Malcolm George Baker

Timeline

• October 28, 1992 — A man went on a shooting spree through three coastal towns near Sydney, killing his former girlfriend, her pregnant sister, and four others before surrendering to authorities.
• October 29, 1992 — A classified ad appeared in the Central Coast Express announcing his love for the first victim; the court appearance of Malcolm Baker took place in connection with the charges.
• August 6, 1993 — Malcolm George Baker was sentenced to life in prison.

Background

Malcolm George Baker was an auto mechanic who dated Kerry Gannan for several years before she broke off the relationship about six weeks prior to her death. Police believed Baker placed a classified ad that was addressed to Kerry Gannan at the nursing home where she worked. The ad stated: "But I still love you. Mac."

The offence

Baker went on a shooting spree through three coastal towns north of Sydney. The spree killed Kerry Gannan and her family members and also killed three other named people. In addition to the killings, another man was seriously injured.

The victims killed were:

• Kerry Gannan, 23
• Thomas Gannan, 43
• Lisa Gannan, pregnant 18-year-old sister
• David Baker, Baker's 27-year-old son
• Ross Smith, 35
• Leslie Read, 25

Investigation

Police said the shooting spree occurred through three coastal towns and that the gunman was charged with murder. Police believed the classified ad had been placed by Malcolm Baker and that the ad was placed in a newspaper announcing his love for the first victim.

Arrest

Baker surrendered to authorities after the shooting rampage ended shortly before 10 p.m., walking into a police station at 11 p.m. and handing over a shotgun.

Trial

Baker did not enter a plea when he arrived at Gosford Local Court, and Magistrate Bruce Butler ruled out the possibility of bail. Another man and a woman were ejected from the courtroom after threatening to kill Baker. The next court hearing was scheduled for Dec. 18.

The ejected man shouted: "Don't think about reading any long books!"

Sentencing

Malcolm George Baker was sentenced to life in prison on August 6, 1993.

Outcome

Baker was charged with six counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in one of Australia's worst mass slayings.

Aftermath

Baker's former girlfriend, Kerry Gannan, had been killed in the shooting rampage. Police and neighbors reported hearing shouts and blasts from a pump-action shotgun in Terrigal. Efforts to save the child expected from Lisa Gannan failed after she was found in a bedroom.

Other details

The shooting rampage began in Terrigal, 37 miles north of Sydney. Neighbors reported hearing shouts, then five or six blasts from a pump-action shotgun at 9:12 p.m. at the apartment Kerry Gannan shared with her sister. The gunman drove away, leaving Thomas Gannan dead in the street after he had come to visit for a few days while taking time off between jobs.

Christopher Gall, a 22-year-old friend of the sisters, sat screaming in the street with a gunshot wound to his face that left him hospitalized in serious condition. Police found Kerry Gannan dead in a chair.

Lisa Gannan, due to give birth in December, was found in a bedroom. Her fiance, a Sydney policeman, learned of the massacre while at work and was connected to learning about the killings after the massacre.

About 10 minutes later in nearby Bateau Bay, David Baker was killed. His body was found in the back yard of the house he rented with his wife and baby.

The shooting spree ended shortly before 10 p.m. in North Wyong, nine miles to the northwest. Ross Smith was killed at the home he shared with Leslie Read, who died two hours later.