‘You taught me how to hate’, murdered pregnant woman’s husband tells his wife’s killer

THE brutal rape and murder of his wife at the hands of a 17-year-old boy has left Cory Ryther questioning everything.

THE first day of Andrew Burke’s adult life, his 18th birthday, was also the first day he spent in prison.

It’s where he will remain, for at least the next 17 years.

The convicted rapist, murderer and killer of an unborn baby was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Supreme Court of Queensland on Monday, with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years.

He will not be eligible for parole until he’s 38.

In May 2013, when he was aged just 17, a drunk Burke, now 21, fatefully crossed paths with expectant mother Joan Ryther, 27, as she made the short walk from her home in Logan, south of Brisbane, to a nearby McDonald’s, where she was due to start a 9pm shift.

She never made it.

Just 100 short metres from her destination, Burke randomly accosted the petite Filipina woman.

The pair had never met but armed with a screwdriver and without any apparent motive, the teenager would quickly and brutally take the life of the 27-year-old expectant mother and that of her unborn child.

She already knew her baby was a girl. She and her husband Cory intended to name their first child Camille.

Joan Ryther was eight weeks pregnant when she was raped and murdered.

Residents of Leichhardt Street in Logan Central reported hearing a woman’s terrified screams, but could not see Mrs Ryther when they went to investigate.

Under the cover of darkness, Burke used what is believed to be a screwdriver he had stolen just minutes earlier to brutally rape the expectant mother, leaving her with horrific internal injuries.

He dragged her across the street, kicking her in the head and strangling her, before leaving her in someone’s front yard to die.

It was not until the next morning that the resident woke to make the grisly discovery on their lawn.

Mrs Ryther’s bloodied, battered body was lying face down, partially clothed, just as Burke had left her.

Andrew Burke was found guilty of Joan Ryther’s rape and murder.

Cory Ryther was not home when his wife of two years left to walk to work that night.

The chef had been working himself but finished shortly after his wife’s shift was due to start.

His plan was to drive the couple’s car to her workplace, ironically, to ensure Mrs Ryther would make it safely home at the end of her shift.

The first inkling something was wrong came when her colleagues told Mr Ryther she did not make it.

He spent the night frantically driving around the suburb searching for his wife, before the resident of Leichhardt Street confirmed his worst fears the following morning.

Three years on, after a jury convicted Burke of the rape and murder of his wife, along with the unlawful killing of his unborn daughter, Mr Ryther, 43, described himself in the Brisbane Supreme Court as “consumed by rage”.

“We meant no harm ... to anyone. We just wanted to live,” the widower told the court.

“Life for me now is empty and hollow. I feel like there’s nothing left really to live for.”

Speaking to Burke, his ongoing despair over the brutal snatching of his wife and child remained palpable.

“I have learnt how to hate,” he said to the 21-year-old.

“Thanks for teaching me that”.

Cory Ryther and his wife Joan on their wedding day.

Mr Ryther told the court he still battled feelings of guilt over his wife’s death, and often slept on the couch, not being able to bring himself to sleep in the couple’s bed.

There were no witnesses to Mrs Ryther’s death but DNA on her jumper proved to be 100 billion times more likely to come from Burke than anyone else, forensic experts testified during his trial.

While the jury on Monday appeared to be having trouble reaching a unanimous verdict, Justice Mullins ordered them to return to their deliberations, where they soon after found Burke guilty of rape, murder and destroying the life of her unborn child.

Justice Debra Mullins rejected the prosecution’s submission that the non-parole period should be increased from the mandatory minimum non-parole period of 20 years.

With the three years he has already served, Burke will be eligible for release in 2034.

Outside court, lead investigator Graham Pannowitz welcomed the verdict and sentence, saying even senior police had been affected by the “confronting” crime scene.

He said it was unfortunate Mr Ryther had heard graphic details of the attack, which Justice Mullins described as “heinous”.

“As the time has gone on, he’s struggled more with what’s occurred,” he said.

-With AAP

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