In 2004, John Miles Sharpe committed one of Australia's most brutal domestic homicides when he murdered his pregnant wife and 15-month-old daughter in their Mornington home. The case would become known through the lens of true crime media as involving the so-called "Mornington Monster"—a stark illustration of violence concealed within a family setting.
Sharpe killed both victims using a speargun, a weapon choice that underscored the premeditated and deliberate nature of the crimes. After committing the murders, he disposed of their bodies and then engaged in an extended deception of police, providing false information about the whereabouts of his wife and child for months following the killings.
The case drew significant attention in Australian true crime circles, highlighting the gaps that can exist between what authorities are told and what actually occurred. During the investigation, Sharpe's lies to police prolonged the search for his victims and delayed the discovery of the truth about what had happened within his home.
Eventually, Sharpe was convicted of the murders. His case remains a documented example of familial homicide investigated and prosecuted within the Australian criminal justice system, and has since been examined through various true crime media formats, including podcast episodes that dissect the details of his crimes and the investigation that followed.
The case of John Miles Sharpe serves as a grim reminder of the dangers that can exist behind closed doors, and of how perpetrators may go to great lengths to evade accountability for their actions.
**Sources**
https://podcasts.apple.com/ng/podcast/john-miles-sharpe-the-mornington-monster/id1647994297?i=1000602975855
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xa019vGcRM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYFgqxAfL5U
