Age at time of disappearance: 13 years
Build: Slim
Height: 170 cm
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Distinguishing Features/Other:
Circumstances:

Sophie Woodman was last seen at about 7:00pm on 21 March 1980 when she left home with a girlfriend. Both girls had pre-arranged to leave home and travel to the eastern states. The girls parted company in Victoria after making arrangements to meet again in Queensland.
The friend has since been located but was not able to assist with the location of Sophie. Despite extensive inquiries and publicity, Sophie has not been located. Concerns are held for her safety and welfare.
If you have information that may assist police to locate Sophie please call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Cops hope killer Valmae Faye Beck will confess to more

By Nadine McGrath

May 17, 2008 11:50am

Article from: AAP

THE condition of convicted child killer Valmae Faye Beck, formerly known as Fay Cramb, has improved and it is believed she is out of a coma.

The Department of Corrective services said Beck was now in a stable condition in the Townsville General Hospital.

Beck was in a medically induced coma following complications with heart surgery.

It is believed she is out of the coma but still not speaking.

Beck and her former husband Barrie Watts were jailed for life in 1987 for the torture and murder of Noosa schoolgirl Sian Kingi.

Cold case detectives want to interview the 64-year-old high security prisoner over more unsolved crimes, hoping for confessions as she faces her own mortality.

Detectives believe the notorious criminal may know the fate of several unsolved cases involving young girls and women across Australia.

In August 1995 a Supreme Court jury in Brisbane acquitted Watts of murder and a lesser charge of manslaughter in relation to the death of a woman whose body has never been found.

Watts pleaded not guilty to murdering Helen Mary Feeney, a 31-year-old student, between October 29 and December 1, 1987.

Beck testified that Watts had dumped Ms Feeney's body and burned it at a rubbish tip near Lowood, west of Brisbane.

But detectives believe the body was actually disposed of elsewhere and Beck knows the location.

Beck has been questioned about the disappearance of 14-year-old Sophie Helen Woodman, who went missing on March 21, 1980, after leaving her Perth home with a girlfriend and travelling to the eastern states.

She and Watts have been linked to the murders of Sharron Phillips, 20, in Brisbane's outer west, Stella Mary Farrugia, 19, and Louise Bell, 10, in Adelaide.

Treatment of morbidly obese Beck sparked a public outcry with Premier Anna Bligh forced to defend her rights to taxpayer-funded health care.

"While I understand that people might have some questions about this, in this country we don't have a death penalty - we do provide medical services to people who are in our prisons,'' Ms Bligh told reporters in Brisbane.

Two prison officers have been posted at Beck's hospital bedside with concern she may be a target for reprisals rather than posing any threat given her medical condition.

Murderer takes her secrets to the grave

Evil child killer Valmae Beck dies with secrets

WA POLICE have lost the chance to solve a 30-year-old child murder mystery with the death in Queensland of sadistic killer Valmae Beck.

Queensland police had hoped to gain a deathbed confession from the woman branded one of the nation's most sadistic child sex killers, including her possible involvement in the disappearance of WA teenager Sophie Woodman almost 30 years ago.

Detectives believed Beck may have held the key to several other unsolved cases involving missing ``petite blonde virgins'' across the nation.

Beck has been questioned about the disappearance of 14-year-old Sophie Helen Woodman, who went missing on March 21, 1980, after leaving her Perth home with a girlfriend and travelling to the eastern states.

The girls parted company in Victoria and intended to meet in Queensland, but Sophie has not been seen since.

WA Police still have Sophie listed as a missing person.

Beck and her child rapist former husband Barrie Watts had moved from WA to Queensland when they embarked on an eight-week crime spree in late 1987 that ended with the abduction, torture, rape and murder of Noosa schoolgirl Sian Kingi, 12.

Both were jailed for life.

The reviled child killer died aged 64, alone in Townsville Hospital last night, before police could interview her over other unsolved crimes.

No next of kin were with Beck when she was declared dead at 6.15pm, more than three weeks after she was admitted to hospital suffering shortness of breath.

Grossly overweight and with a history of poor health, Beck fell into a critical condition and was placed in a medically induced coma after undergoing minor heart surgery.

Although she regained semi-consciousness about 10 days later and was considered "stable", medical staff described Beck as incoherent and unresponsive.

The mother-of-six had served almost 20 years of a life sentence for the shocking 1987 murder of Sian Kingi.

Cold case detectives wanted to interview the 64-year-old high security prisoner over more unsolved crimes, hoping for confessions as she lay on her deathbed.

Detectives believed she may have held the key to several unsolved cases involving young girls and women across Australia, including Helen Mary Feeney, a 31-year-old student, between October 29 and December 1, 1987.

Beck testified that Watts had dumped Ms Feeney's body and burned it at a rubbish tip near Lowood, west of Brisbane.

Watts was later acquitted of the murder, but police believe Beck knew exactly where Ms Feeney's body was buried.
Acting Qld Police Minister Robert Schwarten confirmed Beck had died in Townsville Hospital without having regained consciousness.

"She got a life sentence and it turned out to be that," Mr Schwarten said.

"Right until the end, she was no assistance to police.

"Harsh as it may sound, and people may judge me on that, I don't think there will be many Queenslanders who would shed a tear in her direction and there would be some who would cheer."

Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson, who was involved in investigating the case involving Beck's part in Sian Kingi's murder, was expected to give a statement on Beck's death, Mr Schwarten said.

Soon after going to jail, Beck changed her name to Fay Cramb and apparently "found God", undergoing a full immersion baptism at Brisbane Jail, known as Boggo Road in 1991.

Over the years, Beck piled on the weight as a result of her "cooking" jobs in prison and was believed to be 98kg at the time of her death - considered morbidly obese for her 160cm frame.

While in hospital Beck had just two visitors, Stephanie Gunton - believed to be her daughter - and the Townsville Correctional Centre Catholic prison chaplain Father Patrick Quinty who delivered her last rites almost three weeks ago.