Rudolf Weidemann’s chilling phone call to son after fatal house fire

An elderly man suspected of killing his wife by setting fire to their Wantirna home was deemed a low risk to others by medical experts just days before the tragedy.

An “erratic” elderly man suspected of killing his wife by setting fire to their family home in Melbourne’s east called his son after to tell him “your mother’s gone”.

Two weeks before 81-year-old Rudolf Weidemann is believed to have killed his wife, Emma, by burning down their Wantirna home, the father-of-four found himself in a five-hour stand-off with police at the Templeton St property.

Mr Weidemann was threatening to take his own life during the marathon siege in November 2019 when police tasered him, resulting in the retiree being admitted to Box Hill Hospital.

But after he was assessed as a medium risk of self-harm and suicide – and a low risk of harm to others – Mr Weidemann was allowed to return home to his 76-year-old wife four days later.

Detectives from the Homicide Squad combed the double-storey property following the tragedy. Picture: Mark Stewart

Following the incident, one of his sons reported he was scared to go to his parents’ home because he “worried that Rudolf might hurt him”.

Family members said he was “erratic and paranoid” in his behaviour, with another son reporting in the days leading up to the deadly fire, his father told him: “This is my last day”.

On the morning of December 11, two days later, Mr Weidemann phoned that son to tell him his mother was dead.

“Your mother’s gone,” he said.

“We were arguing last night. She’s dead. Come over now because I’m going to kill myself.”

Ten minutes after the call, the couple’s neighbours called emergency services to report the home was engulfed in flames.

The couple’s Wantirna home was fully engulfed in flames by the time emergency crews arrived. Picture: Supplied

Mr Weidemann was on the roof of the garage yelling out that his wife was dead.

Coroner Paresa Spanos, who released her findings into Mrs Weidemann’s death last week, said she had suffered “blunt force trauma” to the head, face, neck and arms before suffering extensive burns.

Mr Weidemann, who was charged with arson causing death, died from natural causes in February 2020 while in custody.

In the month leading up to the suspected homicide, Mr Weidemann – who had suffered from “paranoia, delusions and a psychological decline” for years – was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The aftermath of the deadly fire at the couple’s Wantirna home in 2019. Picture: Mark Stewart

However, despite the five-hour siege, he did not meet the criteria for compulsory treatment under mental health legislation.

This meant Mr Weidemann was discharged with a principal diagnosis of “acute behavioural disturbance”.

Assessments performed by doctors at Box Hill Hospital noted no reports of Mr Weidemann harming his wife, instead concluded he was “protective”.

However, Coroner Spanos found serious risk factors – including controlling behaviours, as well as suicide and self-harm threats – should have resulted in “greater efforts to engage with the family” to establish risks.

Detectives from the Arson and Explosives Squad also attended the suspicious house fire in Wantirna. Picture: Mark Stewart

“The emphasis on discharge approval appears to be focused on Mr Weidemann’s decision-making capacity to refuse treatment but not the limitations of his capacity to continue to care for and make decisions for Mrs Weidemann,” she said.

But she determined even if Mr Weidemann’s symptoms were assessed as more severe, it would not have met the requirements for compulsory treatment.

Coroner Spanos recommended Eastern Health conduct a review into clinician guidelines to “ensure clearer communication” between doctors, patients and their family members when assessing decision-making capacity “beyond the ability to refuse treatment”.

“If the assessment is only relevant to the decision to refuse treatment, it should not be assumed to apply to other decisions or situations,” she said.