The family of four found dead in their Sydney home yesterday are believed to have been deliberately gassed to death with a poison that was released from numerous gas bottles found throughout the house.
Various news outlets including news.com.au and The Sydney Morning Herald are quoting a police source who said that numerous gas bottles were found around the house.
Fernando Manrique, 44, his wife Maria Claudia Lutz, 43, the couple’s two children Martin, 10, and Eliza, 11, and the family dog, were all found dead yesterday when police broke into their home at Davidson. The family were Colombian nationals.
Police have been treating as a suspected murder-suicide. Bodies were discovered in separate parts of the home, but, according to reports, no signs of violence. Now more information has come out which says that mother Maria Claudia Lutz, 43, was found in one room with one of her children and her other child was found alone in a separate room. Fernando Manriques’ body was found in another room in the house.
Police have not yet found a note.
“There was a lot of pre-planning that went into this,’’ a police source told news.com.au.
Neighbours are now revealing to media sources that the mum, Maria, had spoken of her own struggles with raising two disabled children. Apparently both had severe autism and were unable to communicate, and the demands had got too much for the mum.
Police went to the home in Sir Thomas Mitchell Drive at 11.20am after they had been contacted by a friend concerned about the family’s welfare.
Ms Lutz hadn’t shown up to volunteer at the school canteen duty at St Lucy’s Catholic School, Wahroonga, where both her children attended.
Superintendent Dave Darcy said that it was too early to know what went on in the house.
“There’s no one telling us what happened. No one who has witnessed this,” he told reporters.
He confirmed police were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
The principal from the school the children attended and where Ms Lutz volunteered in the canteen has addressed the media. Warren Hopley painted a picture of a very community-minded family.
“We’re absolutely devastated by the news. This is an exceptional family who have been at the school here for six years,” he said.
“Mum was a very active member of the school. Almost the cornerstone of the school in many ways. She would always attend meetings, ran the tuckshop here. She was a very busy woman and (the children) had very high, complex needs.”
If you or anyone you know needs help, phone Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
Main photo: Nine News
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