Still on the Run: Axe Suspect Peter O’Ryan’s Dark Past of 30 Charges Exposed as Manhunt Intensifies
Peter O’Ryan remains at large more than 48 hours after allegedly launching a brutal axe attack on his own family in the small Gippsland town of Tyers, Victoria. The 48-year-old is accused of entering the family home on Cowies Road around 12.30pm on Saturday, 5 September 2026, where an argument escalated into extreme violence.
According to police, O’Ryan first turned on his 47-year-old brother before attacking his parents — his 76-year-old father and 74-year-old mother. The two men suffered life-threatening injuries described by investigators as “very, very extreme” and were airlifted to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, where they remain in critical condition. The mother sustained critical injuries but is now listed as stable.
O’Ryan fled the scene on foot and is believed to still be armed with an axe or tomahawk. Police have issued a warrant for his arrest and launched a large-scale search involving ground teams and a helicopter across the Tyers and Morwell areas. He was last seen wearing a distinctive black and mustard-coloured jacket and carrying a black backpack. Officers say he has no fixed address, frequently moves between abandoned properties and outhouses, and is known to frequent the Morwell district rather than deep bushland.
Detectives stress that current intelligence does not suggest an ongoing threat to the wider public, but they have repeatedly urged residents not to approach the man and to contact emergency services immediately if he is sighted. They have also appealed directly to O’Ryan to hand himself in, stating it would be in everyone’s best interests.
The alleged attack has prompted closer examination of O’Ryan’s extensive criminal history. Court records show he has faced more than 70 criminal matters in Victorian magistrates’ courts since 1995. His past includes convictions for violent assaults, carjackings, animal cruelty, burglary, weapons offences, car theft, breaches of intervention orders and drug-related crimes. In April 2026 he was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to 30 charges stemming from a year-long offending spree across Morwell, Traralgon and Lakes Entrance. Because he had already spent 170 days on remand, he was released only two months later — just weeks before the weekend incident.
Local knowledge of O’Ryan paints a picture of a man long familiar to police in the Latrobe Valley, sometimes referred to by the nickname “Pistol Pete.” Investigators are still piecing together the precise trigger for Saturday’s violence, though early information indicates it followed a family argument. The case has highlighted ongoing challenges around family violence, repeat offending and the difficulties of monitoring high-risk individuals after release.
As the manhunt continues into its third day, Victoria Police maintain a visible presence in the region. The three victims remain under medical care while their relative stays missing. Authorities continue to appeal for any information that could help locate Peter O’Ryan safely and bring the matter to a resolution.
