Two best friends. A camping trip. A ride they never should have accepted.
On October 5, 1997, 14-year-old Lauren Barry and her 16-year-old best friend Nichole Collins were camping at White Rock, near Bega, New South Wales, ahead of Lauren's 15th birthday. Around 9 p.m., the girls left the campsite on foot to walk to a nearby party. They never returned.
Who They Were
Lauren and Nichole had been inseparable, sharing a love of horses and a wide circle of friends both older and younger than themselves. Nichole's father had set up the camp specifically for the long weekend so his daughter could invite friends over; the girls had planned to come home periodically to shower and eat before returning to camp.
The Men in the Car
Around 10 p.m., Leslie Camilleri and Lindsay Beckett, both from the New South Wales town of Yass, offered the girls a lift in a Ford Telstar, saying they were headed to get beer. The girls accepted. Instead, Camilleri produced a knife and threatened them.
Over the following twelve hours, the men drove the girls several hundred kilometers across rural New South Wales and into Victoria, subjecting them to repeated sexual assault at multiple stops along the way. At points during the ordeal, the girls asked their captors directly whether they intended to kill them. The men told them they didn't — that they only planned to tie them up so they could get away.
That wasn't true. By the next morning, at Fiddler's Green Creek in Victoria, both men had decided the girls would not be released. Both Lauren and Nichole were killed there. Beckett later confessed in full detail to police and led investigators to the site.
Arrest and Confession
A pink television set the men had been carrying — removed from the car to make room for the girls — became a key piece of evidence after a council worker recalled seeing it discarded near where the girls were last seen. That lead helped police identify and arrest Camilleri and Beckett within weeks. Beckett confessed fully and directed authorities to where the girls' bodies had been left; their remains were found roughly five weeks after they disappeared.
Trial and Sentencing
Beckett pleaded guilty to both murders and was sentenced on August 20, 1998, to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 35 years — at the time, the longest non-parole period ever handed down in Victoria. He will be eligible for parole in 2033. The sentencing judge noted Beckett had a low IQ and had fallen under the influence of Camilleri, though this was not treated as an excuse for his actions.
Camilleri was also convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. His appeals to the Supreme Court and later the High Court of Australia were both unsuccessful.
A Third Victim, Revealed Years Later
In December 2012, Camilleri pleaded guilty to an entirely separate murder: the 1992 killing of 13-year-old Prue Bird, five years before the Bega murders. He received an additional 28-year sentence, reduced for his guilty plea.
Changing the Law
Both men had prior criminal histories and were out on bail at the time of the murders. In direct response to the case, New South Wales passed the Bail Amendment Act 1998, tightening the conditions under which people with violent criminal histories could be granted bail.
A Community That Never Forgot
Bega and the surrounding area were deeply affected by the murders. Residents later planted two rose gardens in memory of Lauren and Nichole, with a plaque reading: “Lauren and Nichole. God has them in his keeping. We have them in our hearts.” Lauren's brother, Nathan, has spoken publicly in the years since about the long process of grief and healing the case brought to his family and community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Were both men convicted?
Yes. Lindsay Beckett pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 35-year non-parole period. Leslie Camilleri was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Is either man eligible for release?
Beckett will be eligible for parole in 2033. Camilleri's sentence carries no possibility of parole.
Did this case affect Australian law?
Yes. It directly led to the Bail Amendment Act 1998 in New South Wales, which tightened bail conditions for people with histories of violent offending.
Was Camilleri connected to any other murders?
Yes. In 2012, he pleaded guilty to the 1992 murder of 13-year-old Prue Bird, five years before the Bega murders.