John Wayne Glover was a British-born Australian serial killer known as the “Granny Killer” for the murders of six elderly women on Sydney’s North Shore during 1989–1990.

Key Facts

• He murdered six elderly women over a short period, a pattern that brought national attention.
• He was widely referred to in the press as the “Granny Killer.”
• Police arrested him in 1990 following an investigation that connected him to multiple attacks on older women.
• In 1990 he admitted responsibility for the homicides and was sentenced to consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
• He died by suicide in prison in 2005 while serving his sentence.
• His attacks typically involved bludgeoning victims with a hammer followed by strangulation using the victims’ pantyhose.
• The killings took place across Sydney’s North Shore suburbs, targeting women who lived alone.
• The crimes occurred in 1989–1990, a concentrated period that alarmed local communities.
• Glover was born in the United Kingdom and later lived in Australia, where the murders occurred.
• Investigators and commentators noted a consistent victim profile: elderly women vulnerable because they lived alone or were isolated.

Crimes and Victims

Glover’s crimes were characterized by a clear pattern: elderly women were attacked in or near their homes, often with sudden, violent force. The combination of blunt-force trauma and subsequent strangulation was a recurring element across multiple scenes.

The victims were all older women, and the assaults created a climate of fear among seniors on the North Shore. Police linked the incidents through similarities in method, victim selection, and the geographic concentration of attacks.

Capture and Trial

Authorities arrested Glover in 1990 after a sustained investigation that connected him to several assaults and murders in the area. Following his arrest he admitted responsibility for the killings.

He was tried and received consecutive life sentences without parole after his admission of guilt. The sentencing closed the criminal case against him, leaving only civil and social questions about prevention and oversight.

Psychology and Motives

Glover told investigators that he had deliberately targeted older women, but he offered limited public explanation for his actions. Analysts and commentators have suggested that his crimes reflected deep-seated hostility toward the particular victim profile he selected.

Professional assessments and press coverage debated the role of psychological factors such as resentment, impulse control, and learned aggression in his behaviour. Definitive conclusions about a single motive remain contested among experts.

Background / Early Life

Born in the United Kingdom, Glover later settled in Australia, where he lived and worked in the communities that became the focus of the investigation. Details of his early life, employment, and personal relationships were examined during the inquiry and trial.

Accounts of his background note a history of ordinary employment and domestic life punctuated by interpersonal difficulties later cited by investigators. Those aspects of his biography were used to explore how personal trajectory and opportunity converged in these crimes.

Legacy and Media Coverage

The case had a lasting impact on public perceptions of safety for older people in Sydney and prompted discussions about community protection and policing priorities. The “Granny Killer” label became a shorthand in media accounts and public discourse.

Australian press coverage, true-crime programs, and later documentaries examined the crimes, investigation, and social implications, keeping the case in the public eye for years. The episode continues to be referenced in debates about elderly vulnerability, offender profiling, and custodial supervision.