Cooloongup deaths: Ernest and Linda Gielink pictures emerge as police investigate how pair died

Police are investigating whether a devoted former primary school teacher and her husband died in a murder-suicide as a shocked neighbour revealed the couple were seen at church the night before their bodies were discovered. It comes as a photograph of Ernest and Linda Gielink emerged with news of their deaths making headlines in their homeland of South Africa, where from the pair emigrated several years ago. Mr Gielink, 70 and Mrs Gielink, 66, were both found dead in their Sunningdale Circle home in Cooloongup on Sunday evening by family members who grew concerned after not hearing from the couple all weekend. Neighbours said the Gielinks’ eldest daughter visited the home with her husband and children about 6.45pm and after knocking on the front door and making several unanswered phone called, they called triple-0. Police are yet to confirm how the couple died, but it is understood officers are investigating the prospect it was a murder-suicide. Forensic police remained at the scene on Tuesday morning. In a statement, police said “at this stage there is not believed to be any third party involvement, or danger to the community”. A police chaplain was seen at the scene on Monday. “WA Police will continue to provide support and assistance to the family, friends and first responders affected by this tragic incident,” a statement said. Ms Gielink, who is understood to have retired from teaching on Friday, has been remembered as a “beautiful person”. Chrissy Hitchcock said Ms Gielink taught all three of her children over more than a decade at Cooloongup Primary School. “You treated my son with so much love when you were his relief teacher,” she said. “You found the best in every child no matter what. “You were also a friend and fellow Cooloongup/Woodbridge Estate neighbour. — you would always stop and talk without fail if we crossed paths., always asking how the kids were and what they are doing in their lives. “So much love for your students and the local community. I can’t believe this has happened.” The couple were also devoted churchgoers are are understood to have been members of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Rockingham. Neighbours Dtwana and Bob Cameron, who live down the street from the Gielinks, said they were still in disbelief that something like this had happened in their close-knit street. “This street is very close because we’ve lived here for 30 years and we always have get togethers about every three or four months in the year (and) at Christmas time,” Ms Cameron said. Ms Cameron said she and her husband saw Ernest just two days before he and Linda passed away. “The last time we saw Ernest was on Friday afternoon. We drove past and waved to him, he was on the drive,” she said. “And then we didn’t hear anything else because we went out on Sunday. “(We’re) quite shocked about the whole thing because they’re both lovely people . . . Linda used to walk past when she went for her walks and we’d say hi.” Ms Cameron said the Gielinks’ grandchildren, who live nearby, had walked to their grandparents’ house to visit. “The grandchildren . . . came down to knock on their door. They weren’t there,” she said. “So the kids came to play with (another neighbour’s) children. And then they got the kids to ring the daughter and she came round and that’s when she found them about seven o’clock.” Ms Cameron and her husband had been out most of Sunday but when they came home about 3pm, “everything in the street was quiet and normal”. “It wasn’t until seven o’clock our dogs started barking and we came out here and all police were here,” she said. “They had all the streets cordoned off . . . and they (police) have talked to everybody in the street . . . a few times.” Neighbours said some of the Sunningdale residents regularly attend the local Catholic church together, including Ernest and Linda. One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said Ernest and Linda had attended church on Saturday night and that nothing had seemed out of the ordinary. Another neighbour spoke of their frustration at police not divulging any information to the tight-knit street about what might have happened. Mr Gielink is thought to have been forced into early retirement from his job as a boilermaker after falling off a ladder while working at Alcoa, damaging the nerves and muscles in his left arm. Tony Scottney-Turbill, who had known the couple for more than 20 years, said “Ernie” was like a brother to him but his health had deteriorated in the past few months. Mr Scottney-Turbill said he had noticed Mr Gielink had lost “a lot of weight”. “They both did a lot of walking but we never saw him walk with Linda in the last few months,” he said. “I’m very surprised, I never thought anything like this would happen.” The couple’s deaths come as the Sunshine Coast Daily last week revealed the deaths of couple Hans Anchelon and Annemarie Papelard at their home in Jarrahdale in September is suspected of being a murder-suicide. It was reported Mr Anchelon is understood to have shot Ms Papelard twice in the back of the head before ending his own life. Both Ms Papelard and Mr Anchelon were members of the Jarrahdale Sporting Shooters Club and were licensed gun holders. Earlier this month, Police Minister Paul Papalia announced gun owners will have to pass a mandatory mental health check to obtain a firearm licence as part of a major overhaul of WA’s outdated gun laws. Lifeline: 13 11 14