Double Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison for Cold-Case Killing of Geelong Mother

A “troubled” double murderer has been informed that he will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after confessing his involvement in the cold-case strangulation of a young mother from Geelong to undercover police operatives.

Darren John Chalmers, aged 56, appeared before the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday, receiving his second life sentence for the murder of Annette Steward in 1992.

The remorseless killer, who had pleaded with the court to never release him during a hearing last month, will be eligible for parole in 2059, at the age of 92.

A Life Sentence for a Calculated Crime

Chalmers had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years in 2021 for the brutal murder of his neighbour, Dianne Barrett, aged 60, in Perth two years earlier.

During the sentencing, Justice Andrew Tinney emphasized that the two crimes, separated by 27 years, demonstrated that the murder of Ms. Steward was not an isolated incident, but rather the actions of a “troubled and very dangerous individual” who remained so.

Justice Tinney stated, “Your murder of Ms. Steward, far from being an isolated, one-off event, was the act of a dangerous young man who, through his subsequent actions, proved himself to be a violent and dangerous person who places no value on the life of another.”

He further added, “You were, in 1992, and remain to this day, a grave danger to the community.”

The Tragic Circumstances Surrounding the Murder

According to court documents, Chalmers had encountered the mother-of-two a few hours before her murder when he visited her Geelong residence with Ms. Steward’s boyfriend for a casual coffee.

Later that same day, Chalmers showed up unannounced at her doorstep, claiming to have “no one to celebrate his birthday with.”

After sharing some drinks, Ms. Steward retired to bed, allowing Chalmers to sleep on the couch. However, an hour later, he brutally attacked the sleeping woman, using an iron to render her unconscious before strangling her with an extension cord.

Despite an extensive investigation at the time, no charges were filed, and the case eventually went cold.

Uncovering the Truth After Decades

In 2012, Chalmers relocated to Perth and began working as a gardener. It was in 2019 that he came under suspicion, and Victorian homicide detectives collaborated with their counterparts in Western Australia for a four-month undercover operation to gather evidence.

The court was informed that Chalmers made a “detailed” confession to both the murders of Ms. Steward and Ms. Barrett, leading the police to the location of Ms. Barrett’s body.

Chalmers, who has never provided a motive for either crime, described himself to a psychologist as a “monster.”

He said, “I’m a monster, only a monster would do what I did. I need to live with what I did. I will suffer the consequences. I’m ashamed. For the family that I destroyed, I should get as much time as possible. I took her away from her family.”

When pressed by the police for the reason behind Ms. Steward’s murder, Chalmers claimed to have no explanation, stating that it “just happened.”