The brutal murder of Robert Whitwell, carried out by his own granddaughter, Brittney Jade Dwyer, left the Australian community reeling. Brittney, along with her co-conspirator and best friend Bernadette Burns, murdered Whitwell in a plot to steal his life savings. Since then, Tanya Dwyer, Brittney’s mother, has been searching for answers, struggling to understand how her daughter could commit such a heinous crime.
In her first interview about the murder, originally aired in 2017 and republished last week by 7News, Tanya reveals the pain and confusion she continues to feel. “What are the signs that I missed? What did I miss? What didn’t I see? What didn’t I pick up on?” Tanya asked questions in the emotional interview, which also features exclusive interviews with Brittney’s brother, Ryan Whitwell-Dwyer, and Bernadette Burns.
Authorities say that Burns, who was 21 at the time, knew about the plot to kill Whitwell, a plan that was set in motion after Whitwell, 81, confided in Tanya about his $100,000 in savings. He didn’t trust banks and had hidden the cash in his shed. Tanya recalled that Brittney was present when her grandfather shared this information, but she never imagined the chilling outcome that would follow.
Brittney and Bernadette both pleaded guilty to the crime, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Bernadette waited in a car while Brittney went inside and slashed her grandfather’s throat, even placing a bandage on the wound before proceeding to do the dishes as he died just feet away from her. Tanya later shared that Brittney appeared “distraught” for three weeks following the murder, even “hysterically bursting into tears” when told about Whitwell’s death.
However, after 21 days, the shocking truth was revealed. Brittney was arrested for her grandfather’s murder. “This can’t possibly be true,” Brittney’s brother recalled, expressing his disbelief to 7News.
Brittney’s defense attorney claimed she was influenced by the TV series American Horror Story, while Brittney later accused her grandfather of sexually assaulting her as a child, a claim that the Dwyer-Whitwell family strongly disputed. “I was furious,” Tanya said, recalling her anger at the accusation. “That’s the reason why I would still slap her in the face, that anger that’s inside.”
Brittney was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 21 years, while Bernadette received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 13 years. Tanya, still reeling from the loss, told 7News, “I’ve lost two people. I’ve lost my dad and I’ve lost my daughter, and I don’t know if I’ll ever understand the whole story.”