Jethro Curtis sentenced for murdering his uncle Stephen Curtis in January 2026

Consensus Summary

Jethro Curtis, then 44, murdered his 63-year-old uncle Stephen Curtis in their Maffra home on January 18 after a violent confrontation. According to both ABC and 7NEWS, Curtis beat and strangled his uncle—using either a charger cord or telephone cable—before stealing money and his uncle’s car. Stephen Curtis, a jeweller with Parkinson’s disease, was found dead the next day, January 19, covered by a shower curtain after his mother discovered his body and called emergency services. Curtis fled to Traralgon, abandoned the car in an underground parking lot, and was later arrested in Seaford two days after the murder. Both outlets confirm he pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to 24 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 17 years.

The murder stemmed from Curtis’s long-held accusations that Stephen Curtis had sexually abused him and others in the family, though these claims were never proven in court. ABC reports Curtis had discussed killing his uncle in text messages days before the attack, while 7NEWS reveals he contacted Stephen’s wife the day prior, warning that ‘the older man’s days were numbered.’ Both sources agree Curtis acted impulsively, driven by unresolved anger and a belief in his uncle’s guilt. His frail victim, suffering from Parkinson’s, was unable to defend himself during the brutal assault, which Justice Rita Incerti described as ‘extreme’ and ‘carried out against a defenceless victim in his own home.’

Jethro Curtis’s actions following the murder paint a picture of immediate remorse mixed with desperation. ABC details how he made multiple phone calls to former partners, friends, and his mother, including a chilling voicemail to the mother of his children: ‘I killed Steve last night, I left him in his bedroom, please call me soon before I hand myself in.’ 7NEWS adds that he withdrew $5,000 (or $5,500 per ABC) from his uncle’s account and later an additional $4,000, before surrendering to police. Both outlets note Curtis admitted to the crime during police interviews in January, stating he ‘hit him a lot, I strangled him’ and that he ‘snapped’ due to years of alleged abuse and emotional pain. His psychological state, including diagnoses of complex PTSD and depression, was cited by Justice Incerti as factors mitigating his sentence.

While both articles align on the core facts, they differ in specific details that shape the narrative. ABC emphasizes Curtis’s troubled living conditions—residing in a ‘makeshift bedroom in a shed’—and his premeditated discussions about the murder, whereas 7NEWS highlights his substance use before the attack, including cannabis, methamphetamine, and anti-psychotic medication. The outlets also vary slightly on financial figures, with ABC reporting a $5,500 theft and 7NEWS citing $5,000, though both confirm Curtis’s financial exploitation of his uncle. Additionally, ABC frames the murder as more impulsive and less premeditated, while 7NEWS underscores Curtis’s troubled upbringing and psychological struggles as key context for the crime.

The legal proceedings revealed tensions over whether Curtis’s actions constituted vigilantism. ABC reports the prosecution argued for this characterization, but Justice Incerti rejected it, calling the murder ‘impulsive and volatile.’ Both sources agree Curtis pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, which Justice Incerti noted as a sign of remorse warranting a sentence discount. The judge acknowledged his difficult upbringing, including abuse and violence, as factors that would make his imprisonment particularly challenging. With his sentence now finalized, Curtis’s eligibility for parole in 17 years remains the next unresolved milestone, though neither article speculates on his future beyond the courtroom.