Manhunt Escalates for ‘Pistol Pete’ After Savage Axe Attack Leaves Elderly Parents and Brother Fighting for Life – Locals Warn Experienced Bushman Could Become the Next Dezi Freeman
A large-scale police search continues across Victoria’s Gippsland region for Peter O’Ryan, a 48-year-old man known locally as “Pistol Pete,” after an alleged brutal axe attack on his family left three people with critical injuries.
The incident occurred around 12:30 pm on Saturday, 5 September 2026, at a property on Cowies Road in the small town of Tyers, approximately 160 kilometres east of Melbourne. Authorities say O’Ryan entered the family home, where an argument developed. He is alleged to have first attacked his brother, aged 47, before turning on his parents – his mother, 74, and father, around 76. The three victims suffered severe wounds consistent with an axe, hatchet or tomahawk.
Emergency services responded quickly. The two male victims were airlifted to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne with life-threatening injuries and remain in a critical condition. The female victim was also taken to hospital with critical injuries and is currently stable. Police have described the injuries as extremely serious, requiring immediate and intensive medical intervention.
O’Ryan fled the scene on foot and has not been located despite extensive searches involving local officers, detectives and aerial support. Victoria Police have issued an arrest warrant. He is described as Caucasian, of medium build, with dark grey hair. When last seen he was wearing a black and mustard-coloured jacket and carrying a black backpack. Officers believe he may still be armed with the weapon used in the attack.
O’Ryan has no fixed address and is known to frequent the Morwell area, sometimes taking shelter in abandoned properties or outhouses. While some local residents have described him as an experienced bushman familiar with the surrounding countryside and have drawn comparisons to previous high-profile fugitives who disappeared into the Victorian bush, police have stated that available information does not indicate he poses a broader threat to the general public. The attack appears to have been directed solely at family members known to him.
Detectives continue to piece together the precise circumstances of the incident, hampered by the serious condition of the victims. O’Ryan has a lengthy history of contact with the criminal justice system stretching back decades, involving a range of offences. He was released from custody only a short time before the weekend events.
Police have released photographs of O’Ryan and are urging anyone who sees him to contact Triple Zero immediately and not approach him. They have also appealed directly to O’Ryan to hand himself in at any police station, stating that doing so would be in the best interests of both himself and the community. Investigators are examining social media activity and public tip-offs that may help establish his movements and lifestyle patterns.
As the search enters its third day, the Tyers and Morwell communities remain under heightened police presence. Helicopters have been observed overhead and officers continue systematic checks of the area. Authorities emphasise that the public should remain vigilant but stress there is currently no intelligence suggesting further risk beyond the original family targets.
The case highlights ongoing challenges in responding to serious family violence incidents in regional areas and the difficulties of locating individuals familiar with rural terrain. Police operations remain active, with the priority being the safe apprehension of O’Ryan and the recovery of the injured family members.
