A wheelchair-bound man stabbed his friend to death in a frenzied drug-induced attack after exhibiting bizarre behavior, a court has determined. Mark Graham Ludbrook, 54, murdered Autumn Baker, 40, at his home in Hoppers Crossing, west of Melbourne, on August 3, 2023. A Supreme Court of Victoria jury convicted him in February following a mistrial, and on Thursday, Justice James Gorton sentenced him to 19 years in prison with a 14-year non-parole period. He has already served 678 days in custody.
The Drug-Induced Meltdown
Ludbrook’s actions escalated after consuming a double dose of PCE, an illegal synthetic drug similar to ketamine. His behavior became extremely erratic. He informed his carer that he needed to have sex with her ‘to save the animals,’ which she rejected. He then removed his pants, stood at the end of the bed, and requested high fives or high tens, shouting ‘Hallelujah’ upon contact.
In another disturbing incident, witnesses observed him spitting on banknotes—including $50 notes provided earlier—and rubbing them over his naked body while proclaiming amounts of money and claiming he would save 10,000 souls. He wandered into the backyard, addressing a daisy bush, and rambled like a ‘vibrant, expressive game show host’ about rescuing animals and people, thanking colors, and referencing paintings of himself and his ex-partner. His carer captured some of these moments on her phone.
The Brutal Attack on Autumn Baker
Autumn Baker, a mother of two and friend of Ludbrook, arrived at the house out of concern for his welfare. Naked and armed with a steak knife from the kitchen, Ludbrook first stabbed himself in the abdomen before turning on the unarmed victim. He stabbed her repeatedly in the chest and face, particularly around her eyes, leaving her to die on the bedroom floor. Defensive wounds on her hands showed she fought desperately for her life.
During the assault, Ludbrook blamed his carer, yelling, ‘Now you can be clean’ and ‘Why won’t you sleep with me, see what you’ve done?’
Sentencing and Mitigating Factors
Justice Gorton detailed the horrific events as Baker’s family observed. Despite Ludbrook’s rare neurological condition, Transverse Myelitis—which causes spinal cord inflammation and typically confines him to a wheelchair—his carer noted he was mobile and unusually active that day.
The judge acknowledged that the PCE ingestion severely impaired Ludbrook’s moral reasoning and ability to distinguish right from wrong. ‘In the unusual circumstances of this case, the fact that as a result of your ingestion of PCE, your actions took place at a time when you had little ability to tell right from wrong significantly moderates your moral culpability for this crime,’ Justice Gorton stated. He added that Ludbrook’s capacity for moral reasoning was severely impaired.
Victim’s Activism Background
Autumn Baker gained attention during Victoria’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns for her opposition to mandatory vaccinations. She joined multiple protests across the state, including one on January 15, 2022, where she seized a microphone and led chants such as ‘The people united will never be defeated,’ ‘Hey Pfizer leave our kids alone,’ ‘Hands off our kids they are not your Guinea Pigs,’ ‘Free Victoria,’ and ‘No more vax pass.’ This was in support of tennis star Novak Djokovic, who faced detention and deportation for refusing the vaccine.
Baker consistently showed compassion toward Ludbrook right up until the fatal attack began.
