A man accused of murdering his wife and 11-week-old daughter has been remanded in custody as it emerges he sought mental health support about a year before the bodies of his family were found in a central Queensland home.
Matthew James Cox, 31, was arrested after walking into a Brisbane police station on Thursday, allegedly telling police his wife and their baby were dead at a property hundreds of kilometres away in Rockhampton.
Police suspect Cox's 30-year-old wife, who is named in court documents as Tayla Ann Black, and baby Murphy Margaret Cox died on Tuesday.
Cox alleged flew from Rockhampton to Brisbane that evening.
There was no history of domestic violence in the relationship and the man and woman were not known to police, Detective Superintendent Darrin Shadlow said on Thursday.
Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said Cox had been an inpatient at Rockhampton hospital last year but had not recently sought treatment.
“I’m advised there hasn’t been any recent treatment at the Rockhampton Hospital for this individual," she told reporters on Friday.
“I understand about a year ago he did seek treatment from the Rockhampton Hospital - he was an inpatient there."
Officers discovered the bodies in a "quite confronting" scene at the property and weren't looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths, Det Sup Darrin Shadlow said.
When asked on Thursday whether it was a mental health-related incident, he said it "will obviously form part of our investigations".
Det Supt Shadlow ruled out reports a gunshot had been heard at the address but would not comment on how the mother and baby died other than to say police came across "quite a confronting scene".
"A deceased infant child is always confronting for first responders," he said.
The mother's family had been notified, "and as you'd expect, they're devastated", Det Supt Shadlow said.
Cox's vehicle was seized at the Rockhampton airport for forensic examination.
Cox did not appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court when his matter was mentioned briefly on Friday.
He was unable to apply for bail because of the serious nature of the charges.
Cox is able to appear by video when his matter is mentioned again in the same court on August 21.
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