Police say mother Katie Perinovic responsible for Tullamarine family horror
Police have revealed Katie Perinovic was responsible for the deaths of her three children and took her own life inside a Tullamarine home.
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The mother found dead with her three children in their Tullamarine home has been held responsible for the tragic murder-suicide.
Victoria Police homicide detectives formed the view Katie Perinovic, 42, killed her children before taking her own life after analysing the crime scene and interviewing the children’s distraught father, Tomislav Perinovic.
The grieving father found the bodies of his wife and children inside the family home in Burgess St and made a frantic call to triple-zero on Thursday at 12.20pm.
Homicide Squad detectives will prepare a report for the coroner over the deaths of Ms Perinovic and her three children children, Claire, 7, Anna, 5, and three-year-old Matthew.
All lived at the property.
Mr Perinovic, 48, who also lived at the house, was questioned by police on Friday and released without charge.
Homicide detectives also spoke to a large number of people, including the family, friends, and neighbours of the deceased.
An extensive forensic examination of the house was also conducted.
Victoria Police released a statement on Friday afternoon saying it would prepare a report for the Coroner.
“Investigators do not believe the 48-year-old man was involved in the incident and police are not looking for anyone further in relation to the matter,’’ a Victoria Police statement says.
“Homicide Squad investigators have formed the preliminary view that the 42-year-old woman is responsible for all four deaths and on completion of their investigation, a report will be provided for consideration of the coroner.’’
Victoria Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said there would be life-long impacts of the tragedy.
“I know there will be many people in the community struggling to understand and come to terms with this tragedy,’’ Mr Hill said.
“Police will particularly work to support the families of those involved over the coming weeks and ensure they have the help they need.
“This has also been an incredibly difficult time for both the police and paramedics who responded and attended the scene yesterday.
“This has been an incredibly heart-wrenching experience for all concerned.”
TRAGIC SCENE
When ambulance officers arrived at the family’s Burgess St home on Thursday, they discovered a distraught Mr Perinovic sitting in the front yard.
When police arrived, he gave them his account of what had happened.
On Thursday night he was assisting officers with their inquiries.
On Friday afternoon police removed the tape sectioning off the house from the public after detectives spent hours probing the scene.
Investigators left the Tullamarine home with several brown bags of evidence shortly before 1pm.
Crime scene cleaners also spent a number of hours at the property.
More tributes were dropped at the entrance of the home, including a heartbreaking note from a young child.
The girl, Anabelle, left her handwritten note at the gates of the home on Friday afternoon, just moments before detectives left the scene with large, brown bags of evidence.
“To Claire, Anna, Matt and Katie. You always are very nice, loving, caring and Claire was my bff (best friend forever) always. Love from Anabelle,” the note reads.
Another woman stopped and prayed at the entrance to the home as she set down a bunch of flowers.
A driver stopped briefly on the street to lay a floral tribute.
The woman, who did not speak to media, left a bouquet of purple flowers outside the front fence of the bungalow.
Lee, a paramedic with Ambulance Victoria’s Westmeadows branch, arrived at Tullamarine on Friday afternoon to lay a tribute on behalf of his team.
Several of his colleagues attended the scene of the tragedy on Thursday and have been “deeply affected” by what they saw.
“They’re doing OK but it’s not a normal thing for them. Yes, we have distressing elements to our role but incidents like this are rare so they’re affected. It’s tragic,” he said.
“On behalf of the Westmeadows (branch) we want to share our condolences to the family and community.
“We share the community’s heartbreak.
“(My colleagues) are shaken. It’s a horrible thing for anyone to attend.
“Normally, paramedics see distressing things but the tragedy that occured here yesterday affects all of us.”
Warren McGuire travelled from Essendon with his partner and young daughter to pay their respects.
The family hugged each other after they laid a bouquet outside the home.
Tears streamed down Mr McGuire’s face as he said he “can’t imagine” what the family was going through.
“I didn’t know them but I have a family of my own and there are just no words,” he said.
“We broke down crying at the news yesterday.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family. Our whole family are just lost for words.”
Victoria Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill said on Thursday that assumptions should not be made about what had occurred inside the home.
Mr Hill said investigators were keeping open minds to a number of possibilities, including murder-suicide.
“The loss of four lives — a mother and three children — is a tragic event,” he said.
“When it involves children, it makes it more heart-wrenching.”
Former colleagues of Ms Perinovic, also known as Katie Blazevic, said she had suddenly left her job at the Glenroy Physiotherapy clinic just a few months ago.
They said she was a “lovely, lovely woman” but they believed she had been suffering depression.
Neighbour Marie Groves described the Perinovics as a “beautiful family”.
“She was gorgeous. She was lovely. They were a beautiful family,” Ms Groves said.
“She really loved her job, loved her babies, loved her family. She’s so protective of them.
“I can’t believe it — those babies.”
Ms Groves, said the last time she had a proper conversation with Katie was on November 29 for her daughter’s birthday.
She said Katie was “unusually withdrawn and quiet” that day.
“It’s incomprehensible this has happened,” Ms Groves said on Friday morning.
“She was such a feature of the neighbourhood, she was smiley-faced Katie.
“On November 29, I got her to come across and help celebrate my daughter’s birthday with my kids.
“She was only there for a short period … her two older girls were very similar to my younger daughters, they were chatting and laughing – typical seven-year-olds, they were beautiful kids.
“On that day she did seem to be a bit withdrawn – that was not usual – she was very quiet … in retrospect maybe that was a pointer.”
Neighbours described her as a devoted mother and the family as “beautiful”.
Images posted on Facebook by Mr Perinovic show the couple playing golf, and the family celebrating a birthday.
Mr Hill said the family’s next of kin had been notified of the tragedy.
Next-door neighbour Daniel said he was in shock.
“I heard the police and I went to check on what was happening and they told me to go home and stay inside,” she said.
“There’s three young kids there. They have been very nice. I saw the man (my neighbour) sitting in a chair. I’m in real shock.”
Acting Assistant Commissioner Mark Galliott said support was being offered to emergency services personnel who attended the scene.
“This will have long-lasting effects on the police that attended, on extended family, the community, the neighbourhood, the emergency services and everybody else involved,” he said.
“They’ll be lifelong memories they’ll have to deal with.”
A SCENE OF CHAOS AND GRIEF
Loved ones and fiends have left tribute messages at the growing makeshift memorial outside the home.
“RIP beautiful angels: Claire, Anna, Matthew, and Katie,” one message read.
“You will all be sadly missed.
“Our kids loved playing with your beautiful kids always. We will remember you.”
Another card left on behalf of the Hume City Council Maternal and Child Health Care centre in Tullamarine extended their sympathies.
“Rest in peace Katie & your three beautiful angels, Claire, Anna, Matthew!” it read.
“Deepest condolences to Tom and family. In our thoughts.”
A mother and her daughter, who are both locals, paid their respects at the front of the home on Friday afternoon, saying they had been touched by the tragedy.
The pair each laid a bouquet of flowers as they made the sign of the cross on their forehead and chest.
The daughter, who has lived in the area for nearly 40 years, said the news was devastating, adding the neighbourhood was a “quiet, humble area”.
“(It’s) a community loss, it really is,” said the daughter who asked that they not be named.
“It’s a ripple effect. You’ve got the family ... but then the community; the kids that go to school ... work colleagues, neighbours.
“It effects for a long time. You can’t say anything more than sad.”
Neighbours described police and ambulance officers “flying’’ down Burgess St.
A couple who live next door to the Perinovic family, said they were left heartbroken by the tragedy that unfolded just metres away from their home.
The pair were both home at the time the four bodies were found but did not realise something was wrong until they noticed a fire truck drive down the street.
“All of a sudden the fire brigade came but there was no smell of fire,” Mrs Schembri said.
“Daniel went out the front and all of a sudden there were police cars everywhere and paramedics.”
The two families were close, regularly exchanging gifts on special occasions.
Less than 24 hours before the tragedy, Katie Perinovic called by their home to give them some plums.
“It upsets me so much. I just see the three kids (coming over) with lollies, wishing us a happy new year. It breaks my heart,” Mr Schembri said.
“They were friendly. We can’t say anything about her or anything about him. They were proud, especially with the kids.”
Another neighbour said he spoke to Ms Perinovic the night before the tragedy.
“She was a really nice lady,” Mr Constantino said.
“It is really sad.
“The kids were always dressed nice.
“She was polite. She was really friendly.
“No one around here would say a bad thing about her.”
He described her as a doting mother who was always taking her children for bike rides and ice cream.
Helicopter vision showed children’s toys in the backyard.
Neighbour Marie Groves described the Perinovics as a “beautiful family”.
“She was gorgeous. She was lovely. They were a beautiful family,” Ms Groves said.
“She really loved her job, loved her babies, loved her family. She’s so protective of them.
“I can’t believe it — those babies.”
The family have Croatian heritage and it is understood Ms Perinovic’s elderly mother lives in a nearby suburb.
The Herald Sun understands the couple had plans to demolish and rebuild their home, something they were looking forward to as their children grew up.
Ms Groves said last time she had seen Mrs Perinovic was before Christmas, and said she seemed “a bit quiet” but nothing seemed wrong.
Another neighbour, Johnie, said he was frightened to see a heavy police presence saturate his street.
“It’s a bit too much for a local neighbourhood like this,” he said.
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