Two parents and their two teenage sons have been found dead in the affluent Perth suburb of Mosman Park in a suspected murder-suicide, Western Australian police have confirmed. The bodies of a 50-year-old man, a 49-year-old woman, and their sons aged 14 and 16 were discovered at a home on Mott Close on Friday morning. A cat and two dogs were also found dead at the property.
Police received a distressed call at 8.15am from a person known to the family who had arrived for an appointment. Homicide detective Jessica Securo said the deaths were being treated as a murder-suicide, with a note found at the scene. “Yes, there was a note left at the premises although I’m not about to go into the content of that letter,” she said.
Securo noted that both children had “significant health challenges” and had been in contact with care services. She declined to provide further details for privacy reasons. A neighbour said the teenagers were non-verbal and that support services were frequently seen at the house. One of the boys attended Christ Church Grammar School’s Peter Moyes Centre, which caters for children with autism and learning difficulties.
Police are investigating whether the children’s health issues were a factor. “We will look at this holistically to see what led to this incident,” Securo said. She added that no weapon appeared to have been used and that the family had no reported history of domestic violence. The bodies were found in different locations inside the property.
The family lived in a multimillion-dollar home in Perth’s golden triangle, near elite schools. Residents expressed shock, describing the community as close-knit. The principal of Christ Church Grammar School, Alan Jones, sent an email to families expressing condolences and saying the school would not release a statement pending the police investigation.
