A Queensland community is in mourning after a mother, her son and his best friend were killed in a devastating house fire that police allege was deliberately lit.
Jordana Johnson, 36, her 13-year-old son Jordan Norris, and his 12-year-old friend Chazz Mather died when flames tore through their Gladstone home in Toolooa on October 15. Authorities arrived just before 6am, but the top floor of the house had already collapsed, making rescue efforts impossible.
Police have charged 37-year-old Contessa Leigh Marie Richardson of Toolooa with three counts of murder and two counts of arson. She appeared in Brisbane on Friday.
On Saturday, more than 1,000 people gathered at Barney Point Beach to honor the victims. The ceremony included traditional dancing, a smoking ritual, an ocean cleansing and a water blessing. The beach, known traditionally as Yallarm, holds deep cultural significance as a healing place for the Gooreng Gooreng people.
The Maori community also performed the Haka in tribute to Chazz, who was part of their community.
Gooreng Gooreng elder Aunty Juliri Ingra, Jordana’s cultural grandmother, said the family was deeply moved by the outpouring of support, describing them as “overwhelmed by the graciousness of the community.”
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