The Horrifying Journal Entries Of Killer Babysitter Caroline Reed Robertson
In 1999, Rachel Barber was a 15-year-old aspiring dancer who studied at the Dance Factory in Melbourne, Australia. She had a stable home life and took her dance classes seriously in hopes of one day being a professional dancer for musical productions. However, she wasn't able to fulfill her dream. She disappeared on March 1 after telling her friends and her boyfriend that she was going to earn a lot of money from a job she was going to, but she didn't disclose what the work entailed, as reported by Morbidology,
Nearly two weeks later, Barber was discovered in a shallow grave. She had a ligature around her neck and her body was badly decomposed, as noted by the Supreme Court of Victoria (via Aussie Criminals). The property where she was found belonged to David Reid, who was the father of Barber's neighbor, Caroline Reed Robertson. Robertson was a 19-year-old who often babysat for Barber's younger sister, and she was questioned about the crime. Robertson eventually confessed to killing Barber, and the motive and details of the crime soon became clear.
Caroline Reed Robertson lured Rachel Barber
On February 28, the night before Rachel Barber disappeared, Caroline Reed Robertson called Rachel Barber asking her help in a secret psychological study. She promised to pay her $100 for her participation but noted that she must keep the details to herself so as not to compromise the results of the experiment. Barber went to Robertson's apartment the next day where they ate pizza before starting the so-called psychological study. As noted in court records, Robertson then asked Barber to meditate while thinking of happy thoughts. That was when she strangled Barber with a telephone cord until she died. Robertson kept Barber's body in her apartment for a couple of days before transporting her to the location where she was discovered.
According to the Daily Mail, investigators who conducted Robertson's interview observed her as being cold and emotionless. She eventually confessed to the murder and revealed where she left Barber's body. Evidence showed that she carefully planned Barber's murder and had developed an obsession with her. One piece of evidence found in her apartment was a birth certificate application that contained the name "Rachel Elizabeth Barber," as reported by Morbidology. The entries in her journal also provided a glimpse of the depth of her obsession with the young dancer.
Disturbing details in the journal
In her journal, Caroline Reed Robertson (pictured) showed signs of self-hate. The entries that dated back to when she was 14 years old consisted of drawings and harsh words she described herself. As reported by the Daily Mail, one entry read, "I don't belong anywhere in this crazy world because I'm ugly, obese, pizza face, white worm, massive nose and just plain weird." She also wrote about Barber and described her as an attractive girl with beautiful green eyes (via ATI). As time passed, her plan to murder Barber was also detailed in the journal.
According to the Herald Sun, the journal consisted of how she would lure, kill, and dispose of Barber's body. She planned to lace pizza with what she described as "drowsy powder" before killing the teen. In another entry, she wrote, "Check farm (including bag) ... Tuesday arrange bank loan ... Moving van ... Night to disguise hair ... Thoroughly clean house, and steam clean carpet." She had a step-by-step to-do list of how she would carry out the crime and get away with it. Fortunately, investigators were able to link her with Barber's murder before she was able to flee. Her journal was presented as evidence during the trial.
What happened to Caroline Reed Robertson?
In a report by the Supreme Court of Victoria (per Aussie Criminals), two psychologists and a psychiatrist treated Caroline Reed Robertson while she was in jail. They all came to the conclusion that she had a personality disorder. As reported by the Herald Sun, Robertson pleaded guilty to murdering Barber, and she was sentenced to 20 years in prison without parole. She served 14 years and six months. During sentencing, the judge stated that Robertson would be dangerous to anyone whom she fixated on, as said in court documents.
In 2015, Robertson was released from prison on parole. The conditions of her release include notifying her parole officer before she moves to a different location, adhering to parole rules, and not breaking any laws, according to the Herald Sun. During her time in prison, Robertson drastically changed her appearance, and Rachel Barber's mother said that she wouldn't have recognized her if she didn't know who she was.
"I kept thinking she looks like someone I know ... It has that feel about Rachel ... at first glance, it's kind of weird," she stated. The Barber family released a statement and pleaded for the public not to harass Robertson. "She was diagnosed with a personality disorder and now that she is older will hopefully recognize when she needs to seek help," the statement read (via 9 News). They are hopeful that with careful monitoring and supervision, Robertson won't get the chance to kill again.