This Wasn’t the First Time Their Mother Made this Mistake- The Story of Darcey & Chloe Conley

The Tragedy of Darcey and Chloe Conley: A Wake-Up Call on Negligence

This is a deeply heartbreaking case out of Logan, Queensland, Australia. The story of two adorable little girls who needlessly lost their lives is not just about the extreme irresponsibility of an addicted mother, but also the apathy of the child protection system.

Family Background

Darcey Helen Conley (born May 15, 2017) and her younger sister Chloe Ann Conley (born October 10, 2018) were two girls with incredibly bright personalities. Darcey was deeply affectionate, loved hugs and kisses, and had a bit of toddler mischief, while Chloe was a radiant, giggly baby.

Their mother was Kerri-Ann Conley. Darcey’s father was Peter Jackson, while Chloe’s biological father is unknown. Upon learning Kerri-Ann was pregnant with Chloe, despite not being the biological father, Peter stepped up to care for both children with the hope of building a proper family.

Early Signs of Neglect

The tragedy began brewing as soon as Darcey was born. Kerri-Ann was heavily addicted to methamphetamine. While still in the maternity ward, nurses constantly had to remind her to feed and change her baby. She even disappeared for hours on multiple occasions, abandoning her newborn at the hospital.

Peter broke up with Kerri-Ann a few months after Darcey’s birth after discovering she frequently took the baby out in the middle of the night and kept a meth pipe in the house. He tried everything to gain full custody but faced legal hurdles because he wasn’t on Darcey’s birth certificate and Kerri-Ann had made false domestic violence allegations. Ultimately, a devoted father like Peter was only granted one hour of visitation per week by the court.

The Failure of Child Protective Services

Over time, Kerri-Ann’s addiction worsened:

• She caused at least two traffic accidents by passing out at the wheel while high, with Darcey in the backseat.

• A 2018 report revealed Kerri-Ann had considered “trading her unborn baby (Chloe) for an iPhone.”

• A doctor who examined two-year-old Darcey warned she looked pale and severely underweight because her diet consisted primarily of cow’s milk.

In November 2019, receiving a tip that a drug party was happening at Kerri-Ann’s house, Peter immediately rushed over. He was horrified to find people passed out everywhere, drug paraphernalia scattered about, and the two children in an open room nearby. He took Darcey home but was forced to leave Chloe behind because Kerri-Ann refused to let her go. The next day, Kerri-Ann texted Peter with a nonchalant attitude, saying she had “accidentally” left Chloe in the car alone for hours.

Despite Peter, a doctor, and family members repeatedly calling to report these severe incidents, Child Safety Services failed to intervene. They dismissed the reports as stemming from a custody dispute and ignored the warnings due to “high workload demands.” Without legal custody, a devastated Peter had no choice but to return Darcey to her addicted mother.

The Tragedy on November 23, 2019

On November 22, 2019, around 11:30 PM, Kerri-Ann carried her two sleeping children to the car to drive to a friend’s house to use drugs.

• 4:00 AM (Nov 23): Kerri-Ann drove the girls back home. Seeing them asleep, she decided to leave them strapped in their car seats with the doors and windows closed, parked out in the open without any cover, and went inside.

• 4:10 AM – 5:55 AM: Instead of going back out to bring her children inside, she casually played on her phone for nearly two hours before falling asleep.

• 1:00 PM: Kerri-Ann woke up.

• 1:20 PM: A full 9 hours after returning home, she finally went back out to her car.

By this time, it was far too late. Under the intense Queensland summer sun, the outside temperature was 91°F (33°C), while inside the sealed car, it had soared to around 140°F (60°C). The two innocent little girls died of vehicular hypothermia.

Outrageously, security footage showed that before calling Peter or an ambulance, Kerri-Ann carried a plastic bag containing ziplock baggies and drug residue to the trash bin to cover her tracks. When Peter frantically arrived, she even lied, claiming she had only left the children in the car for “an hour.”

An Outrageous Sentence

Initially, 27-year-old Kerri-Ann Conley was charged with two counts of murder, which would have carried a mandatory non-parole period of 30 years. However, through a plea deal justified by the claim that “murder would be hard to prove,” her charges were downgraded to manslaughter.

• In February 2023, Kerri-Ann was sentenced to 9 years in prison.

• Factoring in time already served, she will be eligible for parole in November 2024—meaning she will serve just over three years for the horrific deaths of two children.

Outside the courthouse, Peter Jackson could not hide his outrage and devastation. Having lost his two little girls, he now suffers from severe PTSD, anxiety, and nervous shock. Currently, Peter is pursuing legal action against Queensland’s Child Safety Services for their negligence. He firmly believes that if the agency had done its job after his numerous pleas for help, Darcey and Chloe would still be alive today.

The front of the home where the two girls once lived was flooded with flowers, stuffed animals, and mementos brought by the community—a tribute of sorrow for the sweet little angels who were abandoned by both their own mother and the system meant to protect them.