Paul Denyer killed three young women in seven weeks in 1993. Thirty years later, Victorian Parliament passed a law with his name on it to make sure he never gets out.
Paul Charles Denyer is an Australian serial killer serving three consecutive life sentences for the murders of Elizabeth Stevens, 18, Debbie Fream, 22, and Natalie Russell, 17, committed in and around Frankston, Victoria, over a seven-week period in 1993.
Early Life
Denyer was born in 1972 to British immigrant parents who moved the family to Victoria when he was a child. He struggled to fit in at school, gained significant weight as a teenager, and had a documented history of violent behavior toward animals from a young age. He was 21 at the time of his crimes.
The Murders
Denyer stalked and attacked several women around Frankston during 1993 before escalating to murder. His first victim, 18-year-old Elizabeth Stevens, was abducted after stepping off a bus in June 1993 and killed nearby. A month later, he abducted and killed 22-year-old Debbie Fream, a new mother, after breaking into her car while she ran into a shop; she had left her 12-day-old baby at home with a friend. Denyer also attacked, but failed to kill, 41-year-old Rosza Toth, who escaped and alerted police. His final and most violent murder was of 17-year-old Natalie Russell, attacked while walking home along a bike path in July 1993.
During police questioning, when asked why his victims were women, Denyer stated plainly that he hated them in general, not any specific individuals.
Arrest and Sentencing
Denyer was identified after a resident reported a suspicious vehicle near the scene of Natalie Russell's murder. He confessed in detail during questioning and pleaded guilty. In December 1993, he was sentenced to three consecutive life terms; an appeal the following year set his non-parole period at 30 years, making him eligible to apply for release in 2023.
A Disputed Gender Identity Claim
Beginning around 2004, and again around 2021, Denyer identified as a transgender woman using the name Paula while incarcerated, seeking cosmetics and gender-affirming surgery, both of which were denied by prison authorities and medical evaluators. The claim was widely disputed, including by Transgender Victoria, an advocacy organization that publicly stated the request appeared insincere and was insulting both to genuine transgender people and to the victims' families. Crime reporter John Silvester, who covered the case extensively, stated in a 2022 documentary that Denyer had since reverted to identifying as Paul, and that the gender identity claim had no bearing on his original crimes, which were committed years before he ever raised it.
Parole Denied, Then Permanently Barred
Denyer applied for parole in 2023 upon reaching his eligibility date; the Adult Parole Board of Victoria denied the application. Later that year, Victoria's Parliament passed the Corrections Amendment (Parole Reform) Act 2023, legislation specifically naming Denyer and requiring the Adult Parole Board not to grant him parole unless he is in imminent danger of dying or is physically incapable of posing further harm. The bill passed both houses of Parliament by late November 2023, effectively ensuring he will remain incarcerated for the rest of his life absent a medical emergency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paul Denyer still in prison?
Yes. Following his 2023 parole denial, Victorian Parliament passed legislation specifically barring his release except in cases of imminent death or complete physical incapacitation.
Was Denyer's gender identity related to his crimes?
No. He committed the murders as Paul in 1993, years before first raising a transgender identity claim in prison around 2004. That claim has been widely disputed, including by transgender advocacy organizations themselves.
Were there other suspected victims besides the three confirmed murders?
Investigators have looked into possible connections to other unsolved cases from the same period and area, but Denyer has denied involvement, and no additional charges have ever been brought.