The story of how one person’s evil act changed a country forever
Frequently broke his toys
In a 2011 interview, his mother recalled that even from a very young age, Bryant was an “annoying” and “different” child who frequently broke his toys. A psychiatrist who later evaluated the boy reportedly told the family that his behavior was so disruptive and difficult that he would never be able to keep a job.
From the moment he began school, Bryant struggled with serious behavioral issues and learning difficulties. He was aggressive and destructive and found it extremely hard to relate to other children.
”I was knocked around all the time. No one wanted to be my friend,” Martin said.
By the age of 10, in 1977, his behavior had escalated to the point that he was suspended from school.
In the 1980s, Bryant returned to school, this time attending high school. A few years after leaving, he was evaluated for a disability pension by a psychiatrist who noted: ”Cannot read or write. Does a bit of gardening and watches TV … Only his parents’ efforts prevent further deterioration.”
Meeting Miss Harvey
There was, however, one person Bryant came to rely on — someone he later described as his only friend. When he was 19, he met 54-year-old Helen Mary Elizabeth Harvey, an eccentric wealthy heiress with a share in a lottery fortune, while he was seeking new customers for his lawn-mowing business.
He helped with various tasks around her home, including feeding the fourteen dogs living in the mansion and the forty cats kept in her garage. According to reports, he behaved towards Miss Harvey like an affectionate, obedient and helpful child.
In 1991, after Bryant was no longer allowed to keep animals at the mansion, he and Helen Mary Elizabeth Harvey moved to a 29-hectare (72-acre) farm called in a small town of Copping, on Tasmania in Australia.
Neighbors soon noticed Bryant’s unsettling behavior: he always carried an air gun and was often seen firing at tourists who stopped to buy apples at a highway stall. Late at night, he would roam nearby properties, shooting at dogs that barked at him. Locals later said they avoided Bryant “at all costs,” despite his attempts to befriend them.
Tragedy struck on October 20, 1992, when Harvey was killed in a car crash along with two of her dogs. The car veered onto the wrong side of the road and collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle. Bryant was in the car at the time and suffered severe neck and back injuries, keeping him hospitalized for seven months. After leaving the hospital, he returned to his family home to recover.
