1 February 2026 – In the affluent, sun-drenched suburb of Mosman Park, Perth – where multimillion-dollar homes line quiet cul-de-sacs and the Indian Ocean sparkles just minutes away – a scene of unimaginable horror unfolded last Friday morning.

The bodies of Maiwenna ‘Mai’ Goasdoue, 49, her partner Jarrod Clune, 50, and their two teenage sons Leon, 16, and Otis, 14, were discovered inside their Mott Close property. Even the family’s beloved dogs and cat lay dead alongside them.

A carer, arriving for a scheduled visit at 8.15am, found a chilling note on the door: words to the effect of ‘Don’t enter – call emergency services’. Inside, a second note – reportedly detailing financial arrangements and indicating a joint, premeditated decision – led police to classify the deaths as a double murder-suicide.

No weapons were used. The deaths were described as ‘non-violent’ in nature. Yet drone footage later revealed what appeared to be deep red marks – believed to be bloodstains – at the rear of the property, metres from bedsheets hanging innocently on a clothes rack. Police have refused to comment on the stains, with the investigation ongoing.

Detective Acting Inspector Jessica Securo called it a ‘highly distressing‘ case, confirming the boys had ‘significant health challenges‘ – severe, non-verbal autism that left them requiring constant, round-the-clock care.

But as floral tributes pile up at the cordoned-off cul-de-sac and a community reels in shock, friends and former carers are speaking out – and their message is explosive: the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – Australia’s flagship support system for people with disabilities – failed this family catastrophically.

French-born Mai, known affectionately as ‘Mai’ in autism support circles, was a fierce advocate for her boys. She shared openly in Facebook groups about their ‘severe’ autism, refusing respite care out of fear they might be mistreated. Jarrod stood by her side as her biggest supporter.

Close friend Nedra told how the couple felt increasingly isolated and abandoned. ‘They often felt unsupported and abandoned by family, friends, support services, schools, the NDIS, the health system and the community in general,’ she said.

‘No one can understand the endless fight to get the support and services they so desperately needed.’

Another friend, choosing anonymity, described Mai and Jarrod as a ‘strong couple‘ who ‘loved their children deeply‘ and ‘moved all the stones they could‘ to secure help. ‘Unfortunately they were fighting a losing battle against a system which is not here to assist.’

‘This was not a domestic violence-related murder-suicide. This tragedy arose because two parents were so beaten down by the system, so isolated, so fearful for the future of their children that they could see no other way out.’

Autism mentor Maddie Page, who worked with the boys for years, poured out her heartbreak on social media: ‘The Clune boys will always hold a special place in my heart – they taught me to think outside the box when it came to working with autism, and reminded me that communication is so much more than words.’

‘My heart feels unbearably heavy knowing that the NDIS system failed them, and that they were made to feel they had no other choice. There truly was no one like them, and their parents were their biggest, fiercest supporters.’

Reports suggest recent cuts to NDIS funding – possibly for one of the boys – compounded the despair. Chronic sleep deprivation from the boys’ non-sleeping patterns, challenging behaviours during long school holidays, and repeated rejections from services left the parents exhausted and hopeless.

Friends paint a picture of a family once full of love and determination – now crushed under bureaucratic weight. Mai and Jarrod reportedly felt ‘completely trapped‘, with no respite, no adequate in-home support, and a future that looked increasingly bleak for their vulnerable sons.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has called for an urgent coronial inquest to probe systemic issues, with Disability Discrimination Commissioner Rosemary Kayess warning against narratives that justify such acts. Recent NDIS reforms, critics say, have made access harder, leaving families ‘anxious and frightened‘.

Federal Disability Minister Mark Butler described the case as an ‘unspeakable tragedy‘ but declined to detail the family’s specific supports.

In Mosman Park – one of Perth’s priciest enclaves, fringed by iconic beaches like Cottesloe – the crime scene tape has come down, but the questions linger. How could a system designed to empower have left a family feeling so utterly without options?

This heartbreaking case has ignited national debate over NDIS failings, particularly for families with high-needs, non-verbal autistic children. Friends insist: Leon and Otis deserved better. Their parents deserved real help. And Australia must ask – how many more families are on the brink?

Anyone affected by this tragedy, or struggling with similar issues, is urged to seek immediate support from Lifeline (13 11 14) or other crisis services.