Lois Martha Roberts (c. 1960 – c. 31 July 1998) was an Australian murder victim, whose death near Nimbin, New South Wales in 1998 remains unsolved.
Lois Roberts | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lois Martha Roberts c. 1960 |
| Disappeared | 31 July 1998 |
| Died | c. 31 July 1998 Nimbin Police Station |
| Body discovered | January 1999 |
Background
editLois Martha Roberts[citation needed] was the daughter of Pastor Frank Roberts, a minister with the Church of Christ and an Aboriginal activist, and Muriel Roberts.[1] She was the twin sister of the arts administrator and broadcaster Rhoda Roberts, and the sister of Philip and Mark.[2] Brought up and educated in the Lismore region in northern New South Wales, Roberts trained as a hairdresser until, at age 20, she was seriously injured in a car accident, sustaining permanent brain damage.[3]
She was rehabilitated sufficiently to care for herself and went to live on her own near Lismore, but was not able to manage relationships well. Subsequently, she had two children who were raised by her mother and twin sister Rhoda.[2]
Disappearance
editRoberts was last seen outside Nimbin Police Station on 31 July 1998.[4][5] It would appear that she was abducted while hitch-hiking between Nimbin and Lismore and then tortured and abused before being killed. Her badly mutilated body was found about six months after her disappearance in January 1999. A bushwalker found the remains in Whian Whian State Forest, near Dunoon, deep in thick bush some way off a fire trail.[6]
Investigation and aftermath
editAn inquest was held in June 2002. The senior stipendiary magistrate of the Lismore Court Circuit, Jeff Linden, sitting as a coroner returned an open finding after a two-week hearing.[citation needed]
The perpetrator or perpetrators of the crime have never been identified.[2][7]
Film
editIndigenous filmmaker Ivan Sen made a documentary film about the murder and its impact on the family, A Sister's Love. It was released in 2007 and shown on ABC Television.[8][9][10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "I will never be silent again". 30 October 2011. Archived from the original on 30 October 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b c Baker, Candida (25 January 2019). "'I want to teach our knowledge. I want to bridge the gap'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ Kachor, Kate (15 December 2017). "Dirty Little Secrets: Mum-of-two's murder hides sinister past of NSW north coast". Nine News. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "HER KILLER IS STILL OUT THERE". Northern Star. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "A sister's heartbreak over the unsolved murder of her twin". www.9news.com.au. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "Zoom". www.canberratimes.com.au. Retrieved 17 September 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Ross, Isabella (25 January 2022). "Rhoda Roberts: the heartbreak and triumphs of her life" (audio (55m) + text). Mamamia. Retrieved 2 September 2024. Includes No Filter podcast, interview by Narelda Jacobs.
- ^ Schwartz, Larry (8 October 2007). "When life is murder". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ Gaudron, Meliisa (10 October 2007). "A Sister's Love". The Age. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ Schwartz, Larry (8 October 2007). "When life is murder". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
External links
edit- Death Of Lois Martha Roberts- speech by Janelle Saffin in the Parliament of New South Wales, 12 May 1999
- Roberts faces her sister’s tragedy - article from Byron Bay Echo September 2007