The man suspected of stabbing his grand-daughter to death in Brisbane's south was seen smiling while holding the girl in his arms at church days before the alleged attack.
Qianqian "Queenie" Xu died in hospital on Wednesday, shortly after police swooped on a Parkinson home and found the baby, her mother Yuanyuan Cao and grandparents all seriously injured with knife wounds.
The girl's grandfather, a Chinese national, is under police guard at Princess Alexandra Hospital but detectives will only consider laying charges once they have spoken to the 53-year-old.
Local Pastor Robert Chua says he met the man briefly last Sunday when he attended a service at the nearby New Hope Community Church.
"He was very normal, very loving," Mr Chua said on Thursday night.
"He was carrying the little baby and smiling and walking around.
"I didn't see him when he left but I was told he said: `See you later, see you next Sunday'.
"These are like normal visitors from China. We get many of them every Sunday.
"It was a real shock to us to see this happen."
Mr Chua plans to visit Queenie's parents George and Yuanyuan Cao in hospital on Friday.
"I won't have much to say to them, I just want to sit next to them and hug them if I can," he said.
"My faith tells me that the little baby will be with God so that's one comfort I can give to the parents tomorrow."
The pastor said a prayer for the more than 200 people who turned out to a candlelight vigil across the road from the Cao family home on Thursday night.
Police have said Queenie's grandparents were visiting from China to help care for their grand-daughter while Yuanyuan Cao prepared to return to her job at a bank.
