that were about to unfold. Just as Hannah was getting into the car with the kids outside her parents’ house, Rowan terribly surprised her.
He jumped into the vehicle with a gas canister and started to scare them. Panicking, Hannah struggled to get away, but Rowan was too strong for her. He began pouring petrol over her, turning their day from one of excitement to one of pure horror.
In a state of panic, she sped to a neighbor’s house, her voice filled with terror, “Call the police, he’s going to kill me. He’s poured petrol on me.” Before anyone could react, the car burst into a terrifying inferno. Somehow, Hannah managed to get out, her clothes on fire, while the brave neighbor in this Australian area dashed to her aid, getting burned in the process.
But the kids were still stuck in their seats, unable to escape as the fire spread.
This week on ISGD Podcast, Erin tells us about the 2020 murder of Hannah Clarke and her three young children, in Australia at the hands of her ex husband, Rowan Baxter. pic.twitter.com/us9YlN2GFU
— ISGD Podcast (@ISGDpodcast) February 7, 2023
Rowan barely managed to get out of the car, stumbled, and then stabbed himself before falling to the ground. Poor Hannah, despite being terribly burned, stayed conscious and was somehow able to tell everyone that he was the one who did this to her. Her last words were about her kids, asking for help. They rushed her to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, but she didn’t make it through the night.
The firefighters worked hard to put out the massive fire. After it was out, they found what was left of Aaliyah, Laianah, and Trey. It was so bad that the coroner couldn’t even tell who they were just by looking at them.
Hannah is said to have told the emergency personnel, “I hope he survives and rots in jail”.
But, instead of that, he took his own life and left everyone wrecked.
