He spent months on television, tearfully pleading for his missing family to come home. He had already killed them both.
In March 2004, John Myles Sharpe murdered his pregnant wife, Anna, and their 20-month-old daughter, Gracie, in their home in Mornington, Australia, before mounting an elaborate months-long deception to convince family, police, and the public that they were still alive.
A Troubled Marriage
John and Anna met working at the Commonwealth Bank and married in 1994. Anna reportedly told her family soon after the wedding that she felt she'd made a mistake, though she stayed in the marriage. The couple had a daughter, Gracie, born in 2002 with hip dysplasia requiring ongoing treatment.
In late 2003, Anna became pregnant again. John later told police the pregnancy came as an unwelcome surprise and that he resented the idea of a second child. Around this time, he purchased a speargun, despite having no prior interest in fishing, and practiced firing it in the backyard.
The Murder of Anna
On the night of March 23, 2004, following an argument, Anna went to bed while John lay awake. He retrieved the speargun and shot her in the head at close range; when she didn't die immediately, he shot her a second time.
An Elaborate Deception
Over the following days, John constructed an increasingly elaborate cover story, telling family and eventually the media that Anna had left him for another man and taken Gracie with her. He used Anna's phone and ATM card to create the impression she was still active, sent forged emails to her family in New Zealand purporting to be from her, and gave emotional television interviews appealing for information about their whereabouts.
The Murder of Gracie
On March 27, 2004, John killed Gracie using the same speargun. Given her age, we won't detail the specifics of how this happened beyond confirming that he later confessed to it and was convicted of her murder.
Disposal and Continued Cover-Up
John later exhumed Anna's body from a shallow grave in the yard, dismembered it, and disposed of both her and Gracie's remains at a local waste transfer station, along with the weapon and other evidence. He continued maintaining his cover story publicly for roughly three months.
Investigation and Arrest
Investigators grew suspicious of inconsistencies in John's account and his notable lack of emotional response during questioning. Evidence gathered included surveillance footage, discarded handwritten notes detailing multiple versions of his cover story, a receipt for a chainsaw and other disposal materials, and blood belonging to both victims found inside the home. He was arrested in June 2004 and, after initially denying involvement, confessed to both murders during a subsequent police interview.
Sentencing
In 2005, John Sharpe pleaded guilty and was sentenced by the Supreme Court of Victoria to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 33 years. He will not be eligible for parole until 2037. The sentencing judge described the nature of the crimes as "too awful to contemplate."
Allegations of a Different Motive
In the years since, some of Sharpe's relatives have publicly alleged that he had a prior, undisclosed history of child sexual abuse involving other children in their extended family and social circle, and have suggested Anna may have discovered him abusing Gracie shortly before the murders — a theory they believe better explains the killings than the reluctance-toward-a-second-child motive Sharpe himself described to police. This alternative account hasn't been formally established through court proceedings and remains, at this stage, an allegation from family members rather than a proven fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is John Sharpe still in prison?
Yes. He's serving two consecutive life sentences and won't be eligible for parole until 2037.
Did John Sharpe explain why he killed his family?
He told police he resented the burden of a second child and had grown to see his marriage as unhappy. Some family members have since alleged a different, undisclosed motive related to alleged prior abuse, though this hasn't been formally established in court.
How was he eventually caught?
Investigators found his behavior and inconsistent story suspicious, and physical evidence — including blood from both victims found in the home, discarded notes detailing his cover story, and receipts for disposal materials — ultimately led to his confession.