In 1987, a 12-year-old Australian girl was abducted, raped, and murdered by a couple. Sian Kingi was last seen riding her bike near Noosa Heads, Queensland, on 27 November. Her body was found days later in a dry creek bed, 15 kilometres away.
The Abduction and Discovery
Sian had been shopping with her mother and was cycling home through a park when she disappeared. Her parents reported her missing after finding her abandoned bicycle. Police launched a search, and her body was discovered on 3 December in the Tinbeerwah Mountain State Forest.
The Perpetrators
Police linked a white Holden Kingswood station wagon to the crime. The owner, Valmae Beck, and her husband Barrie Watts were arrested. Both had criminal records and were on bail. They were charged with abduction, rape, and murder.
Beck confessed, revealing the couple had lured Sian into their car under the guise of looking for a lost poodle. Sian was raped, strangled, and stabbed.
Trials and Convictions
Beck was found guilty in 1988 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Watts was convicted in 1990 and also received a life sentence. Beck died in prison, while Watts later confessed to the crime in 2007.
Parole Attempts and Public Outcry
In 2021, a petition with 61,000 signatures opposed Watts' parole. It was rejected, and again in 2024. Queensland MP Dan Purdie called Watts the "worst of the worst" and promised to table the petition in parliament. Sunshine Coast resident Vanessa Skoglund expressed terror at the thought of his release.
