A 42-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering his partner in a remote cabin deep in the Australian bush — a case that has shocked the nation with its brutal details and disturbing history of abuse.
Rohen James Hanson was convicted on July 16 by a unanimous jury at the Supreme Court in Newcastle for the 2021 murder of 34-year-old Dee Annear, who was found dead near a logger’s cabin in Bulga Forest, New South Wales. The couple had been staying at the secluded site, which they nicknamed the “witch’s hut.”
According to autopsy reports cited by ABC and The Daily Telegraph, Annear died around midnight on September 18, 2021, from severe blunt force trauma. Her injuries were horrifying: a fractured skull, ribs, nose, and jaw, along with lung lacerations and signs of strangulation.
Though Hanson admitted to killing Annear, he attempted to plead guilty to manslaughter, claiming he acted in self-defense during a fight. Prosecutors rejected that plea, and Hanson ultimately pleaded not guilty to murder — but the jury didn’t buy his story.
Initially, Hanson told police he found Annear already dead. He later changed his account and claimed she died in a car crash. When that version also unraveled, he told authorities that she attacked him with a beer bottle after he crashed their car alone, and he responded by tackling her into a wall.
But the court heard a much darker story — one backed by witnesses who described a pattern of violence and abuse throughout the couple’s relationship.
Annear’s mother, Carolyn Butt, testified that she once witnessed Hanson punch her daughter in the head. On another occasion during a camping trip, Butt said she saw him headbutt Annear. A neighbor also recounted a drunken fight between the couple that ended with Hanson allegedly pushing Annear into a table, stomping on her head, and punching her in the face.
Hanson is now facing sentencing, which is scheduled for September 5.
Dee Annear’s life was cut short in a place that was supposed to be a peaceful retreat. Her death has become a stark reminder of the dangers of domestic violence — even when it happens far from the public eye.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. Help is free, confidential, and available 24/7.
Very sad.He took a life.Hope he gets the same judgement