Mum shares heartbreaking last picture of toddler before she was raped and murdered by stepmother

Treasured memory: The last picture taken of little Lily

A mum has shared the heartbreaking last picture she took of her daughter before she was sexually assaulted and murdered by her stepmother.

Lauren Furneaux posted the picture of two-year-old Lily, sitting by a Christmas tree, on Facebook.

With it she shared the horrific story of the toddler’s death to raise awareness of child abuse five years on from the tragedy.

Lauren had handed Lily over to her father, Jeff Wolfenberger, 29, to spend time with him and his partner, Renee King, 28.

She had only been parted from her daughter for a few hours when she received a call from Wolfenberger telling her Lily was in hospital after King had ‘fallen on her in the shower’.

It later transpired that King had sexually assaulted the child with an object and repeatedly slammed her head into the floor when she threw a tantrum and soiled her underwear.

Lauren describes with heartbreaking detail the moment she learned her daughter was dead and the horrific abuse she had suffered.

She wrote: “When we arrived at the ER… her “father” was standing outside smoking as I opened the door.

“My knees gave out and I couldn’t stand. I asked him if she was ok and he said no. I asked him if she was alive and he said no.

“My world came crashing down at that moment.”

She continued: “We went home that night and sat in the car. How do you go back into a house that the one person who made it a home is never coming back?

“How do you go on when all your hopes and dreams are taken away? It was just supposed to be 33 hours, not a lifetime.

“To this day I hate when my parents go anywhere far away because I’m scared something is going to happen.

“To this day I can’t go in that isle of Walmart. To this day I can’t wake up on November 20th and not replay every horrific moment.

“I miss you Lily to infinity and beyond always and forever and I will never stop fighting for you.”

King was found guilty of raping and murdering Lily following a trial in February 2012 and jailed for life.