Young woman had world at her feet
When Tamara Horstman graduated from her Ocean Reef high school in 2004 she did so as dux of the school and with exam results that would have put her in the top 0.2 per cent of students in the State.
Pictured in the Prendiville Catholic College newsletter shortly after her graduation, smiling as she accepted a Curriculum Council award from school principal John Aldous, it must have seemed to Miss Horstman and the rest of her family that her options for the future were limitless.
Eight years later that bright future was abruptly snuffed out when the 26-year-old and her mother Maureen were killed in their Warwick home on Sunday.
The suspected double murder came just over a week before what would have been the 27th birthday of Miss Horstman and her twin brother Nicholas.
Friends of Mr Horstman took to his Facebook page yesterday to express their shock and condolences as news of the double tragedy broke.
"I have no words," one friend wrote. "Love ya, mate. Thinking of you. Stay strong."
Another wrote: "No words can describe the loss of a family member let alone two taken way too early and way too tragically. My heart breaks for you and those close to you. We are all thinking of you. Rest in Paradise Tamara and Maureen."
Miss Horstman's friends also expressed shock and disbelief at the loss of their friend, with whom they had worked at Grand Cinemas.
Teegan Dean and Rachel Hunter yesterday told Nine News that news of their friend's sudden death had not sunk in.
"It still doesn't seem real," they said.
"She's fun, crazy. She's the person you want to be with at a party."
The twins, who were said to be close to each other and their mother, attended Prendiville from 2000 to 2004.
Mr Horstman was even photographed by _The West Australian _ when he attended his school ball at the Novotel Langley in February 2004, looking serious in a black pin-stripped suit and white tie.
Rob Daniel, who was Prendiville's principal until 2003, remembered Miss Horstman as a quiet, dedicated student who kept to herself.
"One of the staff members who had a lot to do with her said she was something of a loner: very quiet, a very, very dedicated student who spent a lot of time in the library," Mr Daniel said.
"I think she gave the librarians a gift as a memento of the time she spent in the library (when she graduated).
"She was dux, a dedicated student . . . polite and well mannered."
Mr Aldous remembered her as a popular member of her class, although he said he did not have much to do with her during their year overlap at school. "I recall the staff saying to me at the time that she was exceptionally talented," he said.
Miss Horstman's years of hard work paid off when she completed her Year 12 exams with a tertiary entrance rank of 99.8 out of a possible "perfect score" of 99.95.
She went on to study at Edith Cowan University.
In an online advertisement offering her services as a house and pet-sitter Miss Horstman described herself as a student and cinema manager - both twins worked at Grand Cinemas while studying - who was "responsible, reliable and trustworthy".
The advertisement, which was not dated, hinted at a caring nature and a love of animals.
"I love animals and growing up I enjoyed (looking) after our birds, guinea pigs and our family dog Blacky," she wrote.
"At the age of 10 Blacky was diagnosed with diabetes and for the next 3 years we had to administer twice daily insulin injections as well as closely monitoring her diet. Thus, if required I have experience with taking care of pets with special requirements."
Mr Horstman's academic achievements may not have garnered him the same attention as his sister but he also went on to university, studying financial planning and services at Curtin University.
He graduated with a bachelor of commerce in 2010 and went on to work with Perth financial planning group Utopia Financial Services and, more recently, The Wealth Designers.
Friends yesterday described him as a friendly person who was intelligent, disciplined, loyal and did not like confrontation.
He also appears to be a keen fitness buff, posting regular updates of his workouts on social media, as well as photographic evidence of nights out with friends.
Those same friends described his sister as intelligent but introverted.
However, Miss Horstman Facebook page suggested a more fun-loving side than her brother's friends or teachers may remember. Photos posted online include herself in a formal gown and out for a night with friends, the three of them posing playfully for the camera, smiles on their faces.
Her Facebook "likes" suggest she was a fan of R&B and hip-hop music like Jay Z and Beyonce as well as the TV show Grey's Anatomy.
The Horstmans had called Warwick home for only about a year after the separation of Mrs Horstman and her husband Gerrit prompted the sale of the family's Duncraig home last year.
Property records show the new property was owned by Mrs Horstman and her two adult children. Neighbours reported that the family were quiet and Mrs Horstman was regularly seen walking her dog in the neighbourhood.
This year the twins' father bought a property in Lower Chittering.
The settlement for his semi- rural property went through in March but so far the block contains only a large water tank.
I recall the staff saying to me that she was exceptionally talented." School principal John Aldous
