Gympie cop who worked on woodchipper, burning torso murders retires

A Gympie officer whose police career included working on two of the region’s most notorious and gruesome murders has retired after a 41-year run.

Gympie Sergeant John Cain, who retired June 27 2025 after 41 years of QPS service. Picture: QPS

A Gympie officer whose police career included working on two of the region’s most notorious and gruesome murders has retired after a 41-year run.

On Friday June 27, Gympie Patrol Group honoured Sergeant John Cain on his final day of service as Officer in Charge of Gympie Scenes of Crime, after 26 years in Gympie and 41 on the beat.

With his uncle joining the QPS in 1951, and his father in 1946, there’s been a member of the Cain family serving the community for nearly eight decades straight.

Mr Cain was sworn in on July 5 1985, and began his first posting at Brisbane City Station.

John Cain worked and lived in Gympie for the last 26 years of his QPS career. Picture: QPS

The retired sergeant worked in Redcliffe and Sandgate before being transferred to the Fingerprint Bureau in 1990.

From 1991 he worked at Redcliffe Scenes of Crime before being promoted to Officer in Charge at Gympie Scenes of Crime in 1999, where he stayed until his final day.

Mr Cain worked in a number of disturbing local cases including the 2013 murder of George Gerbic, where Mr Cain was tasked with identifying Gerbic by his torso, before identifying his killer and partner Lindy Williams.

Mr Cain also worked on the gruesome 2017 “woodchipper murder” case, where Bruce Saunders was fed through a woodchipper, allegedly orchestrated by Sharon Graham.

The longtime sergeant weighed on QPS’ recent focus in reducing fatalities on the road.

“For a few years there the road toll was tracking downwards, but unfortunately we haven’t seen a great reduction in them. All those factors seem to be the same: they talk about those fatal five factors, they still seem to be the common factors.

Sergeant John Cain relocated to Gympie with his wife and their one child in 1999, and remain there today, now with two children. Picture: QPS

“A lot of it comes back onto driver behaviour, and I suppose all QPS can do is continue to try to influence that behaviour.

“At the end of the day, it’s on the public and how they behave on the roads.”

While youth crime has been in the spotlight in recent years, Mr Cain said “Gympie’s actually always been pretty good.”

“We haven’t had huge amounts of youth crime across the (years). When I compare it to the areas I used to work in like Redcliffe, when I came to Gympie I noticed there was significantly less youth crime.

“Over the past couple years there’s been a bit more of it across town here, but I still think we don’t have the same level of (youth crime) as in those more heavily populated areas down around Brisbane.”

Mr Cain relocated to Gympie with his wife and their one child, and still lives there today, now with two children.

He became involved in the Gympie community attending his children’s various commitments including plenty of hockey tournaments, and now plays the occasional game himself.

Mr Cain said he has begun pre-retirement leave, and will be officially retired from QPS next April. Picture: QPS

“I consider myself fortunate I have always enjoyed my work and the role I play in the detection, investigation and prevention of crime,” Mr Cain said.

“I find satisfaction in the identification of suspects that have occurred as a result of the forensic evidence that I have collected during my crime scene examinations.

“I have seen on many occasions the impact of crime on people’s personal and professional lives.”

“I’m pleased my work has given these victims some solace at these distressing times by seeing the Queensland Police Service actively doing its best to investigate crimes and prevent further crimes.”

Mr Cain said he has begun pre-retirement leave, and will be officially retired from QPS next April.

“Initially I’m just going to slow down a bit, just relax a bit,” he said.