Australian Father and Two Young Children Found Dead in Bali After Disturbing Final Call to Wife

Australian man Damien John Shaw, 56, who killed himself and his two children in Bali on September 13, 2026.Damien John Shaw / LinkedIn

An Australian father and his two young children were found dead inside their Bali bungalow after a disturbing phone call alerted the children’s mother that something was seriously wrong.

Damien John Shaw, 56, and his children — a 6-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl — were discovered at their home in Kuta on September 13. Indonesian police said they are investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide, alleging that Shaw killed both children before taking his own life.

Mother Heard Her Daughter During Final Phone Call

Shaw’s wife was roughly 600 miles away in Jakarta at the time.

According to reports cited in the original article, she became alarmed during a phone call after hearing her young daughter crying and saying, “stop daddy.” Unable to reach the family herself, she contacted a neighbor and asked them to check on the bungalow.

The three family members were subsequently found dead.

Police official I Gede Adi Saputra Jaya said investigators had spoken with Shaw’s wife, although obtaining information from her had been difficult because she remained in “deep shock and grief.”

CCTV Became a Key Part of the Investigation

Henky, a forensic doctor from Ngoerah Hospital, speaking to the media about the deaths of an Australian man and his two young children.MADE NAGI/EPA/Shutterstock

Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage from around the property.

Police said the footage captured a sequence of events involving both children shortly before their deaths, including the boy screaming from inside the bungalow and the girl running outside before being taken back inside by her father.

Authorities have continued examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Shaw and his wife had reportedly experienced marital difficulties for several years. She told police she had gone to stay with her parents approximately two weeks before the tragedy.

Neighbors Remember a Quiet Family

The family had previously lived in Perth, Australia, where former neighbors described them as private and generally peaceful.

“He was very private but never caused any trouble, we always exchanged pleasantries,” one neighbor said.

People close to the family also described a history of personal loss in Shaw’s life. His father died when Shaw was 15, and he later lost a brother. His mother had also recently died following an illness.

Police Reveal Earlier Crisis

The bungalow in Kuta, Bali, where Damien John Shaw lived with his children.JOHANNES P CHRISTO/EPA/Shutterstock

Investigators disclosed another troubling detail as they reconstructed the weeks before the deaths.

Police said Shaw had attempted suicide approximately one month earlier. His wife intervened during that incident, but according to authorities, the family did not subsequently seek psychiatric treatment.

The investigation into the deaths of Shaw and his two children remains centered on what happened inside the Kuta bungalow and the events that preceded the mother’s alarming final call with her family.