In March 1999, 19-year-old Caroline Reed Robertson killed the girl she was babysitting, 15-year-old Rachel Elizabeth Barber, in Melbourne, Australia. Then, she tried to take over the younger teen’s identity.
Rachel was born on September 12, 1983, in Victoria, Australia. She had two younger sisters. She was creative, ambitious, and talented at dancing. She trained a lot and was on her way to becoming a professional dancer.
In September 1998, she was a full-time student in performing arts at the Dance Factory in Richmond. She was also dating a boy named Emmanuel Carella. By 1999, they had already been in a serious relationship for several months.
The Barbers and Reeds were neighbors in the early 1990s. Between 1996 and 1997, Caroline Reed babysat the Barber kids. During her time babysitting for the Barbers, Caroline developed a strange obsession with Rachel.
In 1997, Caroline wanted to get photos of Rachel for a project, or so she claimed. Looking back, it was the start of something sinister.
Then, between the summer of 1998 and early 1999, Caroline called the Barber family and asked them for the birthdates of Rachel and her sisters for a project. Later on, investigators found an application for a birth certificate in Rachel’s name in her home.
On February 28, 1999, Caroline invited Rachel to her apartment the next day to participate in a psychological study that could earn her $100.
She told Rachel to come over after her dance classes, but not to tell anyone about the study; otherwise, the results would be compromised.
So, on March 1, Rachel met up with Caroline, rode the train to her apartment, and ate a slice of pizza. Caroline started the so-called study with a few minutes of meditation.
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When Rachel closed her eyes, Caroline wrapped a telephone cord around her neck and strangled her to death. She then shoved Rachel’s body into a wardrobe.
Several days later, she wrapped her body in two rugs, shoved it into an army bag, and hired a taxi. She claimed that she was moving a statue to her father’s property. Finally, she buried Rachel in the family pet cemetery.
Meanwhile, the police were searching for Rachel. Her family had called the police when she didn’t return home from school. The initial response wasn’t urgent. Rachel’s family was told that missing teens usually showed up within 48 hours.
Days later, once it became clear Rachel was missing, a search was launched. Investigators retraced her last known movements, and it didn’t take them long to track down her murderer.
On March 12, 1999, detectives went to Caroline’s apartment after noticing phone calls from her in the Barbers’ phone records. They found Caroline unconscious on the bedroom floor. She had epilepsy and experienced a seizure, likely from the stress of the murder.
Police discovered Caroline’s journal, which was filled with disturbing entries about Rachel, including murder plans and complete makeovers so she could look more like Rachel. The investigators believed that Caroline intended to run away and live under Rachel’s identity somewhere else.
On March 13, 1999, Caroline confessed to killing Rachel, which led to the discovery of Rachel’s body. Her body was found in a shallow grave on Caroline’s father’s property. The autopsy showed that strangulation was the cause of death.
In 2000, Caroline was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The prosecution stated that her infatuation with Rachel had been the motive for the murder.
Caroline had been so jealous of Rachel’s success, popularity, and beauty that she had wanted to remove Rachel and take over her image.
Caroline was diagnosed with a personality disorder. She spent 15 years in prison before being released on parole in 2015.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
