Mother charged with murder after four-year-old found dead in Queensland home

A Queensland nurse has been charged with the murder of her four-year-old daughter.

Emergency services were called to a house in Lowood, about 66 kilometres west of Brisbane, after 11pm, where they found Cleo Catterall unresponsive.

Despite the best efforts of first responders, the little girl could not be saved.

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"It was a terribly confronting scene," Detective Inspector Michael Manago said.

Less than an hour later, a man was seen sitting on the curb with his head in his hands, being comforted by paramedics as his partner was questioned by police.

"He was just sitting out on the ground crying," one neighbour said.

Manago said police immediately opened an investigation and spoke with a 31-year-old woman at the scene.

Police said that woman, Jessie Renee Phillips, was the only adult home at the time.

Police allege she was responsible for her daughter's death, with detectives investigating whether Cleo was drowned.

"The timeframe and timeline in regards to what has transpired there is part of our investigation," Manago said.

"I have a team of investigators that are going to conduct an extremely thorough investigation in all the circumstances leading up to what has transpired."

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).