Expelled and labelled a ‘monster’: School insider reveals the tragic lives of the autistic Clune boys before they were killed by their ‘sleep-deprived’ parents in a quiet Mosman Park cul-de-sac
A teacher who knew the two autistic teenage brothers killed in a suspected double murder-suicide in Perth’s western suburbs has shared heartbreaking details of their lives and the challenges the boys faced at school.
Parents Jarrod Clune, 50, and Maiwenna ‘Mai’ Goasdoue, 49, along with their sons Leon, 16, and Otis, 14, were found dead inside their Mosman Park home on Friday morning.
A care worker who regularly assisted the boys raised the alarm at about 8.15am after arriving for a pre‑arranged visit and discovering a note at the home containing words to the effect of ‘don’t enter’ and instructions to call emergency services.
When officers entered the property, they discovered all four members of the Clune family dead, along with their two dogs and cat.
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 Mail she was still coming to terms with the murders.
‘They were kind-hearted boys who just needed to be understood,’ she said.
‘Next year would mark Leon’s graduation from school – that’s a big deal. [It shows] just how far he came.’
The teacher, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that, contrary to earlier reports, the brothers were not attending Christ Church Grammar Anglican boys’ school at the time of their deaths.
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
Parents Maiwenna Goasdoue and Jarrod Clune (pictured together) were found dead in their Mosman Park home along with their teenage sons Leon, 16, and Otis, 14, on Friday morning
Instead, she claimed they were enrolled in a special-needs school that welcomed and supported them.
She said Christ Church Grammar was not the right fit for the boys, both of whom had autism, with Otis being non-verbal.
‘They expelled Otis around two years ago,’ she added, explaining that a spitting incident had been the last straw. She further claimed that someone at the school had described him as a ‘monster’ to his exhausted mother.
Two additional sources confirmed to the Mail that Otis had been expelled.
Christ Church Grammar declined to comment specifically on Otis’ expulsion, instead offering a general statement about supporting grieving families and respecting the police investigation.
It’s unclear when Leon left Christ Church Grammar, but there is no suggestion he was also expelled. The Mail understands the Clunes had difficulty finding the right school for their sons.
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.
Christ Church Grammar declined to address Otis’ expulsion, offering instead a general statement about supporting grieving families and respecting the police investigation
Leon (pictured) loved Disney films, including Toy Story
Along with the family, two dogs and a cat were also found dead. (Otis is pictured)
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.
On Friday, a care worker – not the teacher – arrived at the Clune house to find a disturbing note on the door urging them not to enter and to call emergency services.
When officers entered, they found all four members of the Clune family dead, alongside the family’s two dogs and cat.
The bodies were located in different parts of the home, with police confirming the deaths were not violent and no weapons were involved.
Police have not confirmed how the family died, but drone images taken above the property appear to show what may be bloodstains at the rear of the home, metres from bedsheets hanging to dry on a clothes rack.
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
A neighbour was seen paying his respects at the Clune family home
A Western Australia Police spokesperson declined to comment on the bloodstains, instead telling the Mail: ‘This incident remains under investigation and no further comment can be provided at this time.’
Friends and community members have since taken to social media to pay tribute to the Clune family, with some claiming the NDIS had failed Leon and Otis.
French-born Ms Goasdoue, who was known as ‘Mai’ to her friends, belonged to multiple Facebook support pages and described her boys as having ‘severe’ autism.
‘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 wrote on Facebook.
‘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 one of the boys had recently had his NDIS funding cut.
Close friend Nedra previously told the Mail that the couple felt increasingly isolated and unsupported by friends and family, adding that the boys’ diagnoses could make life ‘difficult and very challenging’.
‘They often felt isolated, unsupported and abandoned by… 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. 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.’
Jarrod Clune’s father Michael was also seen visiting his late son’s home on Monday
A woman was seen delivering a meal to Jarrod’s sister Jemima
‘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.’
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 those of their children.
Detective Acting Inspector Jessica Securo told reporters on Friday that there was no known history of family violence connected to those involved.
‘Although this investigation is in its infancy, police are investigating this matter as a double murder-suicide,’ she said.
She said that the bodies of the family were located ‘in different parts of the property’.
‘There doesn’t appear to be a violent incident that has occurred at the house.
‘This is an incredibly tragic situation for the family, the person who discovered them, and our first responders,’ she said.
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.
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