There are homes where laughter reverberates over breakfast dishes and footsteps chart familiar porways, and there are moments when even those quiet rhythms can break — not with fanfare, but with a stillness that stretches far beyond rooms and rooftops. In the tree‑lined cul‑de‑sac of Mosman Park, in Perth’s western suburbs, such a stillness fell one Friday morning when police were called to a home where four members of a family lay dead. What appeared at first like an ordinary suburban scene soon unfolded into something that has left a community in deep reflection and sorrow.
The bodies of Jarrod Clune, 50, Maiwenna “Mai” Goasdowe, 49, and their sons Leon, 16, and Otis, 14, were discovered inside their house after a support worker arrived for a scheduled visit and found a note on the front door asking that police be called. Inside the home, police later found another letter that investigators believe sheds light on the family’s final decisions. Authorities have treated the incident as a suspected double murder‑suicide, based on evidence and the circumstances at the scene.
The boys were understood to have lived with significant health challenges as part of the autism spectrum, and the family had engaged with care services for years. In describing the scene and the investigation’s early stage, WA police confirmed there were no signs of external violence or weapon use, and no history of family violence was on record. For neighbours who had known the family only from quiet greetings and a calm presence in the suburban street, the news was a shock that felt difficult to reconcile with everyday memory.
In recent days, tributes have poured in for Leon and Otis from friends, carers, and members of the disability support community who remembered them as warm, engaging young people. One long‑time support worker, who had known the boys for more than a decade, spoke of the immense love and dedication their parents showed, and shared that both had captured her heart with their unique personalities and kindness. She also criticised the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), saying the family “had been let down” by a system struggling to provide sufficient funding and services to meet high support needs.
Those comments have resonated with many who follow disability advocacy, raising broader questions about how society supports families with complex care responsibilities. Advocates emphasise that many parents and carers navigate difficult and deeply personal challenges when raising children with high‑need conditions, and share concerns that gaps in funding and accessible services can contribute to strains that are often hidden from public view until tragedy occurs.
Beyond policy debates, there is a human story etched into local memory: the boys who walked to school, the parents who fought to secure the best for them, neighbours startled by the sudden loss, and first responders who continue to work at the scene, piecing together timelines and evidence. In places like Mott Close, where quiet mornings once unfolded with routine subtlety, families now pause to remember and to ask how such a deep sorrow came to pass.
WA Premier Roger Cook described the tragedy as “unimaginable,” offering condolences and reminding the community of available support services for those struggling with emotional distress. Community leaders have encouraged people who are overwhelmed or feeling isolated to seek help, emphasising that no one should face unbearable burdens alone.
As the investigation continues, questions about cause and context remain central. Police have urged sensitivity and patience as they work to establish a clear timeline and understanding of events, underscoring that it may take time to fully piece together the family’s final days. In the meantime, the suburb has become a place of collective mourning — a space where people reflect on love, difficulty, and the unseen weight carried in the privacy of homes.
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Sources : The Guardian ABC News The West Australian news.com.au