Arthur Phillip Freeman was born in 1972 in Australia. Prior to the murder, Freeman was known as a father of three and had no violent criminal history. He was involved in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife over their children, which appeared to deeply affect his mental and emotional state. Friends and relatives later described Freeman as struggling with the pressures of divorce and fatherhood, but there were no significant red flags indicating what he would eventually do. Freeman worked as a computer technician and had shared parenting responsibilities before the crime. However, court documents and witness testimony during his trial revealed that Freeman was increasingly erratic and emotionally unstable in the weeks leading up to the incident.

On the morning of January 29, 2009, Freeman was driving his daughter, Darcey, to her first day of school. At approximately 9:15 am, he stopped his vehicle on the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne, Victoria. In a shocking act witnessed by numerous commuters, Freeman removed four-year-old Darcey from the car and threw her over the side of the bridge, a drop of approximately 58 meters.

Darcey was rescued from the Yarra River but succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne at 1:35 pm. Freeman then drove to the Commonwealth Law Courts in Melbourne, where he was arrested.

The incident garnered widespread media attention due to its nature and the public setting during rush hour traffic. It also prompted discussions about mental health, family law, and child protection in Australia. In response to the tragedy, temporary barriers were initially placed on the West Gate Bridge, followed by the installation of permanent anti-suicide barriers along its length.

Freeman's trial commenced in March 2011, where he pleaded not guilty, with his defense citing mental impairment. However, the jury found him guilty of murder on March 28, 2011. Subsequently, on April 11, 2011, Freeman was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 32 years.