The 'Ether Man' serial rapist terrorizes Brisbane

This spot in Coorparoo, where a 59-year-old woman was showering on a Monday night, December 20, 1965, marks the beginning of what became known as the Ether Man's reign of terror. He got in through a rear window, found a stocking, and ambushed her in the bathroom. She fought him off, screaming and biting him, and he fled. Police found a fingerprint on the patio railing, a stocking on the lawn, and cloth with ether on it, but the case was shelved.

This was the start of a ten-month period in 1965 and 1966 when the Ether Man preyed on at least six women in their homes across inner-city Brisbane suburbs after dark. His method, using chloroform or ether-soaked cloths to subdue victims, gave him his nickname. Crime historian Jack Sim said Brisbane was in a state of fear, as attacks in people's homes by strangers were something the city hadn't really seen before.

In the 1960s, Brisbane had just over half a million residents, and while there was more focus on safety after the 1952 murder of Betty Shanks, unlocked doors and unfenced yards were still common. There were around 2,900 police officers across Queensland then.

On April 7, 1966, after two calls about a prowler in New Farm, a 23-year-old nurse was raped in her Moray Street home. This was the Ether Man's first official sexual attack. He attacked her from behind in her laundry, placing a chloroform-soaked cloth over her nose and mouth. She hit and punched him before losing consciousness. She woke up naked, and the chloroform had caused burns and blisters on her face.

On May 23, a 21-year-old woman doing laundry in Milton fought him off, and he left behind a chloroform-soaked cheesecloth. Then, on June 23, a 24-year-old woman in Annerley was grabbed from behind while hanging clothes, and a chemical-soaked cloth was placed over her mouth. She screamed, her husband was alerted, and the offender released her.