A father who killed his entire family in a horrific gassing began living a double life filled with partying and high-price escorts while on work trips overseas.
Fernando Manrique, 44, and his family – Maria Lutz, 43, and their children Elisa, 11, and Martin, 10, were found dead along with the family dog in their Sydney home in October 2016 from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Following an inquest into their deaths this week, former friends and colleagues have revealed the secret wild life Manrique was leading while living in Asia.
Fernando Manrique, 44, killed his entire family to death after his wife discovered his affair with a 17-year-old girl in the Philippines and demanded a divorce, an inquest has heard
Maria Lutz, 43 and her children Elisa, 11, and Martin, 10, were found dead, along with the family dog, in their Sydney home in October 2016
Former colleagues have described how Manrique would go bar hopping and even dabbled in cosmetic enhancements during his time in Vietnam, Thailand and the Phillipines (stock image pictured)
Manrique, was an ‘awkward IT executive’ up until he began doing stints in Asia between 2015 and 2016, the Daily Telegraph reported.
‘He had absolutely no interpersonal or people skills. I have no idea how he got himself into senior positions,’ an Australian businessman said.
A former friend said he had turned into a ‘predator’ who pursed dozens of young women while living away from his family.
Former colleagues have described how Manrique would go bar hopping and even dabbled in cosmetic enhancements during his time in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.
He would spend up large, running up massive credit card bills while out partying with young women.
With his young family back in Sydney, Manrique indulged in high-price escorts in Asia. He even dabbled in Viagra, a former friend said.
Fernando Manrique, 44, had a Vietnamese girlfriend (pictured) who he met at Kim’s Tavern
When Ms Lutz (pictured with her family) discovered Manrique’s affair she demanded a divorce
He eventually began seeing a woman he had met during a night out at Kim’s Tavern in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and started buying her lavish gifts.
When he started introducing her as his girlfriend, former business colleagues raised concerns.
A former colleague told him he was ‘being played’ when the woman announced she was pregnant.
‘I said: ”Everything she’s doing to you, she’s probably done to 20 other people”.’
Manrique reportedly responded saying: ‘I’m a rock star, I know what I’m doing’.
He later went on to pursue more women in Bangkok, Taiwan and Japan, colleagues said.
While living in the Philippines he paid rent on an apartment for a 17-year-old girl, named during the inquest as Jamilyn.
The inquest heard Ms Lutz, a lawyer, was devoted to her children and was planning to return to work after getting help from the National Insurance Disability Scheme
Young Martin’s body was found in a room beside the family’s bull mastiff Tequila (pictured)
The beloved dog died beside the young autistic boy, inside the house as collateral damage
The inquest heard Manrique had transferred $3,400 to his teenage mistress in the days leading up to the deaths, despite the family being almost broke.
According to a friend, Colombian-born lawyer Maria Claudia Lutz discovered her husbands’ infidelity through a transaction for a strip club on a bank statement.
Their relationship ended in late September 2016 but Manrique convinced her to let him stay for a few more weeks while he found a new place to live.
During this time his ‘evil plan’ got underway.
He made four trips to Bunnings and ordered two cylinders of carbon monoxide 10 days before the family’s death in order to set up a gas delivery system in the family house.
Police forced their way into the house in Davidson, on Sydney’s northern beaches, on October 17, 2016 after the family didn’t turn up to work or school.
Mr Manrique’s body was in the living room, Ms Lutz and Elisa were next to each other in a bedroom, and Martin was found in a third room beside their bull mastiff Tequila.
Detective Sergeant Timothy Pooley told the inquest the alleged killer owed the Australian Tax Office more than $15,000 and had a debt of $28,000 on his credit card.
The family had just $6 on its trust account, a few thousand in other accounts, and were only paying the interest on two mortgages totalling more than $500,000.
Ms Lutz has been described as a vivacious and loving woman who is believed to have spent many sleepless nights caring for her children, who needed frequent therapy and doctor’s appointments.
She often posted about her children on social media and said her ‘worst nightmare’ was either of her kids getting lost or going missing.
Weeks after the deaths, a friend revealed Ms Lutz was calling family services ‘nine times a day’ as she struggled to cope with looking after the children.
She was only supported by the government about five hours every week.
In addition to investigating the deaths, the inquest would examine whether tighter restrictions on obtaining poisonous gasses were needed.
For confidential support in Australia LIFELINE: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au . Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467