Ivan Milat

Ivan Milat was a notorious Australian serial killer who abducted, assaulted, robbed and murdered seven backpackers in New South Wales between 1989 and 1992. He was born on 27 December 1944 in Guildford, a suburb of Sydney, to a Croatian immigrant father and an Australian mother. He was the fifth of their 14 children. The Milat family lived in poverty and violence, and many of the boys were involved in petty crimes and hunting. Ivan was sent to a residential school at the age of 13 for his delinquent behaviour. He had his first conviction for theft at the age of 17 and spent several years in prison for various offences, such as breaking and entering, car theft and armed robbery. Milat worked as a road worker for the Roads & Traffic Authority and used his position to scout for potential victims along the Hume Highway. He targeted young backpackers who were hitchhiking or looking for a ride to areas of southern New South Wales. He would lure them into his vehicle with friendly offers of transport or accommodation, then drive them to the Belanglo State Forest, where he would torture, stab, shoot or strangle them to death. He would then bury their bodies in shallow graves or cover them with branches. His victims were two British men, three German women, and two Australian women, aged between 19 and 22. He also attempted to murder another British man, Paul Onions, who managed to escape from Milat's car and report him to the police. Milat was arrested on 22 May 1994 after a massive police investigation that involved hundreds of officers and forensic experts. He was identified by Onions as his attacker and by ballistic evidence that linked his weapons to the murders. Police also found several items belonging to the victims at his home, such as clothing, backpacks, cameras and sleeping bags. Milat denied any involvement in the crimes and claimed he was framed by his brother Richard, who resembled him. He also accused the police of planting evidence and tampering with witnesses. Milat was tried at the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1996. The trial lasted for 15 weeks and was one of the most publicized and expensive trials in Australian history. The jury found him guilty of seven counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of false imprisonment and one count of robbery. He was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without parole, plus six years for each of the other offences. He was initially held at Maitland Gaol, then transferred to Goulburn Correctional Centre in 1997. He spent most of his time in solitary confinement at the Supermax section of the prison. Milat never confessed to his crimes or showed any remorse for his actions. He maintained his innocence until his death and continued to appeal against his conviction and sentence. He also engaged in several acts of self-harm and hunger strikes while in prison. In 2001, he cut off his little finger with a plastic knife and tried to mail it to the High Court of Australia as a protest against his treatment. In 2009, he swallowed razor blades, staples and other metal objects. In 2011, he went on a nine-day hunger strike that resulted in him losing 25 kilograms. Milat was diagnosed with esophageal and stomach cancer in August 2019 while in prison. He was transferred to Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney for treatment but refused chemotherapy or radiotherapy. He died on 27 October 2019 at the age of 74 at Long Bay Correctional Centre. His death was met with relief and indifference by the public and the families of his victims. He was cremated and his ashes were given to his brother Bill, who scattered them at an undisclosed location.