John Wayne Glover was born into a working-class family in Wolverhampton, England. From a young age, he got into trouble for stealing clothes and handbags, with his first conviction dating back to 1947. He left school when he was just 14 years old. After joining the British army, he was kicked out when his criminal past came to light.

In 1956 or 1957, Glover moved to Australia, settling in Melbourne without any qualifications. Soon after arriving, he was convicted of larceny in Victoria and stealing in New South Wales. In 1962, he faced several charges in Melbourne, including assaulting women, indecent assault, and causing bodily harm, which resulted in a three-year good-behavior bond.

Glover had a difficult relationship with older women, especially his mother, Freda, who had multiple husbands and boyfriends. In 1968, he married Gay Rolls and moved into his in-laws' house in Mosman, Sydney. His mother joined them in Australia in 1976 and later died of breast cancer in 1989, the same year Glover was diagnosed with male breast cancer. Following this, Glover separated from his wife, who took their daughters to New Zealand.

Before he began his crimes in the late 1980s, Glover was known as a friendly and trustworthy volunteer at the Senior Citizens Society. He worked as a sales representative for the Four'N Twenty meat pie company and appeared to live a happy life in Mosman with his wife and two daughters.

John Wayne Glover did not start killing until 1989, when he was 56 years old. By then, he had been married for 20 years and had children. His wife did not know about his past crimes. When the police confronted him with evidence, he admitted to the murders. However, he denied being involved in other crimes, like the murder of 78-year-old artist Florence Broadhurst in 1977. Glover later said he never worried about his victims or why he killed them, even though he wanted to stop. After each murder, he went back to his normal life.

On January 11, 1989, Glover saw 84-year-old Margaret Todhunter walking in Mosman. He parked his car, approached her, punched her in the face, and stole $209 from her purse. Then he went to the Mosman Returned and Services League (RSL) club and spent her money. The police thought it was just a mugging and didn't expect to find the criminal.

On March 1, 1989, Glover left the Mosman RSL and saw 82-year-old Gwendolin Mitchelhill. He put a hammer under his belt and followed her to her apartment building. He hit her on the head with the hammer and continued to beat her, breaking several ribs. Glover stole her purse with $100 and fled. She was found alive by two schoolboys but died soon after. The police didn't have any witnesses or leads and thought it was another mugging.

On May 9, 1989, Glover saw 84-year-old Lady Winfreda Isabel Ashton on Military Road. He followed her into her apartment building and attacked her with his hammer. He then dragged her into a rubbish bin alcove and hit her head on the pavement until she was unconscious. Glover strangled her with her pantyhose and stole her purse with $100. The police found Lady Ashton with her pantyhose tightly around her neck and concluded they were dealing with a serial killer.

On June 6, 1989, Glover molested 77-year-old Marjorie Moseley at a retirement home. On June 24, he fondled two elderly patients at another nursing home. On August 8, he assaulted elderly Effie Carnie. On October 6, he pretended to be a doctor and molested Phyllis McNeil. On October 18, he attacked 86-year-old widow Doris Cox, but she survived and gave a vague description of her attacker.

On November 2, 1989, Glover met 78-year-old Dorothy Beencke, who invited him for tea. He declined and then attacked 85-year-old Margaret Pahud, hitting her on the head and stealing her handbag. Her body was found by a schoolgirl, and the crime scene was cleaned by neighbors before the police arrived.

Within 24 hours, on November 3, Glover killed 81-year-old Olive Cleveland. He attacked her at a retirement village, hitting her and tying her pantyhose around her neck. He stole $60 from her handbag. Again, the police thought it was an accident, and the scene was cleaned before they arrived.

On November 23, Glover saw 93-year-old Muriel Falconer and attacked her at her home. He hit her with a hammer, strangled her, and stole $100. This time, the crime scene was left undisturbed, and the police collected forensic evidence, including bloody shoe prints. A neighbor described a middle-aged suspect.

On January 11, 1990, Glover molested 82-year-old Daisy Roberts at a hospital. She called for help, and a nurse recorded Glover's car registration number. The hospital staff identified Glover, but the assaults were not linked to the murders for three weeks. When the police contacted Glover, he attempted suicide. A suicide note mentioned "no more grannies."

On March 19, 1990, Glover killed 60-year-old Joan Sinclair. The police were watching him and entered her house when they didn't see any movement. They found Sinclair's body and Glover unconscious in the bathtub. He later admitted to the murder.

At his trial, Glover pleaded not guilty due to diminished responsibility. A psychiatrist said Glover's aggression stemmed from childhood issues with his mother and mother-in-law. The Crown prosecutor argued that Glover knew what he was doing and was motivated by money. Glover was sentenced to life in prison without parole. In September 2005, Glover hanged himself in his prison cell. He was 72 years old when he died.