Rachel Barber’s parents shocked over killer Caroline Reed Robertson’s chilling transformation
A KILLER who strangled a teenager to death in a bizarre attempt to assume her identity has shocked the victim’s family by altering her appearance while behind bars.
credit wayne.flower@news.com.au
Caroline Reed Robertson has dramatically changed her appearance as an exclusive photograph of the killer taken inside prison has revealed.
The photo shows a leaner Robertson, with long, straight hair and a clear complexion.
Robertson was just 19 when she strangled 15-year-old dancer Rachel Barber in 1999.
The film, I Am You, starring Guy Pearce and Rebecca Gibney and depicting the chilling crime, was shot in 2009.
After years of delays, it screened on Foxtel’s movie crime channel last Sunday.
I am you 1:00
I Am You is a confronting drama chronicling the chilling true story of the 1999 murder of Melbourne teenager, Rachel Barber.
Robertson was eligible for parole on August 10, but her release has been delayed until at least next year following a public outcry by Rachel’s parents to keep her behind bars.
The image has stunned Rachel’s parents Michael and Elizabeth Barber, who have not seen their daughter’s killer since she was sentenced to 20 years’ jail in November 2000.
“There is a Rachel likeness there, the eyes,” Mr Barber said.
“I kept thinking she looks like someone I know. I thought, ‘bloody hell’. It has that feel about Rachel . . . at first glance it’s kind of weird. Everything is different, but she still has that look.”
Rachel’s mother Elizabeth Barber says she could also be trying to copy one-time prison chum, German cocaine importer Andrea Mohr.
Killer Caroline Reed Robertson now (main), her previous appearance (centre) and victim Rachel Barber (right).
“She doesn’t look anything like Caroline. I wouldn’t have recognised her in the least. She’s totally different,” Mrs Barber said.
“She looks like Andrea Mohr, and if I was Andrea I’d be really worried . . . that’s really creepy.”
The Herald Sun can also reveal Robertson, now 34, has had a long-term lesbian relationship with an armed robber.
Several sources have confirmed recently released inmate Annette “Chubs” Taylor has been in a four-year relationship with the killer and maintains regular contact with her lover inside Deer Park’s Dame Phyllis Frost prison.
A former inmate, who spent time inside with Robertson, said the killer never spoke about her crime and had never displayed any remorse.
Caroline Reed Robertson at the Supreme Court in 2000.
“She’s seems completely normal,” the woman said. “I actually do believe she’s been rehabilitated.”
But Mr Barber said it was Robertson’s ability to keep her thoughts hidden that worried him.
“She just keeps flying under the radar, keeps quiet and tries not to get into any trouble.”
Mrs Barber said she did not begrudge Robertson happiness on the outside, but remained fearful she would re-offend.
“I hope that when she’s released she can live a quiet life and not cause any trouble,” she said.
Caroline Reed Robertson at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, after she was charged with the murder of Rachel Barber.
Rachel’s boyfriend at the time has also joined the growing chorus for tougher sentencing and stricter parole conditions.
Manni Carella, 31, said he thought about Barber every day and has had anxiety attacks at the thought of Robertson being released.
The pair were madly in love and in dance school at the Dance Factory in Richmond when Rachel went missing in 1999.
Caroline Reed Robertson Sentencing transcript
or read below, click to see full size!
Aussie Criminals and Crooks 
Amazing how one can murder another and still they give a killer a second chance at freedom as per usual just like that, start a fresh change your hair and look like butter wouldnt melt in your mouth I would think she surely would be spending her time on the outside looking over her shoulder I suppose it depends on what temprement the victims family are like some familys are forgiving my opinion is that its an absolute insult to the family and the victim for this scrubber to walk free.
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Just like the scrubber Tania Hermann , the body in the boot murderess,of Maria Korp, who was recently realeased on Parole because of her good behaviour, from club, Country, get away resort H.M.Tarrengower Womens Prison after only serving a slap on the wrist, 12 years the do-gooders in this now prison system say, she is now also very much no risk and rehabilitated .and will be no further danger to society or the community!… Same old story………… I bet Maria Korps daughter thinks otherwise, about this bitch , Tania Hermann who not only beat and strangled Maria Korp, drove her into the city of Melbourne as a prisoner in hr cars boot, and if that wasn’t enough, left her for days, suffering in agony and even worst still , caused her to eventually suffer in a coma, for a long period of time ,which later required , the worst possible case of her life support to be turned off!…… But oh no, The department of Justice, Prisons and Parole Board say this evil bitch, must be given mercy and repentance and all Tania Hermanns Sins to be all forgiven in the name of her Good prison behaviour and prospects at rehabilitation!…
But Maria Korp never ever was to get any of that chance at rehabilitation, and instead was given the Death Penalty by Tania Hermann, as a result of Marias life support machine being turned off!…… But the Government are going to continue spending more multi millions of dollars on the humane containment and welfare of current and future Prisoners in purpose built- newer more modern comfortable prisons, for the ever growing number of new criminals that will continue to fill the over crowed jails. This is the results of the Governments rush to decommission, demolish and close down all the old harsh Victorian Gaols, which served their purpose well with their once tough and hard time regimes, that once didn’t give a shit, about the conditions under which Prisoners suffered in cold dark bluestone, dungeon style cellblocks and cells!………………………….
If the government were serious about saving the publics money, then they would revert back to locking up all these low-life human carcass notorious killer prisoners, back in these strong uncomfortable old Aussie GAOLS!………..Please Robbo post -. The Black Dolphin in Russia, National Geographic Worlds Toughest and Hardest Prisonso Youtube!…….. Aussie Criminal Community can get an insight to how tough our Government could be on violent Criminals if any of them had the guts, to be real serious about Law and Order!…………Cheers Former H.M.Pentridge Screw, ”H”.Division High Security Unit or The Bash House- The Slot and Rock Crushing Punishment Labour yards as it was first named in H.M.Pentridge when first built in 1958. Melbourne- Australias Hardest-toughest Prison. Should never have been closed down and still in use today for Australias worst Criminals!………………………………………………………………………………
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I agree that evil scrubber Tania Herman has been given a second chance it makes me sick shes got herself a female lover (shes game hooking up with a murderer) shes apparently living in Yarraville Vic. Shes another one that should watch her back but I believe revenge isnt a strong point among fellow australians they soften over time. Not all of us thats for sure. I went on a tour of Pentridge before it was gutted and it was ideal for housing these misfit moron convicts.
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Cheers Reagan, same with the Old Melbourne Gaol,most of it all demolished over the years, where a lot of the higher education buildings use now, in all that isleft of its large bluestone block, stonemason, and convict labour built Victoria era skeleton!… And most of it has been modernised as a public space around the one of the only surviving cellblock, wings left remaining as a tourist attraction!.. The one that held poor old Ned Kelly was held an later in 1880 hung in on the gallows. This Prison once had a very tough women wing, that’s Ned Kellys, mother was also locked in. The idea back in those harsh days, was to let her know, that her son , then facing the death penalty for him shooting the coppers at Glenrowan!…….. Poor Ned and his victimised poor mother, were for years harassed by the corrupt coppers in Victorian times. Ned had had enough and took the law into his own hands. He may have graduated to being a police killer, but he endured years of mistreated by the law, remember he started out as a young boy as a horse thief in dark colonial times, when police exceeded their powers on the down and out!….. But back to the subject of the early Victorian Penal jails or Gaols, as they were all called back then. Todays coward violent and killer rapist and child molesters, both male and female of the worst types of modern day criminals , need a real taste of these draconian style harsh prison regimes. And as for the lesser crimes criminals if nothing else, it would hopeful to them from going to,and or ever wanting to go back into prison again!… It would not work on all of them, some are born bad, but for these few hardcore crims then these old gaols would be a place for where they can rot in Hell!
Instead these modern day parolees, are back in the free world of society, living back amongst us, as if they never even committed a heinous horrible crime!.. The victims lay in the cemetery dead and buried forever, while these scumbag grubs, get another chance at life, and get to enjoy a long life, beyond their comfortable modern day rehabilitation jails!………..Poor old Ned Kelly never got a chance at freedom again, or rehabilitation and reintergration back into the community!………………
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”Russian Prison System Documentary-” ”The Mark of Cain”!….on..Youtube, How prisons in Australia should be, and some once were!…for our worst Criminals!………..Cheers, from Former H.M.Pentridge Melbourne Prison Officer !……………”.Do- gooders and bleeding hearts wont like this’ true cutting edge film!
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Sorry, but Russias Black Dolphin Prison Documentary , has been banned and now removed from youtube for some reason?….,It was a very good stark look at the way Russia deals with their worst type of hardened criminals……. Looks like the soviet style communist- censorship, under the KGB style regime of Russian Leader Vladimer Putin is alive and kicking in Australia……….Russias tightening on spending certainly does not include modern comfortable buildings and conditions with prisoners rights in their public spending budgets!………….Our Politicians prefere cut the innocent publics spending on welfare, disability, pensioners and battlers, rather than get tougher on the way they house Aussie Criminals, in the new multi millions dollars getaways!
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Very interesting I couldnt agree with you more the prisoners quality of life inside now is far too civilised and comfortable compared to those previous pentridge days you experienced.The russians make the system here sound like a big embarressing non laughable joke.The politicians in power now dont have the backbone they had back in the day when they couldnt give a bugger about the prison system as long as the right ones were locked up. Now this piss weak faceless yellow backed civil rights parole board and whoever the hell else has the nouse to call the shots only have the sick twisted empathy for the murderer not the fact that Jill Meager would still be alive today and Sarah Mcafferky if they had of kept these scumbags locked away.There are people accountable for Bayley & Hunters release but they will never be known to the public for obvious reasons they will bury their heads and hide without one ounce of regret.
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Yes, Reagan, these important ivory tower legal trained people that held the fate of Jill Meager and Sarah Mcafferky are as guilty as the killer, rapist perpetrators! Because, they should of known well both their long past heinous crimes, but they still anyway gave a Prisoner with a long predatory rape record dating back to 1990 Adrian Earnest/ Edwards Bayley and Steven James Hunters record of a most horrible murder, dating back to 1996, and many breaches of prior parole by them both!… But they still give them their get out of jail free cards and un-supervised Parole?. .For them..to continue their stalking and hunting back on the streets again!……….May the legacies and the public marches for Jill and Sarah and the many other Parolee Victims of Crime, keep reminding them that they were the our weak tools in the justice system that they all failed us the community most shocking, because of letting loose Bayley and Hunter and Dupas and so many more, unsupervised?, and also by their crim loving caring about the civil rights of Prisoners, and their failures of utter negligence and incompetence upon us all, by their rushed, careless decisions of setting dangerous inmates from jails, over and over again – free again on Parole!… But they will keep doing it, they care about the crims charter of human rights to- much, and don’t listen to the victims of Crime!…….The people must keep march for Jill and Toms and Sarahs mother sake!……….We must never let them the Department of Justice, the Parole Board and the Judges of the courts ever forget how they failed us all!………………………………………….
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Thanks for the court docs, Robbo. Think I’ll take a look at the forensic astrology on this one. Cheers mate…
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Recently released
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/caroline-reed-robertson-who-strangled-dancer-rachel-barber-in-1999-freed-on-parole/story-fni0fee2-1227189776547
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I hate channel nine when they hang on a story that is so deep and personal to folks involved. I have used up my huge allowance of 2 pages a day or whatever the HS tells me. If you can email the content…I gave up paying for all these papers over a year ago, just like foxtel. You buy them and they still flog you with ads. Anyway… lets see what we can add to the story together.
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Email sent
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I would love to know why when it was clearly proved that this was premeditated..why did she only get 20 years and not the death penalty or at least life in prison?????
I am from the United States and I ask is our judicial system so much different than Australia???
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