Police investigating the suspected double murder-suicide of a family in Perth have confirmed a second note was found inside the home, shedding further light on the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The bodies of two teenage brothers, Leon, 16, and Otis, 14, were discovered on Friday inside the family’s home in Mosman Park, an affluent suburb in Perth’s western suburbs. Their parents, Mai Clune, 49, and Jarrod Clune, 50, were also found deceased in separate areas of the property.
Western Australia Police said the alarm was raised after a person known to the family became concerned for their welfare and contacted authorities. When officers attended the home, they located the four bodies and an initial handwritten note.
It has since been revealed that a carer, who arrived at the house on Friday morning for a scheduled appointment, first discovered a note attached to the front door. The note warned the carer not to enter the property and instructed them to contact police immediately.
A second note was later found inside the home. Police say this note contained further details, including instructions regarding the family’s finances and personal affairs. Investigators are continuing to examine both notes as part of their ongoing inquiry.
Friends of the family have since disclosed that funding for the two boys under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) had recently been cut. Both children were living with severe autism, with one of the boys non-verbal, and required very high levels of daily care.
According to those close to the family, the couple had been caring for their sons full-time with limited external support and were under extreme pressure.
“The very people the NDIS was created for are the very ones who can’t get the services they so desperately need,” friends said in a statement.
They described an exhausting and prolonged struggle to secure assistance, saying repeated requests for services were rejected.
“When the family looked for help, they were always rejected and told their boys were too difficult,” the statement said.
9News understands investigators believe the deaths were the result of a joint decision made by both parents, although police have stressed the investigation is ongoing and no final conclusions have been reached.
Disability advocates have renewed calls for urgent reform and increased support for families caring for children with complex needs.
“There are a huge number of people who have had NDIS funds cut, especially over the last six months,” disability advocate Samantha Connor told 9News.
“I would like to see more peer support, and I’d like to see the brakes put on the changes to the NDIS that are happening right now.”
Western Australian Premier Roger Cook described the incident as a “double tragedy”, expressing deep sorrow at the loss of life.
“That the lives of two innocent children have been taken is absolutely heartbreaking,” he said.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and have urged the public to respect the family’s privacy.
Anyone affected by this story is encouraged to seek support through Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or 1800RESPECT.
