An Australian couple who killed their two severely autistic boys before taking their own lives had become ‘isolated’ in the lead up to the tragic murder-suicide and felt let down by ‘the system’, devastated friends have revealed.
The bodies of Jarrod Clune, 50, his 49-year-old partner Maiwenna Goasdoue, and their teenage sons Leon, 16, and Otis, 14, were found inside their home in the plush Perth area of Mosman Park on the morning of January 30.
Police suspect the boys – who both had severe, non‑verbal autism – were killed in a murder-suicide by their parents, adding that the boys both experienced ‘significant health challenges’.
On Saturday, it emerged a second note, believed to be a letter, helped investigators conclude the tragedy was a double murder-suicide, with the message reportedly outlining plans for the family’s finances and suggesting the parents jointly decided to end their lives and the lives of their children.
Since the tragedy, friends have revealed the hardships the Clunes lived through.
Reports suggested the family had lost government funding to support one of the boys.
Adding to the burdens carried by the Clunes was an alleged incident in which a member of staff at the school the boys were enrolled at called one of them a ‘monster.’
Close friend Nedra previously told the Daily Mail the couple felt increasingly isolated and unsupported by friends and family, adding that the boys’ diagnoses could make life ‘difficult and very challenging’.
Referring to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which is meant to support people with disabilities, Nedra said: ‘They often felt isolated, unsupported and abandoned by family, friends, support services, schools, the NDIS, the health system and the community in general.
Otis (pictured, left) and Leon (pictured, right) were both found dead in their family home in Perth on Friday
Parents Maiwenna Goasdoue and her partner Jarrod Clune (both pictured) were found dead in their Mosman Park home alongside their teenage sons
‘No one can understand the endless fight to get the support and services they so desperately needed. Mai wouldn’t even put her boys into respite care in case they were mistreated in any way.
‘I can imagine that [there was a] lack of support [and] chronic sleep deprivation [as] the boys did not sleep through the night and long school holidays of challenging behaviours made [Mai and Jarrod] feel they had no other option.’
Another friend, who chose to remain anonymous, described the parents as a ‘strong couple’ who loved their children ‘deeply and moved all the stones they could to ensure that they had the required supports and help’.
‘Unfortunately they were fighting a losing battle against a system which is not here to assist,’ they said.
‘This was not a domestic violence-type 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.
‘They have been let down by the medical system, searching repeatedly for assistance with one of the boys. They were let down by schools, who could not provide the required support, multiple therapists who put them in the too hard basket.
‘Their fear was not unfounded – disabled adults who do not have family support are frequently exposed to neglect, violence and abuse.
‘What happened is an unthinkable tragedy. What is also a tragedy is that we live in a world where inclusion is not automatic.’
The boys’ autism mentor Maddie Page wrote on Facebook: ‘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.’
Leon (pictured) was just 16 when he was found dead
Along with the family, two dogs and a cat were also found dead (Otis is pictured)
Jarrod Clune (pictured second right) with his sons Leon and Otis, his parents Dianne and Michael, his sister Jemima, and brother-in-law Ryan
![Leon Clune (pictured) was due to graduate school next year, according to a teacher who said, 'That's a big deal. [It shows] just how far he came'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2026/02/04/12/106032437-15527175-Leon_Clune_pictured_was_due_to_graduate_school_next_year_accordi-a-41_1770209168903.jpg)
Leon Clune (left) was due to graduate school next year, according to a teacher who said, ‘That’s a big deal. [It shows] just how far he came.’ His brother Otis (right) had been expelled from Christ Church Grammar School after a spitting incident years before his murder
French-born Ms Goasdoue- who was known as ‘Mai’ to her friends – had previously described her sons as disabled.
Part of several online support groups, she confessed her sons’ conditions were on the higher end of the autism spectrum.
‘My two boys have that very severe level of autism. Still both very different,’ she commented on one Facebook post.
She appeared to have little family support, as most of Ms Goasdoue’s family live on the other side of the world, in Morlaix – a small town in Brittany in northwest France.
Meanwhile, Mr Clune, who comes from a wealthy and connected Perth family, grew up in the area and went to Christ Church Grammar, a prestigious private school where both sons are understood to have previously attended.
It was here that the alleged incident in which a member of staff called one of the severely autistic boys a ‘monster’ happened.
A teacher who knew the boys told the Daily Mail that Otis had been expelled ‘around two years ago’ over a spitting incident that had been the last straw for the school.
Two additional sources confirmed to the Daily Mail that Otis had been expelled.
Christ Church Grammar declined to comment specifically on Otis’s expulsion, instead offering a general statement about supporting grieving families and respecting the police investigation.
According to the school’s newsletter posted online, the grammar ‘bid farewell’ to Otis in 2023.
‘Otis, you have demonstrated an eagerness to engage with your peers during group activities in the PMC,’ a teacher wrote at the time.
Mr Clune was a Perth local who grew up in the area and went to Christ Church Grammar School
‘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,’ autism mentor Maddie Page (left) wrote in a Facebook tribute
Autism mentor Maddie Page (left) shared a heartfelt tribute on social media about Leon and Otis Clune (pictured)
Leon Clune attended Christ Church Grammar School
The teacher said the boys were enrolled in a special-needs school that welcomed and supported them, adding that Christ Church Grammar was not the right fit for them.
The Daily Mail understands the Clunes had difficulty finding the right school for their sons.
Leaving a floral tribute outside the Clune family home on Monday afternoon, an educator who was teaching one of the boys at the time of his death told the Daily Mail: ‘They were kind-hearted boys who just needed to be understood. Next year would mark Leon’s graduation from school – that’s a big deal. [It shows] just how far he came.’
Local children who went to school with Leon told Daily Mail the situation was a shock and ‘really sad’: ‘We recognise him from school, we’ve seen him around.’
The teacher went on to say that the boys’ parents seemed loving and dedicated, but would have been extremely sleep-deprived.
‘The boys never slept at night. They often slept at school,’ she said, adding that sleeplessness is common with severe autism.
While there were difficulties due to their autism, the teacher said the boys also loved their pets Diego and Loretta – who were also killed – as well as Disney movies.
‘Leon loved Toy Story, especially the character Woody,’ she said.
‘Otis loved Finding Nemo and would often bring his Nemo and Dory [stuffed toys] to school which helped him with [his] sensory [issues].’
The educator said the parents did everything they could to support their sons, including taking them to therapy and seeking professional help as far away as Sydney.
Floral tributes including a model ship were placed at the Mott Crescent home in Mosman Park
A heartfelt card left for the Clune family was addressed to the parents and their sons
Mosman Park is one of Perth’s most expensive suburbs and is bordered by some of the city’s most popular beaches, including nearby Cottesloe
In a 2019 Christ Church Grammar newsletter, Otis spoke of his favourite hobbies: ‘I have liked exploring the river with my friends. I have also liked swimming lessons and trampolining.’
In the same newsletter, Leon spoke about how much he enjoyed spending time with his friends: ‘My favourite part of the year was playing with my friends on the oval. This year I learnt how to communicate with my device.’
Roger Cook, the premier of Western Australia, said that while his government will be focusing on the police investigation for now, there is a need to understand the deeper problems at hand.
‘At times like this you ask yourself why? What went wrong? Could [it] have been prevented?
‘We must now step through the process of undertaking the investigation to get the facts in front of us in order to be able to answer those questions.’
