Australia's first #catfish murder

Carly Ryan, born in Adelaide in 1992, was a 15-year-old emo teen who connected online with someone she believed was an 18-year-old musician named Brandon Kane. In reality, Brandon was a persona created by 50-year-old predator Garry Francis Newman, who posed as his own “stepson” to groom Carly. Newman later traveled to Adelaide, where he made disturbing advances under the guise of Brandon’s stepfather, Shane, which unsettled Carly and alarmed her mother, Sonya. Despite warnings and restrictions, Carly continued to communicate with “Brandon,” eventually agreeing to meet him in February 2007. Instead of Brandon, Newman lured Carly to an isolated beach, brutally assaulted her, and left her to drown. Police discovered Newman had over 200 fake online identities and a long history of abuse, including violence toward his ex-wife and an attempt to assault his own daughter. He was convicted of Carly’s murder in 2010 and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 29 years. Carly’s case became Australia’s first catfishing murder, inspiring “Carly’s Law” in 2017, which empowers police to intervene against predators before they strike—ensuring her legacy helps protect other children.

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