Davidson deaths: Husband was having affair with 17-year-old in Philippines

A Sydney businessman who murdered his family and killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning was deeply in debt, facing divorce and having an affair with a teenage girl in the Philippines when he concocted the horrific plan, an inquest heard today.

• Davidson deaths: Mum struggled with her autistic children

A Sydney businessman who murdered his family and killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning was deeply in debt, facing divorce and having an affair with a teenage girl in the Philippines when he concocted the horrific plan, an inquest heard on Monday.

Fernando Manrique, 44, spent days home alone rigging up a network of pipes to pump the deadly gas through the ceiling of his northern beaches home while his autistic son and daughter and his wife were at the children’s school.

Manrique

Maria Lutz and children Martin and Elisa were found dead in their home.

Maria Lutz, 43, Mr Manrique, 44, and their children Elisa, 11, and Martin, 10, died from carbon monoxide poisoning in their Davidson home during the night of October 16, 2016.

Their bodies were found the next morning by police who were called to conduct a welfare check after Elisa and Martin did not arrive at St Lucy’s School at Wahroonga and Ms Lutz did not turn up for canteen duty.

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Counsel assisting the Coroner Adam Casselden told the inquest the marriage was strained by Mr Manrique’s lack of support in raising their autistic children and frequent, lengthy overseas trips where he admitted to a friend he “hooked up with a lot of girls”.

At the time of the family’s deaths Mr Manrique had been in a relationship for four months with a 17-year-old Filipino girl known only as Jamilyn who he met in a bar.

Detective Sergeant Timothy Pooley told the inquest Mr Manrique was financially in “dire straits” and “had some massive tax issues with the tax office”.

The Davidson home of Fernando Manrique and wife Maria Lutz and their children. Picture: John Grainger

The crime scene in Davidson after the bodies of Fernando Manrique, Maria Lutz and children Martin and Elisa were found. Picture: Hollie Adams

Manrique’s credit card was $28,000 in debt, there was only $6 in a family trust account, a few thousand dollars in a couple of everyday accounts and he had switched two mortgage loans totalling $510,000 to interest only repayments.

Prior to their deaths Ms Lutz, who knew about the affair, had laid out for Mr Manrique a six-month plan for him to leave the house and for them to get a divorce.

Ms Lutz, who was a criminal lawyer in her native Columbia, had recently completed a TAFE course in childcare and was also about to receive $50,000 from the National Disability Insurance Scheme to go towards in-house help for her two children.

“She would have been better off than she had been for years,” Det Sgt Pooley said.

Det Sgt Pooley said Ms Lutz had told friends, “she had enough of him … she was going to go and raise the children and she was going to live her own life.”

Police outside the home after the horrific discovery. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The inquest heard Ms Lutz kicked her husband out of the house in September after he had a loud conversation on the phone at 2am.

By the time she allowed him to return on October 2 he appeared to have already set his lethal plan in motion having ordered two carbon monoxide cylinders from BOC Ltd on September 30.

Andrea Campos and Jairo Campos leave the Lidcombe Coroners Court in Sydney. Picture: AAP

Mr Manrique arranged for them to be delivered to the home of friend Jairo Campos at Parklea

Mr Campos gave evidence that Mr Manrique told him he needed the gas for his business that had been awarded a government contract to test carbon monoxide levels in an underground carpark.

Fernando Manrique and Maria Lutz with their two children.

Mr Casselden told the inquest Mr Manrique had the gas delivered to his friend’s address to hide his plans from his wife.

The deaths of Ms Lutz, Elisa and Martin sent shockwaves through the close knit special needs school of St Lucy’s where the tireless mum volunteered countless hours.

Several of Ms Lutz friends attended the first day of the inquest in support of their friend describing her in statements to the inquiry as, “resilient, strong, selfless and happy”.

Elisa was remembered as a “talented artist” and Martin was remembered for his love of animal toys.

Deputy Coroner Elaine Truscott addressed Ms Lutz’ friends at the beginning of the inquest making it clear that there would be no speculation that Ms Lutz knew or was involved in her husband’s plans.

Forensic officers at the family home. Picture: Bill Hearne

“Maria loved her life, loved her children and had every intention of continuing a very loving, giving and productive life with her children. There is no suggestion in any of this evidence that their deaths involved anything to do with mercy at all,” Ms Truscott said.

Mr Manrique left no suicide note. Police found he had burnt computer hard drives containing hundreds of family photos.

Mr Casselden said one of the purpose of the inquest was to explore if there needs to be tighter laws and regulations around people’s ability to obtain and store toxic gases.

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Originally published as Davidson deaths: Husband was having affair with 17-year-old in Philippines