Police reveal third party ‘very, very unlikely’ in tragic deaths of mum and two children in car fire

A father is expected to make the gut-wrenching trip back to Perth after hearing his children and their mother had been found dead.

The heartbroken father of two young children who are believed to have been killed by their mother in a car fire is now desperately “looking for answers” as he travels home to Perth from overseas.

The remains of a woman, aged in her 40s, a 10-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy were discovered in the back seat of a vehicle at John Graham Reserve in Coogee about midday on Monday.

Detective Inspector Quentin Flatman told reporters on Tuesday that it was “very, very unlikely” that there was a third party involved.

“There’s a lot that we don’t know and it’s very, very tragic,” he said.

“It hasn’t been ruled out, but it’s very, very unlikely that there is a third party involved.

“Sadly, it has the appearance of ... three parties have died in the rear of a car via fire that has been started by one of those parties.

“There is no need for anyone to be concerned within the community as to any other person being at large or walking around community.”

A woman and two children were found in a burnt out car in Coogee, WA.

Emergency services surrounded the vehicle. Picture: 9 News

The family is from Perth’s southern suburbs but have relatives in the United States, which is where the father was travelling at the time.

“We had some difficulties in contacting him,” Det Insp Flatman revealed.

“One of the officers from the homicide squad had the unfortunate task of advising him overseas via telephone of what had occurred.

“His reaction was what we would all expect in the circumstance and he is currently on an aircraft coming home as quick as he can so he can look for answers himself and we can provide the appropriate support.”

Det Insp Flatman said the information investigators had so far suggested the family was “normal, healthy, happy”.

“(The father is) quite shocked and is looking for answers,” he said.

“In the immediate, there is no rationale as to why this has occurred.”

Det Insp Flatman vowed police would leave no stone unturned in their investigation, adding “all of us want answers”.

“Any untimely death is absolutely tragic, but more so when we have children involved,” he said.

One witness reported hearing gunshots as he returned from the beach. Picture: 9 News

Earlier, witness Lincoln Morton said he heard what sounded like gunshots at the popular family meeting spot.

“I was coming back from the beach and I heard what sounded like a couple of gunshots,” he told The West Australian.

“When I was coming back from the beach that’s when I heard the first couple. I got to my car and I heard a couple more.

“Then I saw the heat and embers from the fire on the other side of the bush.”

Det Insp Flatman said the sound was unlikely to have been gunshots.

“When a fire impacts upon a vehicle there are some noises that are made that may be construed with being gunshots,” he said.

“Again, at our very, very early preliminary investigations, there does not appear to be anything connected with any firearms, and we suspect — which we’ll confirm during our inquires — that the popping or the gunshot sounds that were heard was the fire consuming the motor vehicle itself.”

Detectives do not believe a third party was involved. Picture: 7 News

Det Insp Flatman could not reveal the cause of death for the trio because it was unknown at this stage.

“Fire consumes a lot of the evidence that we have but the evidence is there,” he said.

“We’ve just got to examine that and make some determinations thereafter.”

The mother was last seen on Monday morning, with CCTV footage showing she was in Canning Vale at 11am.

Anyone with information about the incident, including dashcam footage, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.