The Mosman Park tragedy has deepened with revelations that family members experienced a three-day period of complete silence from Jarrod Clune, Maiwenna Goasdoue, and their sons Leon and Otis before the devastating discovery on January 30, 2026. A relative’s statement—“We haven’t received any news in 72 hours”—captures the growing unease that preceded the horror, yet no one anticipated the irreversible outcome behind the closed doors of the Mott Close home.
The family had become increasingly withdrawn in recent months, a pattern friends and former carers now describe as a sign of mounting despair. Jarrod, 50, and Maiwenna (Mai), 49, were primary caregivers for their teenage sons—Leon, 16, and Otis, 14—both diagnosed with severe autism and requiring round-the-clock support. One boy was non-verbal, and both had significant behavioral and health needs that made everyday life extraordinarily demanding. Maiwenna had been active in online autism forums, openly sharing the relentless challenges: disrupted sleep, long holidays filled with intense behaviors, and the constant search for adequate help.
A former support worker, Maddie Page, who cared for the boys for over a decade, publicly mourned them while criticizing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). She stated the family felt “failed” by the system, particularly after recent funding reductions or denials that left the parents without sufficient respite care or resources. Friends echoed this, with one close acquaintance telling media the couple felt “isolated, unsupported and abandoned by family, friends, support services, schools, the NDIS, the health system and the community in general.” This isolation reportedly intensified, turning the home into a private fortress of exhaustion.
The three-day silence began after routine contact ceased. Relatives grew concerned when calls and messages went unanswered—no replies to texts, no pickups on phone calls, no updates on the boys’ well-being. In hindsight, this blackout aligned with the family’s deepening withdrawal: neighbors noted drawn curtains for extended periods, minimal visible activity, and the absence from local events. Yet in Mosman Park’s affluent, privacy-respecting streets, such quietness was not unusual for a household managing complex disabilities. No one raised an alarm during those 72 hours; the family had long preferred independence, and overt distress signals were absent.
On the morning of January 30, a scheduled carer arrived and found the outer note: instructions not to enter but to call police immediately. Inside, officers discovered the bodies of all four family members and three pets (two dogs and a cat). Police classified it as a suspected double murder-suicide, with no weapons used and evidence of premeditation. A second handwritten letter detailed the parents’ rationale and final arrangements, reportedly reflecting a shared belief that ending their suffering—and their children’s—was the only path forward amid perceived hopelessness.
School records from Christ Church Grammar School (attended by at least one boy) painted earlier pictures of warmth: teachers described Otis as eager in groups and Leon as cheerful. But exclusions and challenges—like one boy’s reported expulsion after an incident—added to the family’s sense of rejection. These disjointed struggles, combined with NDIS shortfalls, formed a backdrop of unrelenting pressure that relatives now say built over years.
The 72-hour gap has fueled painful reflection. Why didn’t the silence prompt earlier welfare checks? In a community where personal boundaries are honored, subtle signs of crisis—prolonged quiet, no social engagement—were overlooked. Disability advocates argue this highlights systemic failures: inadequate proactive monitoring for high-needs families, bureaucratic hurdles to support, and a lack of integrated outreach. Calls grow for a coronial inquest to examine NDIS responsiveness, caregiver burnout safeguards, and better links between services, education, and mental health.
WA Premier Roger Cook called the event “heartbreaking,” while the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner condemned narratives that might frame disability as justification for violence. Tributes continue for Leon and Otis—remembered as gentle, loved boys—amid vigils and community grief.
The three-day silence, once just worrying, now stands as a haunting prelude. It underscores how crises can escalate invisibly, even in supportive suburbs, when families retreat into isolation. As investigations proceed, the tragedy prompts broader questions: How can communities and systems better detect and respond to quiet desperation before it becomes permanent?
