Was an innocent man sent to the gallows in Australia’s most infamous - and final - execution?
On February 3, 1967, Ronald Ryan was hanged for the murder of a prison guard during a chaotic escape from Melbourne’s Pentridge Prison - an execution that shocked the nation and would ultimately help bring an end to capital punishment across Australia.

Just over a year earlier, Ryan had escaped Pentridge, triggering a 19-day manhunt. After his capture, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, despite conflicting evidence surrounding the fatal shooting.

When the countdown to the gallows began, Premier Henry Bolte refused to grant clemency, igniting a wave of outrage across the country - newspapers campaigned against the execution and protesters filled the streets.

But Ronald Ryan was hanged and his death helped fuel the movement that would ultimately see capital punishment abolished across Australia.

More than 50 years later, the question remains: was Ronald Ryan guilty of murder - or did Australia execute an innocent man?

Follow us on YouTube Crime Central Australia HERE.

Follow us on Instagram HERE