Bio

Robert Arthur Selby Lowe was born in England in 1937. He attended boarding schools in England and New Zealand before later settling in Australia. Publicly, he appeared respectable. He worked as a salesman and was involved in church and community activities.

Lowe was a Presbyterian church elder, a Sunday school teacher, and a junior cricket coach. People who knew him through church and community circles often saw him as polite and trustworthy. This public image later became important because it helped hide his criminal behavior.

Before Sheree Beasley’s murder, Lowe had a long history of sexual offending and indecent behavior. His earlier offenses included indecent assault, obscene exposure, loitering for sexual purposes, theft, and other sexual misconduct. He had been in trouble in both New Zealand and Australia before the 1991 murder.

Lowe was married to Lorraine Lowe, and they had two sons. His wife later stated that she had not known the full extent of his past. After Sheree’s disappearance, Lowe became a suspect, but his repeated lies and changing stories made the investigation difficult.

By 1991, Lowe was living in Victoria, Australia. He drove a blue Toyota Corolla hatchback, which later became connected to Sheree’s abduction.

Murder Story

On June 29, 1991, 6-year-old Sheree Joy Beasley was in Rosebud, Victoria. She had been riding her bicycle near her home and had gone out several times that day, including to a local milk bar. Later that day, her bicycle was found abandoned, and her family realized she was missing.

Witness evidence later showed that Lowe had forced Sheree into his blue Toyota Corolla hatchback. He first asked if she wanted to go with him, but she refused. He then got out of the car and forced her inside. Sheree was still wearing her pink bicycle helmet.

A major search followed. Lowe first denied any involvement. Later, he changed his story several times and gave different versions of what had happened. He claimed that Sheree had willingly accepted a ride and then became upset in the car. Much of his version was later rejected because it did not match witness evidence or the condition in which Sheree’s body was found.

On September 24, 1991, Sheree’s body was found in a stormwater drain near Red Hill, Victoria. Her body was badly decomposed. Evidence showed that she had been placed in the drain after her death.

Lowe’s own statements and information given to his psychotherapist became important parts of the case. He had been receiving therapy from Margaret Hobbs, and police later recorded sessions connected to the investigation. The defense objected to the use of that material, but the court allowed it because of the serious public-safety issues involved.

Lowe eventually admitted that he had taken Sheree and that he had choked her. At trial, he admitted guilt. The jury found him guilty of both kidnapping and murder. In December 1994, Lowe was sentenced to 15 years for kidnapping and life imprisonment for murder. The judge ordered that he serve life with no minimum term, making clear that he was never to be released.

After his conviction, Lowe later claimed from prison that he was innocent, but police and Sheree’s family rejected those claims. He remained imprisoned in Victoria for the rest of his life. Robert Arthur Selby Lowe died in prison on November 4, 2021, while serving his life sentence.