Friend of murdered Maria Lutz gives statement at murder-suicide inquest
Sydney mum Maria Lutz’s life caring for two autistic children was not easy but she knew she only needed one thing to live it well, her emotional friend told an inquest today. Maria and her two children were murdered while they slept by her husband.
Northern beaches mum Maria Lutz’s life caring for two autistic children was not easy but she knew she only needed one thing to live it well — love her two kids Elisa and Martin with everything she had.
That is what her friend Peta Rostirola told an inquest into the deaths of Maria, 43, Elisa, 11, and Martin, 10, who were murdered while they slept by the children’s father Fernando Manrique, 44, in October 2016.
In a moving statement on Wednesday at the end of three days of evidence, Ms Rostirola said, “Maria faced the challenge of having two young children with autism with fire, grace and the most enduring sense of humour.”
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Ms Rostirola, who is a mum at the same school for special needs, St Lucy’s, at Wahroonga, said Maria knew life looking after two disabled children was hard but also a “meaningful, beautiful and inspiring experience”.
“Maria knew that Martin and Elisa loved her and that made her love harder and try harder.
“Life spent loving Elisa and Martin was all she needed.”
Ms Lutz, Elisa and Martin died of carbon monoxide poisoning on the night of October 16, 2016, when Mr Manrique pumped the poisonous gas into the Davidson home using a network of pipes in the ceiling.
He also died in what police believe was a murder-suicide.
The inquest had previously heard the businessman was deeply in debt, facing divorce and having an affair with a 17-year-old girl in the Philippines when he killed himself and his family.
Ms Lutz, a former criminal lawyer in her native Colombia, was getting ready for life without her husband having completed a childcare course at TAFE and about to secure $50,000 worth of funding through the National Insurance Disability Scheme.
Ms Rostirola told the inquest how Elisa and Martin were both talented artists.
She described Elisa as a “cheeky 11-year-old” and an “inquisitive soul” who’s artwork was a “window into how she viewed the world”.
She said Ms Lutz had “big dreams” for her daughter one day working in graphic design.
Ms Rostirola said Martin was “gentle” who would make “exquisite” artworks particularly of animals and was allowed to play loudly on his drum kit all hours of the day and night.
Ms Rostirola and three of Ms Lutz’ friends sat through the three-day inquest in honour of a woman who they saw as, “brave, beautiful and brilliant.”
All four wore matching scarfs bearing a print of one of Elisa’s colourful artworks.
The inquest will finish tomorrow before Deputy State Coroner Elaine Truscott.
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