What we know about the suspected murder-suicide of a Perth family of four
A heavy police presence in Mosman Park after a suspected murder-suicide. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
The scene that greeted first responders at a house in the riverside suburb of Mosman Park was in police’s own words “highly distressing.”
An entire family dead in their own home — a mother, a father and their two teenage boys.
A “devastating tragedy” is how Detective Acting Inspector Jesscia Securo put it, addressing the media just three hours after the awful discovery was made.
So what do we know about what happened?
Police are investigating the suspected murder-suicide in the house. (ABC News)
Police swarm street
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Detective Acting Inspector Jessica Securo said police were called to the house at 8:15am on Friday after “a person known to the family” who had an appointment with them went to the property.
She said the person “became concerned and then subsequently contacted police”.
By 9am, dozens of emergency services personnel had swarmed the scene, including five ambulances and multiple police vehicles.
The normally quiet cul de sac and surrounding streets were quickly cordoned off as police tried to work out what had happened.
News travels fast in Perth, and the sheer volume of emergency services personnel in a suburban street soon attracted media attention.
Police are seen spend all day investigating around the crime scene. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
But when St John Ambulance confirmed it had stood down three of the five ambulances it had sent to the scene, and had not sent anyone to hospital in the two that remained, it seemed apparent that the news would not be good.
A police email followed stating there were no safety concerns for the wider community.
Police are at the front yard of the house where four bodies were found in suburban Perth. (ABC News)
At 11:30am, a sombre police media conference confirmed the worst — a family of four had been found dead in the house in what was being treated as a murder-suicide.
Detective Acting Inspector Securo said the family comprised a 50-year-old father, a 49-year-old mother and their two teenage boys aged 14 and 16.
The ABC has chosen not to publish the identities of the deceased while permission from the extended family is sought.
Four people dead after ‘devastating tragedy’ in Perth’s Mosman Park
The boys, Detective Acting Inspector Securo said, had “significant health challenges”.
The nature of their health issues has not been made public, but the family “had engaged with care services”, Detective Securo said.
While stressing the police investigation was “in its infancy”, she said police were in little doubt it was a murder-suicide.
Three pets at the house — two dogs and a cat — were also found dead.
Exactly how the family and their pets died has not been revealed.
Police have cordoned off the crime scene after four bodies were found in a house. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
However, police said it was not violently.
“At this stage I’m not able to disclose how these persons are deceased,” the acting inspector said.
“However, I do reiterate that there doesn’t appear to be a violent incident that has occurred at the house.”
The timeline of events is still being worked out.
Police don’t know if the family died on Friday morning, Thursday night or earlier.
Homicide Squad Detectives are investigating this incident as a suspected murder-suicide. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Detectives have been doorknocking the area, interviewing neighbours and reviewing CCTV to try to establish when the family were last seen.
The bodies were found in separate parts of the house, police said, and an undisclosed note was left at the scene.
The family were “not known to police at all” — in other words, they had no criminal records — and there had been no reports of family violence.
The Mosman Park family tragedy in Perth, Western Australia, on January 30, 2026, has left the community reeling from the discovery of four deceased family members—a 50-year-old father (Jarrod Clune), a 49-year-old mother (Maiwenna Goasdoue), and their teenage sons Leon (16) and Otis (14)—along with three family pets (two dogs and a cat) inside their Mott Close home. Western Australia Police are treating the incident as a suspected double murder-suicide, with no weapons involved, no prior reported family violence, and no ongoing risk to the public.
A close relative’s reflection on a recent phone call with the family has added a layer of profound heartbreak: “They were laughing happily just days before.” The relative described the family’s last phone conversation as completely normal—filled with warmth, everyday chatter, and light-hearted moments typical of their close-knit dynamic. There was no indication of distress, no unusual tone, and no overt signs of the impending crisis.
However, police later pointed out a chilling remark made during that call—one that, in hindsight, carries ominous weight. Crucially, the remark was not about the children. Sources familiar with the investigation indicate it referenced something else: possibly a veiled reference to the parents’ mounting despair, exhaustion from caregiving demands, or a cryptic allusion to their private struggles. The comment, innocuous at the time, has since been re-examined as a potential subtle indicator of the parents’ deteriorating mental state amid the immense pressures they faced.
The Context of Caregiving Strain
The two boys were reported to have significant health challenges, understood to include severe autism and related long-term needs that required intensive, round-the-clock support. A former carer has publicly claimed the family felt “failed” by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), highlighting systemic gaps in resources, funding, and respite care that left parents isolated and overwhelmed.
In such high-demand caregiving environments, families often maintain a facade of normalcy in conversations—laughing, sharing updates, avoiding burdening others—while internal crises build silently. The last call’s cheerful tone contrasted sharply with the reality behind closed doors, where sources suggest a “slow-building crisis” and “private struggle” unfolded without external intervention.
The Notes and Timeline Revelations
As previously reported, two messages were left at the home:
A visible note (found by a caregiver arriving for a pre-arranged visit around 8:15 a.m.) warned not to enter and directed the finder to call police—serving as a deliberate alert without immediate entry.
A hidden second message (discovered later during police examination) has altered interpretations of the timeline, particularly the last 30 minutes before the tragedy. While full contents remain protected for investigative reasons, it reportedly detailed the parents’ rationale or final preparations, exposing a premeditated plan born from perceived hopelessness.
The chilling remark in the phone call—made days earlier—now fits into this broader picture: a fleeting crack in the facade that hindsight reveals as part of the escalating despair. Police have not linked it directly to the notes but consider it part of understanding the family’s isolated life and the absence of outward warning signs.
WA Premier Roger Cook described the incident as “heartbreaking,” echoing community shock at how a seemingly stable, affluent family in a peaceful suburb could reach such a devastating endpoint. School newsletters and tributes portray the boys as loved and supported in their communities, underscoring the tragedy’s depth.
Broader Implications and Support Calls
This case has spotlighted challenges in disability support systems, mental health resources for carers, and early intervention for family crises. Relatives and advocates urge greater awareness of caregiver burnout—where “normal” phone calls mask profound isolation—and better NDIS access to prevent such outcomes.
The family was remembered for their devotion despite hardships. The laughter in that final call lingers as a poignant reminder: behind smiles and routine check-ins can lie unspoken pain that, left unaddressed, ends in unimaginable loss.
Anyone affected by similar issues is encouraged to seek help through Lifeline Australia (13 11 14) or other support services.
