Mosman Park murder-suicide: School newsletters shed light on Otis, Leon Clune’s childhoods before tragedy Natalie RichardsPerthNowSat, 31 January 2026 8:57AMEmail Natalie Richards
From climbing in mulberry trees and playing on the swings to trampolining and exploring down the river.
Brothers Leon and Otis Clune may have had their challenges, but their endearing comments in school newsletters over the years paint a picture of a happy and innocent childhood.
Tragically, the two boys were identified as the 16 and 14-year-old boys found dead alongside their parents, Jarrod and Maiwenna, in their Mosman Park home on Friday as part of a suspected double murder-suicide.
But years before the tragedy which has rocked their western suburbs community, school newsletters indicate both were thriving at their studies and revelled in life’s simplest pleasures.
Studying at Claremont’s prestigious boy’s school Christ Church Grammar School — where their father is also believed to have attended — the brothers wrote about fun years enjoying the outdoors and being with their friends.
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The boys were understood to have taken part in the school’s special needs program and police confirmed both had “significant health challenges”.
“I love to climb in the mulberry tree and the tree down at the river. I like to go on the swings. I love cooking and eating it!” wrote the youngest brother Otis in pre-primary.
Two years later, “exploring the river” remained a favourite activity for the then-six-year-old and two years later he was awarded one of the school’s “Building Good Men Awards”.
“Your warm greeting every morning makes my day! You also do a wonderful job independently carrying out your morning routine,” a teacher wrote.
The eldest brother Leon seemed to also have a fondness of the outdoors, having also enjoyed “exploring down at the river” in 2017, while hanging out with his friends was a favourite pastime in 2019.
“My favourite part of the year was playing with my friends on the oval. This year I learnt how to communicate with my device. I love sitting with my friends during chapel and assembly,” the young schoolboy wrote.
And his parents were clearly proud to show off their boys’ progress, with their parents using their social media pages to show off pictures of the boys enjoying the outdoors for which they showed so much enthusiasm.
From riding a trike in the backyard, giving dad a kiss at the beach, to running next to the ocean together, the idyllic pictures couldn’t be further away from the horrors which would end their lives in their teenage years.
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