Still suffering: family grieves murdered grandmother

However, her widowed husband says he is taking some comfort from the fact the horror incident helped usher in tougher sentences for juveniles in Queensland.

A 16-year-old boy on Tuesday pleaded guilty to the murder of Vyleen White in a suspected car-jacking outside a Redbank Plains shopping centre west of Brisbane in February 2024.

The teenager - who cannot be named for legal reasons - appeared in Brisbane Supreme Court wearing a green jumper and black pants just metres from a gallery packed with Ms White's grieving family and supporters.

The 70-year-old's death sent shockwaves through the state, sparking the Liberal National government's "adult crime, adult time" laws.

Almost 18 months later, Ms White's husband Victor said his family were still trying to cope with the shock loss.

"My family is going through a lot of pain and suffering because of what he done," he said.

The LNP campaigned hard on youth crime after Ms White's death and introduced the controversial "adult time, adult crime" laws after winning the 2024 election.

They ensure juveniles face adult jail terms for more than 30 offences including a mandatory life sentence for murder.

However the laws are not retrospective, meaning the 16-year-old faces 10 years in prison or up to 14 if the judge decides the murder is "particularly heinous".

Asked how he was holding up, Mr White switched focus to the teenager saying: "Lucky I'm not the judge, I'm telling you."

Mr White still took solace from the fact the tragedy affected change.

"We can't bring Vyleen back but at least we can achieve proper justice in the future for everyone else involved," he told reporters outside court.

Mr White said the juvenile was only in a position to kill his wife because he had been released under Queensland's previous bail laws, which were also changed after his wife's death.

"We've achieved something by that. If he wasn't on bail, he would not be where he is today," he said.

Police alleged Ms White was killed during the theft of her 2009 model Hyundai Getz hatchback.

The defendant from the nearby suburb of Bellbird Park was charged with murder and unlawful use of a motor vehicle plus three counts of stealing.

The teen also pleaded guilty to the stealing and motor vehicle theft on Tuesday.

Mr White said his wife had handed over the keys willingly but she was still stabbed.

"He killed her by choice, there's no other way to put it. He was acting like God," he said.

Ms White's family did not audibly react to the guilty pleas in court but her daughter Julie White later said it was "very intimidating" to see the defendant in court.

She said she would not wish her mother's final moments on anybody.

"We want to prevent that from happening to anybody else ... it has been very rough, every aspect of our lives has been changed."

Mr White said outside court he was glad the family would not have to go through a trial.

"The worst part is sitting in there and listening to what he done," he said.

Justice Lincoln Crowley remanded the teen in custody ahead of his sentencing on November 12.

Mr White said he wanted the teen to face a "hard" sentence.

"It's not going to happen but my thoughts all the time are a life for a life," he said.

Australian Associated Press