A year after an alleged domestic violence murder took a young woman's life, a retired couple and their single son are in the middle of a tragic balancing act — grappling with the loss of a loved one while adjusting to bringing up her three young children.Her brother and parents have moved cities to raise her childrenBryan Cranston had only recently moved to Hervey Bay from New South Wales to be closer to his family when the alleged murder of his sister Karen Gilliland tore that family apart.
The next morning, Mr Cranston, with his mother and stepfather, moved to Rockhampton to care for Ms Gilliland's children."It has meant that the lives we had put in place for ourselves, they're gone."We needed to do it for the kids. They were the only focus and so there was never a question about what we would do."Karen Gilliland, 42, was killed in her Rockhampton home in June last year.
"They all like to look at photographs of their mum and we don't shy away from talking about her at any level."I hope she would be happy with what I'm doing with her kids. They are the most incredible kids, they're very gifted.A 'lack of finality'"There is this lack of finality for us," Mr Cranston said."We are still in this holding zone where each week presents new challenges external to the household.
Karen Gilliland's brother, Bryan Cranston, paid tribute to his sister at a virtual candlelight vigil in Rockhampton.