A cold and emotionless trial for Australia’s most notorious killer (Part 5/5) | Forensic Files

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on March 26 1996 long queues of people spilled onto the street outside the New South Wales Supreme Court as they
desperately scrambled to gain entry into what was expected to be one of the longest and most highly anticipated
criminal trials in the state's history inside a skylight in the domed ceiling flooded natural light down into the
century-old courthouse illuminating the colonial architecture mahogany paneling in the gold trim that adorned to the
cream-colored walls 30 journalists gathered in the press gallery at the rear of the courtroom
representing media outlets from all over the world including Australia the United
Kingdom Germany and to the United States upstairs the public gallery contained enough seats to facilitate 50 members of
the public a small section of which had been reserved for the family members of the seven victims to show their support
the New South Wales state government offered the family's financial assistance to help cover travel costs to
attend the trial from an initial pool of over 1000 potential jurors eight men and
four women had been selected they were briefed over what to expect and warned they were about to be exposed
to a lengthy graphic and emotionally distressing trial that was expected to last for up to six months
Ian Lloyd the senior Crown prosecutor who had overseen the committal hearing had since taken a leave of absence and
two deputy senior Crown prosecutor Mark Tedeschi was appointed in his place the trial was overseen by presiding judge
Justice David Hunt while a team of Task Force Air detectives were on constant standby to manage the evidence and
conduct the follow-up on any questions that may arise accused serial killer 51 year old Ivan
Milat sat motionless before the court dressed in a navy suit white shirt and gray checkered tire he sported a fresh
neat haircut and his face was cleanly shaven above his seat a small perspex green had been fitted to protect him
from anything that may be held towards him from the public gallery he kept his gaze averted from the gallery at all
times and expressed no concern with some witnesses detecting a hint of a smile on
his face [Music] [Music] at the commencement of Ivan Milat trial a Royal Commission was underway into
corruption within the New South Wales Police Force leading to the expectation his defense team would use this to their
advantage and alleged police had planted evidence to frame their client surprisingly the defense chose to forgo
this tactic and instead conceded that a male member of the Millat family was responsible for the seven backpacker
murders and attempted kidnapping of Paul Onion's but that person wasn't Ivan their strategy relied on the lack of
direct evidence implicating Ivan in the deaths and - thus aimed to spotlight his
brothers Richard or Wally as the culprit who both adamantly denied the allegations in his opening address
prosecutor mark Tedeschi acknowledged to the Crown's uncertainty over how many perpetrators were in the forest at the
time of the murders and admitted they were unable to prove whether the accused acted alone instead their efforts were
centered around proving Ivan Milat specific involvement in the crimes believing he was still legally
responsible for the deaths regardless of whether or not he had an accomplice or accomplices Tedeschi explained the
murders were quote killings for killings sake with the defendant acting purely to
fulfill his own psychological gratification well the prosecution case was circumstantial Tedeschi established
their strategy was to hone in on the discovery of key pieces of evidence that linked Ivan to both the victims and
their deaths over the following weeks a total of 145 witnesses were called to testify including many members of the
Millat family experts from a variety of fields and members of the victim's families Joanne Walter's mother Jillian
broke down on her way to the witness box and was unable to testify her emotional
turmoil clear to all observers accepted he accused who showed no reaction at one
stage the jurors were escorted into Berlanga low State Forest to inspect the remote locations where the murders took
place in an effort to enable them to better understand - the evidence presented in court at the advice of his
legal team Ivan had admitted that the camping related items ceased from his home and to the homes of several of his
family members did indeed belong to some of the deceased backpackers he accepted
the tent water bottle sleeping bag and sleeping bag cover found at his property belonged to Simone Schmitt all as did
the daypack located at his brother Wally's home and the backpack handed to police by his brother Alex and his wife
Joan he also admitted that two sleeping bags a sleeping mat and a tent recovered
from his brother Richard's home belonged to Joanne Walters and Caroline Clark Wally Millett testified that at the
height of task force's investigation he allowed Ivan to store various incriminating items on his property
this included several illegal firearms and what Wally later learned after Ivan's arrest was Simone's daypack in
Richard mullets court testimony he maintained the camping equipment recovered from his home was his even
though Ivan had already conceded a belonged to Joanne Walters and Caroline Clark
Ivan's girlfriend chat Linda was called to explain how she came to be photographed wearing a long-sleeved
Benetton brand shirt matching one owned by Caroline Clark Celinda said she had taken the shirt
from a pile of ironing at Ivan's eagle-vail property one morning in 1994 wearing it to the beach that day where
Ivan took the photo of her later that afternoon she returned to the shirt to the clothes pile and hadn't
seen it since during to Linda's testimony Crown prosecutor mark Tedeschi presented the photograph to the court
revealing handwriting on the back of the image that displayed a date 1992 a time
when Ivan was still living at his mother's house in Guildford the prosecution was also able to connect the
defendant to James Gibson's backpack into camera which were found on gulstan Gorge Road in North Western Sydney
records provided by Ivan's former employer the roads and traffic authority confirmed he worked on the construction
of a roundabout in the suburb of jewelle just a few weeks before James and his partner Deborah Everest went missing
gulstan gorge road was along the route Ivan had taken when driving to his work citing Giroux indicating he was familiar
with the area where the evidence had been dumped several leviathans former work colleagues and two relatives gave
evidence regarding his known habit of carrying knives and guns with one of his nieces stating he once asked her
security guard boyfriend to supply him with a pair of handcuffs Ivan's ex-wife Karen testified against her former
husband referring to four separate occasions throughout their relationship where he took her to Belanger low State
Forest during these visits he didn't require the use of a map as he seemed to know his way around the area
Karen professed to seeing Ivan use pieces of sash cord as ropes and when shown a piece of blue and yellow rope
recovered from Gabor Noida Bella and Dania had shades crime scene she recognized it as
the same type her ex-husband once used to tie her sons go card onto the back of a trailer when questioned about the
insured's rifle found at his property that had since been linked to the area a crime scene
Wally mallet testified that the gun belonged to Ivan unprompted Wally then claimed to have borrowed the firearm in
the past to shoot rabbits in Belanger the prosecution suspected wally was fabricating evidence in an attempt to
explain how and why Ivan's weapon was discharged in the forest but he denied the accusation
despite the prosecution's understanding that Wally was falsifying testimony to protect his older brother the defense
counsel instead argued Wally had an incentive to frame their client for murder they exposed Ivan's romantic
history with Wally's former wife Maureen some 15 years prior the Wally denied harboring any bitterness about the
affair he confessed to knowing the security alarm code to Ivan's house but rejected allegations that he had planted
the Ruger rifle parts inside the property the sense of unwavering loyalty ingrained within the Milaap family was
further evident during the testimony provided by Ivan's sister-in-law carolyn in which she offered an alibi for Ivan's
whereabouts on several key dates that some of the Bangalow victims were abducted
Carolyn took the court back to Boxing Day of 1991 the day Gabor Noida Bella and Dania have she disappeared from
Sydney she claimed Ivan was present at a family get-together at his mother's home in
Guildford and couldn't have left the property at any time because her car was blocking the entrance to the garage
where his vehicle was parked inside this alibi was backed by Wally's wife who claimed to remember seeing Ivan playing
with her son at the same gathering the prosecution questioned the validity of these crucial accounts as Ivan didn't
appear in any photographs taken at the get-together and to therefore his presence at the event couldn't be proven
Carolyn offered another alibi for her brother-in-law claiming to have photographs of Ivan at a family trip on
the east the long weekend of 1992 the time frame Joanne Walters and Caroline Clark went missing the photos were
stored in an album that was originally marked 1991 the caralyn claimed to have changed the date to the following year
after realizing she had made an error insisting the trip occurred in 1992 Carolyn was asked to inspect the
backsides of the photographs in question scrawled in handwriting whether dates March 29 and March 31 1991 indicating
the photos were captured a year earlier than Carolyn testified like other melot's Carolyn was suspected of
deliberately providing false evidence in an attempt to protect Ivan following this accusation reporters swarm Carolyn
outside court when a photographer snapped her photo her husband Bill Miller launched a violent attack
smashing the photographer's camera he was subsequently charged with malicious damage and assault occasioning actual
bodily harm and a later faced court for the attack where he was defended upon the LAT family lawyer
John Marsden bill was convicted but received no punishment with the judge declaring there is no doubt in my mind
he felt his privacy had been invaded to a very gross degree the defense relied on the fact that Wiley and Richard also
matched descriptions of pool onions attacker all men had a Yugoslavian father and alike Ivan Wally had been
divorced and had at one time worked for the roads and traffic Authority in 1990 Richard also sported a Merv Hughes
horseshoes doll mustache and was known to hold racist views similar to those expressed
by Paul's attacker both Wally and Richard denied assertions they committed the botched abduction while Richard also
rejected allegations he had made several disturbing comments to co-workers implying he knew information about the
murders Richard then admitted he might lie to protect himself and when Crown prosecutor mark Tedeschi asked if he
would lie to protect a member of his family Richard responded possibly probing further to DES be questioned is it
possible that you would lie about anything to which Richard replied anything is possible the prosecution's
star witness Paul Onion's took the stand describing the horrifying moment he escaped the gun
wielding assailant suspected to be the bolongo serial killer in an attempt to discredit his testimony the defense
revealed the silver Nissen patrol four-wheel drive driven by Ivan at the time of the botched abduction was not
fitted with a spare tire rack contradicting information provided in Paul's police statement
Paul admitted he may have made an error regarding this specific detail when recalling the incident years after it
occurred nevertheless he never forgot the face of his attacker and when asked to identify him to the court Paul
pointed directly at Ivan Milat after 13 weeks of proceedings the most highly anticipated moment of the trial
came on June 17 when Ivan Milat finally appeared on the stand the packed public gallery watched on in strained silence
as the accused killer calmly maintained his innocence for all charges it took a day for Ivan to provide his full
testimony during which he denied having ever interacted with any of the victims and claimed not to know how their
belongings came to be in his possession during cross-examination a composed ivan
rebutted all evidence presented to him offering vague and questionable explanations for everything from his use
of fake gun licenses to his ownership of the two firearms linked to several of the crime scenes when confronted with
the vast collection of evidence attesting to his guilt Ivan followed the defenses established a
tactic of attempting to pin the murders on someone else relying on the theory that he was being framed but failing to
name another suspect he denied fitting the description of the man who attempted to abduct Paul onions
telling the court that he didn't sport a moustache in January 1990 this assertion
caught the attention of one of Ivins former work colleagues who was following the extensive media coverage of the
trial he immediately contacted police and provided for photographs survivin on a work site in January 1990 in which the
accused killer had a thick horseshoe-shaped mustache in court the following day the prosecution confronted
Ivan with the photographs asking do you see in that photograph would you tell the jury have you got a mustache to
which a defeated Ivan replied yes Ivan was questioned about a green rubber surgical glove that had been discovered
in the console of his holding Jack arute during police raids when asked whether he wore the item during the crimes in
order to prevent leaving any fingerprints Ivan responded I wore no before cutting himself off mid-sentence
and quickly following up with I never seen the glove before crown prosecutor mark Tedeschi paused then asked you war
know what Ivan answered well I never wore that glove Tedeschi pressed Ivan about why he cut his original response
short suggesting he intended to say he wore no gloves at all in the forest - which Ivan explained I was going to say
I wore no gloves at all in the car following this exchange the court immediately adjourned for the day with
attendees the later describing the palpable tension remaining after Ivan's slip-up there was a major breakthrough
for the prosecution with many considering whether Ivan's fumbling explanation about the glove would be the
closest he would come to making a confession in his closing arguments for the prosecution
mark Tedeschi announced quote the evidence suggests a very real possibility of more than one person
being responsible for at least some of the deceased backpackers however he remained steadfast about Ivan's
involvement claiming the collective weight of evidence found at the murder sites coupled with the items uncovered
at his home mentor was almost as though he had left a fingerprint in the forest he urged the jury not to be influenced
by the defense's theory that a different mother could have been responsible for the
attack on Paul Onion's as the case against Ivan was overwhelming quote it is my submission
there is only one person in the whole of Australia who matches all of those descriptions the man the car the
equipment and the place and that is the accused as the why Ivan would keep the incriminating evidence at his house if
he knew the police were making inquiries about him Tedeschi explained the accused
had never dreamt that there would be a blitz this is a man who had the utter arrogance to fire a shot during an
attempted abduction of mr. onions on the Hume Highway with cars whizzing by that
was the level of his confidence and he got away with it nothing happened nobody came knocking at his door a few days
later the incredible arrogance and the unbelievable self-confidence that the murderer had is exactly the kind of
arrogance and self-confidence that led the accused to believe that no one was going to come to his house and come
straight in and search it eivin's barrister Terry Martin spent two days delivering his closing argument
reiterating the defense's position that another member of the Millat family was the real killer he pointed the finger at
Richard claiming he would have no hesitation in framing his brother as a person capable of committing serial
murder would do anything to avoid a conviction Martin conceded that his client had to
lied to the court about having a mustache at the time of the attack on Paul Onion's the reason that was an
actor driven out of desperation rather than guilt not and told the jury you know that the accused is facing the
worst possible charges imaginable in Australia's history you 12 people have currently got the worst job in Australia
I am putting you under pressure the Crown's putting you under pressure the community's putting you under
pressure there can be absolutely no doubt that whoever committed all eight offences must be within the MLAT family
or very very closely associated to it the question is who wizard in the Millat family that has committed as they say
defenses do you have a reasonable doubt that it was Ivan Milat as opposed to someone else in the family
if for whatever reason you have a doubt that lingers with you you must give the benefit of the doubt to the accused as
the trial drew to its conclusion a juror received a phone call from an unknown man who threatened quote look
out if he find him guilty you're dead the juror believed the caller was about to say look out if you find my but
quickly stop himself the call was traced to Queensland where two of Ivan Milat brothers resided but
the caller could not be identified given that the jurors names were never disclosed justice David Hunt believed
they may have been followed home from court there were concerns other members of the jury may have received similar
threats but were too afraid to come forward as such Ivan's legal counsel attempted to have the entire jury
discharged fearing the menacing behavior would cause immediate prejudice against the
accused and jeopardized the verdict after four hours of deliberation justice hunt decided to discharge the juror who
received the threat whilst not disclosing the reason for their dismissal to the rest of the jury
justice hunt told the remaining members of the jury to focus their concentration
on the circumstances directly linking Ivan Milat to the crimes rather than considering the involvement of other
family members quote the experience of the Criminal Courts over the years is that a witness who may reasonably be
supposed to be criminally involved may have a motive to shift the blame away from himself to play down his own part
and to play up the part of others such as de accused under New South Wales law at the time
the jury was required to reach a unanimous verdict with failure to do so resulting in a hung jury with the option
of a retrial in a bid to ensure the integrity of the jury members were sequestered to a hotel for the duration
of their deliberations lost awaiting a verdict members of the Millat family were interviewed by a journalist for the
Sydney Morning Herald newspaper who asked how they would feel if ivan was found guilty
Richard mullet responded it's hard to say mate are they going to prove it or are they going to say he done it it was
a [ __ ] of a thing what happened to Ivan but it was more a [ __ ] of a thing for
those people in the bushes they're dead it's over for them it's just a bad thing
whatever happens to anyone now richard expressed no fear in relation to accusations that he was the Bangalow
serial killer saying the police would have arrested him by now if they thought he was responsible bill Miller told the
journalist his family had been treated like cheats and to liars claiming their words had been distorted
by the media he maintained his belief that Ivan was being framed by police saying he would never know the truth
regardless of the verdict due to the lies being told in court bill also expressed his devastation for the
victims families saying there are no words that you can say to them they had kids just like my son and daughter who
were enjoying life and were murdered that's horrendous Molly Millar refused to comment 18 weeks after the
commencement of Ivan mallets trial for the murders of James Gibson Deborah Everest
Simone Schmidt or Gabor Nagi Bella Anya have shade Joanne Walters Caroline Clark
and the attempted kidnapping of Paul Onion's the jury reached a verdict on the morning of July 27 1996 the name
of each a victim was read aloud in court with justice Hart asking the jury how do
you find the accused the verdict was the same age time guilty Ivan showed no reaction as his verdicts
were delivered one-by-one whilst family members of the victims gasped clapped and began to cry when asked by the judge
if he had anything to say Ivan responded blankly on not guilty of it justice hunt told the court I agree
entirely with those verdicts any other in my view would have flown in the face of reality he went on to
condemn Ivan for cruelly and savagely attacking each of his victims with more force than necessary to cause death for
no reason other than to satisfy his own psychological gratification he called Ivan's callous indifference to the
suffering of his victims and complete disregard for Humanity as beyond a belief his voice quivering as he
explained these seven young persons were at the threshold of their lives with everything to look forward to travel
career happiness love family and even old age they would obviously have been absolutely terrified and to death is
unlikely to have been swiftly applied these murders must unhesitatingly be labeled as falling within the worst
class of case whilst he clarified it would have no impact on his sentencing Hunt said in my view it is inevitable
that the prisoner was not alone in that criminal enterprise he stated that if another person was involved it wasn't
possible to determine whether Ivan nor his accomplice was the one responsible for inflicting the injuries that caused
the deaths regardless this hunt concluded I am satisfied that Ivan is just as responsible for that
behavior as the person who did inflict the particular injuries which caused the death of age of the victims Ivan Milat
was sentenced to spend the remainder of his natural life in prison during a subsequent press conference some family
members of the victims expressed their hopes that the investigation into possible accomplices would continue with
Debora Everest's brother Tim stating I think there'll be more to come Caroline Clark's father Ian questioned
how a person as insignificant as Ivan Milat could have wrought such havoc he said his family would attempt to wipe
the slate clean and get on with their lives quote we're not going to give him the LAT the pleasure of ruining our
lives as well as Caroline's we've got other children that we are responsibilities to explaining why his
family felt compelled to sit through the graphic and upsetting trial Ian said it
was the last thing we could do for our children all we can say is that we were there for our children a statement
written by James absence mother Pegg stated we'd like to thank the people who have helped us through the last six and
a half years since our son went missing the loss of James the gradual unfolding of how he and the other young people
were killed and being the focus of public attention have all been very traumatic
we have been helped by many people our relatives our friends our church the Salvation Army various support groups
and of course the police we would like to thank all the police involved but particularly the members of task force
err whose kindness has far exceeded that of Judy from Germany Gabor Nagi Bella's father
Manfred said that while the sentencing wouldn't bring their son back it was a huge victory for justice Jo Ann Walters
father Ray agreed that justice had been served adding it can never repay for our
children if you lose a child in these circumstances that's there forever I want people to know how much mallet has
destroyed her lives like ours several members of Ivan's family told journalists that the Millat name had
been irreparably tarnished to the point they were struggling to find employment Wally mullets wife told The Sydney
Morning Herald while he's a nervous wreck we all are that day after the papers ran the story with Wally and
Richards pitches on the front I said to Wally that he may as well have had murderer tattooed on his forehead
although she expressed sympathy towards the victims into their families she stated that they weren't the only ones
suffering quote we are - you know we are victims as well Bill Miller said his family was tired of the persecution
following Ivan's conviction quote we're not the Boy Scouts but we're not the Mafia either the day after receiving his
sentence Ivan Milat told a journalist from The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper he remained positive that he would soon
be going home quote why wouldn't I be optimistic of course I am I've done nothing wrong if everyone tells the
truth I'll be free he admitted it would be a challenge stating his belief that the
police were determined to convict him even if the guilty person walked into the station and confessed to the crimes
since his arrest Ivan told the journalist he had been sent letters of support from all around the world
including photographs from female admirers that was advised not to respond in case anyone was seeking information
that could pass on to police or sell to the media he also claimed to have received a phone call from a British
relative of one of the Belanger Lowe victims during the trial who asked why he wouldn't just play to guilty and get
it over with Ivan responded plead guilty to what I haven't done anything later that day Ivan was transferred to
Maitland maximum-security prison in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales to begin his life sentence the arrival
of the infamous serial killer was hotly anticipated as the bus full of new prisoners pulled up to the jail one
inmate walked up to the fresh arrivals and asked which ones mala when someone pointed towards the convicted killer
Dean made approached Ivan punching him in the head several times and and knocking him to the ground before saying
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despite the jury finding Ivan Malak guilty of all seven murders the case remained open as investigators continued
to explore the possibility that more than one perpetrator was responsible for the backpacker deaths again
the spotlight was shown on Richard Mille at with police forwarding a brief of evidence to the Director of Public
Prosecutions looking to charge him at the very least for being an accessory after the fact evidence relied heavily
on the statement provided by Philip Pohl glaze who told police that Richard and Ivan allegedly came home with a
blood-stained knife backpacks and passports on the same weekend Joann Walters and Caroline Clark went missing
Philip who had agreed to assist police by wearing a wire had since passed away leaving police unable to use his
statements even if police had been able to use Philips statements his story had changed during subsequent police
interviews casting some doubt on his version of events the Director of Public Prosecutions
decided there wasn't enough evidence supporting Richard mallets involvement in the crimes and ultimately decided not
to prosecute dr. rod Milton the forensic psychologist who created profiles on the
killer long before Ivan's arrest stuck by his initial theory that more than one killer was involved a belief he
continued to hold well into his retirement in an interview with the journalist Roger Maynard for the
independent newspaper dr. Milton said the nature of the crimes suggested the accomplice was highly dependent on Ivan
and would have therefore ended his killing spree following Ivan's arrest one of the strongest pieces of evidence
for the to killer theory was uncovered in area a the Berlanga low crime scene near where Gabor Noga Bela and Dania
have shades remains were discovered sergeant Jared daun one of the world's leading ballistic experts told Roger
Maynard quote that to me is suggestive of two people with two guns and two different boxes of ammunition whatever
they were doing whether they were target shooting at that time suggests there were two
different people that's not the Finity of proof but it's more probable in addition the contrasting methods of
murder between paired victims indicated to forensic psychologist dr. Milton that
more than one perpetrator inflicted the wounds quote when you look in the lap he's a cold distant person who might
have fired shots into the head he was more deliberate he was much more rigid whereas the other one gave the
impression of being impulsive and sadistic the nature of the actions suggested to people
since the outset of the investigation anthropologist dr. Richard Basham had also believed that the crimes were
committed by two men expressing this theory in the criminal profile he provided to Task Force Air in the book
fate written by Neil nur sir dr. Bassam explained the main reason he believed another person could be involved was the
decapitation of one of the victims quote I can just imagine one of these guys cutting her head off for the shock value
for a real statement of dominance to subordinate the other killer I've always thought the odds are in favor of at
least to being involved in some of the later crimes others supported the multi perpetrator Theory referring to the
difficulty a lone attacker would have faced when confronting restraining and controlling the paired victims whilst
driving and deleting them into the forest gabor Nigeria's father Manfred was not
convinced Ivan acted alone stating Gabor was one point eight six metres tall and
very strong when we sometimes went into the forest to cut firewood he would cut huge logs and carry whole tree stumps it
would have taken two men to kill him it was a sentiment shared by a juror for Ivan Milat trial who told the Herald Sun
newspaper they too felt there must have been another person involved in the crimes again making their assumptions
based on Kapoor's physique quote that would have been difficult for someone even as strong as Ivan the LAT to move
someone as tall as Naga Bela not everyone involved in the Belanger lo serial killer investigation was
convinced that Ivan Milat operated with an accomplice to explain how Wathan could have controlled two victims at
once those critical of the multi perpetrator theory suggest that the victims may have been drugged to subdue
them or render them unconscious several of the victims spines had been severed leaving them paralyzed which some viewed
as Ivan Milat zwei to maintain control of two people at once head of Task Force Air superintendent
cloth small staunch we believed that while some members of the Millat family may have suspected ivan was up to no
good none of them were directly involved in the cries small believed Ivan would not
have trusted anyone else to assist with the murders quote Ivan was a loner determined to be in control of his own
destiny an accomplice would have been too much of a risk in his book titled inside Australia's biggest manhunt clive
small explained at the various reasons why he believed Ivan Milat acted alone he cited the 1971 rape charge that Ivan
was later acquitted of as proof that he was confident and capable of attacking two hitchhikers at once detectives also
believed Ivan was responsible for the 1977 incident reported to the Task Force their hotline where two young female
hitchhikers were picked up by an unknown dark-haired man who drove them to a remote area before initiating an assault
the women managed to escape and although Ivan was never charged for the attack it
was believed to this incident served as yet another example of his confidence in
confronting two people at once small detailed Ivan's predatory process using the pool onions incident to establish
the pattern Ivan would lure his victims into his vehicle by offering them arrived making them comfortable with
small talk before holding them at gunpoint under the guise who was conducting a robbery
in relation to victims traveling in pairs he likely instructed one to restrain the other reassuring them this
was simply to prevent them from doing anything to jeopardize the holdup small also believed Ivan kept the backpackers
camping equipment and personal belongings as trophies for his crimes giving some of the items to members of
his family to derive gratification from watching them wearing and to using them this allowed him to relive the killings
in his mind over and over attaining pleasure from the memories of the violence he inflicted as for the
incriminating comments Richard mullet allegedly made to co-workers about the crimes small sighted the flurry of media
reports about missing backpackers that were circulating at the time quote if the comments were made it is likely that
tasteless as they were the comments were not based on any specific knowledge of Ivan's murders but were perhaps simply a
crass attempt by Richard to draw attention to himself based on things he had read in the media small argued that
the murder is becoming more ritualistic over time coupled with the evidence suggesting the
killer spent more time at each new crime scene did not indicate an accomplice was
involved quote I suggest the opposite that the more often I haven't killed the more self-absorbed and self-obsessed he
became asking himself what could I do to make it better to get more satisfaction
the answer was to make the killings more ritualized and to take more time carrying them out I suggest there is no
compelling argument for any person other than Ivan having committed the crimes as the debate continued over whether or
not Ivan Milat acted alone the question was raised as to whether he could be linked to any other crimes despite Ivan
being behind bars task force there continued to investigate the convicted killer focusing on other unsolved
missing person and murder cases involving backpackers and hitchhikers as well as violent crimes that involved
either a 22 caliber rifle or hunting knife they focused on persons aged between 17 and 40 who had disappeared in
New South Wales between 1970 and 1990 to identifying 43 missing person cases and
16 unsolved murder cases they believed fitted Ivan Milat SEMO according to cliffs mores book further investigations
revealed there was no concrete evidence directly linking life into any of the missing people but three of the unsolved
murder cases were cause for suspicion 18 year old Peter Letcher was last seen alive on Friday November 13 1987 when he
intended to hitchhike the 180 kilometers ernie west from the Sydney suburb of Busby to his hometown of Bathurst two
months later bush walkers in the journal and state forest were trekking through the remote wilderness 20 kilometers away
from the popular jenolan caves tourist attraction in a shallow ditch underneath a pile of forest debris they came across
a heavily decomposed body that was later identified to be Peter Letcher Peter's shirt had been used as a blindfold and
he had been shot several times in the back of the head three spent 22 caliber bullets confirmed to have been fired
from a Ruger rifle were located nearby according to the book sins of the brother by les Kennedy and amok Winokur
Alex mullet had made a strange comment to police following his brother Ivan's arrest in which he allegedly said
there's lots of strange deaths around to the Southern Highlands you ever checked
out any unsolved murders in the jenolan state forest following Ivan's conviction
an investigation revealed the convicted killer had started maintenance work on jenolan caves Road on Monday November 16
1987 three days after Peter Letcher was last seen alive eivin's former co-workers confirmed it
was possible he may have traveled to the area a few days earlier in anticipation
of beginning work on the Monday morning as was common for employees Ivan's ex-wife Karen recalled her former
husband took her on a trip to a forest the near the jenolan caves in 1982 where they drove around to the tracks of a
pine plantation in his four-wheel drive navigating the area with apparent familiarity for Task Force Air
detectives the location burial style of Peter letters remains the manner of his death and to the murder weapon used all
fit Ivan Milat SEMO 20 year old Karen Roland was four months pregnant when on Friday February 26 1971 her car ran out
of petrol along the then rugged parks Way Road in Canberra she was last seen walking towards a car driven by an
unknown male who appeared to have pulled over to offer assistance the following day
Ivan Milat who was working nearby at the time allegedly boasted the colleagues that he had killed someone and buried
the body in the bush three months later Karen Rowland's body was discovered ten kilometres away in the Fairburn pine
plantation a short distance off the fire track her remains covered with branches
although the exact cause of her death could not be determined a forensic examination indicated she had been
sexually assaulted and strangled given the location method of attack and the manner in which Karen's body was
disposed police believed the crime may be connected to wife in Malaya Karen's abduction and murder occurred just two
months before Ivan was charged with attacking two female hitchhikers one of whom he raped 100 kilometres away
near Goulburn 29 year old Oh Diane Pinocchio was last seen leaving a pub in the suburb of bung and or near Canberra
on Friday September 6 1991 she had informed friends she intended to hitchhike the 30 kilometre journey home
to Queanbeyan two months later Diane's remains were discovered in the telegin de state forest approximately
120 kilometers southwest of Belanger she had been sexually assaulted and repeatedly stabbed before her body was
concealed behind a log a short distance from the closest fire trail and covered with forest debris
detectives remarked that Diane's body was left in an almost identical position to Berlanga low victim and Caroline
Clark they also acknowledged other similarities between Diane's crime scene and to those associated with Ivan Milat
including that several of Diane's personal items were missing as these items hold a no monetary value police
suspected the killer likely took them as mementos as with Peter Leger and Karen Roland the location timing and
circumstances of Diane Pinocchio's death along with the rudimentary burial of her
remains has led investigators to suspect Ivan Milat may be responsible however with
insufficient evidence to proceed with charges none have ever been filed and all three cases remain unsolved on
November 30 1996 just over three years since its creation task force err formally disbanded in order to review a
number of unsolved disappearances that occurred in the New South Wales city of Newcastle over the past two decades a
new task force titled strike force Fenwick was established it was led by Detective Inspector Wayne Gordon the
negotiator who had facilitated the phone call with Ivan on the morning his eagle-vail property was raided Wayne
Gordon along with 37 other investigators and analysts compiled existing police records and relevant documents into a
modern computerized system to facilitate efficient management of the available information a monumental task made even
more challenging given that some exhibits were unable to be located while others had been destroyed due to age
extensive inquiries were carried out with government agencies to ensure there was no evidence that any of the missing
persons in question was still alive while blood samples were taken from their families to store for DNA
profiling news of strike force Fenwick's work generated a large amount of public
interest and investigated were flooded with information within the first few months calls placed from
members of the public who led to 130 different locations being named as potential burial sites of victims with
many locations visited by forensic anthropologists cadaver dogs police divers and botanists some areas were
searched using ground-penetrating radar but despite these efforts no human remains were uncovered existing
witnesses were also reinterviews that no new witnesses came forward before long strike force Fenwick had
narrowed its focus on ten specific missing person cases dated between 1978 and to 1993
generating a list of 40 potential suspects Ivan Milat was considered a person of interest in the unsolved
disappearances of three females Leanne Goodell Robin Hickey and Amanda Robinson but during subsequent interviews he
denied any involvement after having exhausted all investigative inquiries into these three disappearances
Strikeforce Fenwick presented their findings to the New South Wales State Coroner John Abernathy given the cases
shared many similarities to one another the coroner agreed to conduct a joint inquest
twenty-year-old aspiring artist to Leanne Goodell was last seen by a friend at the star hotel in Newcastle at 4:00
p.m. on Saturday December 30 1978 where she left some belongings behind at the counter and had never returned Ivan
Milat was known to frequent this hotel during trips to the area four months later on Saturday April 7 1979 18
year-old dental nurse Robin Hickey was last seen standing at a bus stop opposite her home in the Newcastle
suburb of Belmont north she was on her way to meet some friends at the Belmont hotel but never showed up
and was never heard from again Ivan Milat was believed to be working for the roads and traffic authority on
the Pacific Highway at the time just a few kilometers from where Robin was last seen in addition one witness believed
they saw Ivan at the Belmont hotel the night before her disappearance 13 days later 14 year older mentor robinson
failed to return to her home in Swansea after her school dance she was last seen
in the early hours of Saturday April 21 1979 as she walked towards her house from a bus stop as strike force Fenwick
investigators were unable to account for Ivan the lacz whereabouts on the dates Leanne Robin or Amanda went missing he
was listed as a person of interest in all three cases although their inability to verify an alibi for Ivan was not
particularly unusual given that 20 years had passed since the disappearances yet
he was confirmed to have worked in the Newcastle area several times throughout the 70s and 80s where he stayed in local
hotels motels and pubs the inquest into the three disappearances was no easy task
considering the amount of time that had passed and that several witnesses were now deceased it was made even more
challenging by what coroner Abernathy noted as dysfunctional and a lazy police work during the original investigations
which included a complete lack of record-keeping the coroner labelled the deficient effort as a complete failure
of the New South Wales Police Force and associated personnel approximately 160 witnesses and six persons of interest to
a call during the inquest one of whom was Ivan Millar he denied any knowledge or involvement in the disappearances of
Lian Robin or Amanda although he did concede he often stayed in the Newcastle region around the time they went missing
coroner Abernethy stated that Ivan the lats known propensity for violence he's habit of picking up hitchhikers
dating back to at least to 1971 his possession of firearms and other weapons and his connection to the Newcastle area
for work and social reasons made him a major person of interest in all three missing person cases especially in
regards to LeAnn Goodell a vanetti presented his findings concluding that despite their bodies having never been
located LeAnn Robin and Amanda were likely all deceased as there wasn't enough evidence
to proceed with criminal charges against the suspect no one was held responsible
and all three cases remain unsolved Ivan Milat has since been named and remains a
person of interest in a number of other unsolved missing person and murder cases
throughout Australia the validity of the connections vary with authorities hesitant to directly implicate Ivan in
these matters due to their degree of uncertainty and a lack of evidence despite Ivan Milat son welcomed arrival
to Maitland's maximum-security prison he soon became a mini celebrity within the
complex autographing copies of the WHO magazine that featured his photo on the cover one inmate who had previously
shared a cell with Ivan described the Berlanga lo killer to a journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper has
so typically average that he stood out from other prisoners all he would talk about was his family his loved ones what
he ate all straight out of the suburbs Ivan Allah was suburbia in March 1997 Ivan was just eight months into his life
sentence when he formed a bond with a fellow inmate named - Jorge service service was a major figure in Sydney's
criminal underworld serving a 25 year sentence for drug importation and trafficking along with an additional
18-year sentence for attempting to import heroin whilst serving his time in prison
although they were under constant electronic surveillance the pair concocted an elaborate and far-fetched
escape plan that involved to them overwhelming the guards tying them up stealing their uniforms and - then
scaling the eight meter higher razor wire talked to prison wall after slipping through the gates in the past
the armed guards an accomplice would meet them outside the jail and drive them to freedom
the two prisoners made it clear they intended to kill or injure anyone who stood in their way
two months later on May 16 1997 they put their escape plan into action however guards had already caught wind
of their scheme and too knew exactly what the pair were up to promptly placing both inmates under arrest
later that night George Savas took his own life Ivan Milat was relocated to the segregation unit at Long Bay Jail in
Sydney before being transferred to Goulburn Correctional Center where he was placed in the notorious Supermax
wing known as a prison within a prison Supermax is responsible for housing the state's worst criminal offenders it is
surrounded by high perimeter walls fitted with sound and emotional arms and is kept under strict surveillance at all
times like his fellow inmates Ivan was dressed in an orange jumpsuit shackled and regularly rotated between different
cells to mitigate the risk of hidden contraband in November 1997 a few months after the
thwarted escape attempt with the George Sarris Ivan chose to represent himself as he lodged an appeal against his
murder convictions once again he challenged Paul Onion's witness testimony accusing the Englishman's
identification of his vehicle as unreliable due to his error in describing a non-existent spare tire
rack he also argued a Justice David hunt did not fairly present the defense case
before dismissing the jury to deliberate and that inflammatory and prejudicial evidence such as his 1971 rape charge
should not have been admitted during the committal hearing the New South Wales Court of Appeal rejected the application
stating that Ivan had received a fair trial in the eyes of the law and the matters he was complaining about did not
exhibit any miscarriages of justice in 2004 Ivan's request to appeal to the High Court was thrown out the following
year he submitted a 50-page handwritten request for the Court of Appeal asking to launch an inquiry into his case an
act reserved for when doubt exists over proof of the convicted person's guilt a review of the evidence in Ivan Milat
case confirmed that there was no such doubt and his application was rejected in 2006 controversy ensued when media
reports revealed Ivan had been rewarded for good behavior in prison and was allowed to keep a toaster and television
in his cell the news angered the homicide victim support group and family members of the seven murdered
backpackers with Caroline Clark's father expressing his displeasure by remarking
that Ivan hadn't given his victims any privileges and should therefore not receive any himself within hours of the
story hitting the press New South Wales premier Morris Yemma ordered a full review of the reward system in Goulburn
supermax prison and as a result Ivan's toaster and television privileges were revoked
ivenn launched his next appeal that same year criticizing just as david hunts conduct - during his trial alleging he
led the jury to act on evidence that hadn't been established by the prosecution this application was also
rejected following this Ivan lodged yet another appeal this time noting a televised interview featuring
Superintendent Clive small in which the detective said there was no police evidence to suggest the second person
participated in the murders in the same segment Crown prosecutor muck Tedeschi stated it was not part of their case to
prove that anyone other than Ivan Milat was involved in the killings Ivan used these remarks to argue that he
had been denied procedural fairness during his trial expressing justice Hunt made an error by ruling the Creon didn't
have to prove whether he acted alone he debated that he shouldn't have been convicted if the prosecution couldn't
prove whether someone else was involved but once again his appeal was rejected in January 2009 Ivan used a plastic
knife to deliberately cut off the little finger of his left hand he placed the severed digit into an envelope addressed
to the Supreme Court judge who had twice denied his applications for appeal he was taken to Goulburn hospital for
treatment the medical staff were unable to reattach the finger in a letter to his brother bill Ivan explained to the
act was an attempt to quote highlight the difficulties of a prisoner who wishes to appeal his case others viewed
the mutilation as Ivan's desperate attempt to obtain a transfer to a medical facility as part of an escape
plan in November 2010 Ivan lodged another application to appeal his convictions citing unease
over the reliability of the Crown's primary evidence the availability of new evidence and the fact that DNA evidence
did not implicate him in the cry this application was rejected over the years Ivan's self harmed by swallowing foreign
objects breaking his own hand and initiating numerous hunger strikes in May 2011 after serving 15 years of his
life sentence 66 year old Ivan requested to have a Sony PlayStation video game console allowed in his cell
arguing it would provide him the opportunity to exercise his mind upon the refusal of this request
Ivan staged a nine-day hunger strike losing 25 kilograms before eventually giving in Corrective Services
Commissioner Ron Woodham told The Sunday Telegraph newspaper there's no win made
on my watch who would ever get anything close to a Playstation particularly Australia's worst serial killer alluding
to Ivan's missing finger commissioner woulda mattered he can stage as many protests as he likes but there'd be no
point if he got one because he needs two hands to use it in 2005 Ivan's former lawyer John Marsden spoke to a news
limited journalist stating his opinion quote Ivan's a weirdo I don't know whether he did it or not yes he probably
did it but I don't think there was a brother involved it was definitely a woman Marsden suggested that Ivan's accomplice
was actually a mullet sister Shirley whom Ivan was residing with at the time of his arrest
prior to her death in 2003 Shirley visited Ivan in prison during which he informed her that he had buried a 45
Colt pistol in the backyard of their eagle-vail home and needed her to dig it up and to get rid of it
he claimed police had missed uncovering the weapon after deciding not to excavate the yard given it was clear he
made a very little attempt to hide any evidence Shirley did as she was told and after recovering the firearm enlisted
the help of her brother Wally to sell the gun for $800 the next time she visited Ivan in prison
Shirley reassured him everything had been taken care of although the gun in question was never
linked to any of the Berlanga lo murders Shirley was subsequently charged with possessing an unlicensed firearm to
which you pled guilty and was fined $1000 following the publication of the rumors about Shirley's involvement in
the backpacker murders superintendent cliff small contacted the man who originated the theory John Marsden
Marsden who was seriously ill at the time told smore he was so heavily medicated that he didn't recall making
the accusations at all not long after small visitor goblins supermax prison when he happened to
cross paths with Ivan Milat small detailed their interaction in his book inside Australia's biggest manhunt
describing a much thinner older and a more fragile man than the one he had arrested more than a decade earlier
as soon as Ivan laid eyes on small he started protesting his innocence and asked why the police were trying to say
Shirley was involved small told Ivan you're wrong I never said that Shirley was involved in fact I know she wasn't
you killed them all yourself Ivan allegedly hesitated before responding yes so why are you telling
them she was involved in his book small explained it was as close to an admission of guilt as I'd ever heard
from Ivan as soon as he had finished speaking his whole demeanor changed as if he had suddenly realized that the
significance of what he had said on November 21 2010 New South Wales Police experienced a chilling moment of deja vu
when local teenager chase arrived to the picton police station southwest of Sydney to report a
murder in Berlanga low state forest chase led police into a clearing in the forest revealing the recently deceased
the body of a 17 year old male covered crudely with branches after directing police to the body
chase was charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact the statements he provided police enabled
them to promptly arrest the duo responsible for the murder itself Matthew Moomin had a relatively
uneventful childhood before his personality took an unexpected turn during high school the otherwise passive
into sociable teen suddenly developed a darker and poorer decided he began distancing himself from friends and
carrying a flint knife wherever he went at age 14 Matthew decided to adopt the surname of his extended family Millar
and started bragging to friends about his great-uncle Ivan he seemed to take pride in being the
nephew of a serial killer making frequent visits to Belanger where he would hang out in the bush and smoke
cannabis on November 20 2010 17 year-old Matthew now going by the surname Millar
told his girlfriend that he and a friend had plans to kill someone later that afternoon the couple and another friend
18 year-old colon Klein were sitting together when Matthew excitedly rubbed his hands together and said we're going
out to buy Langille Oh someone's going to die after making a few phone calls Matthew and colon collected chase before
picking up another mate David doc Delaney David was celebrating his 17th birthday
and had been lured out by Matthew who had suggested they go away after Berlanga low to have a few drinks and a
bit of fun the four young men drove a short distance into the forest before pulling over to smoke some cannabis and
to listen to music Matthew and colon exited the vehicle where the ladder activated the audio recording feature on
his mobile phone catching him whisper yeah go it - which Matthew asked can you feel the
adrenaline Cohen then coached the birthday boy out of the car under the guise of needing help looking for a bomb
when David walked around to the back of the vehicle : climbed inside holding his
phone out the window to record the events that were about to unfold armed with an axe
Matthew caught David off-guard swinging at his torso and hurling verbal abuse and threats as he bled profusely and
begged for his life after 10 minutes Matthew finally administered the fatal blow
Koen remained in the vehicle recording audio of the murder on his mobile phone while pacifying chase who was unaware of
the duo's morbid a plan the three men then dragged to David's body into a clearing and covered him
with branches as they made the 50 kilometer drive back to their hometown of Bargo Mathieu remarked that was such
an adrenaline rush Cohen said I told you that you were going to go down the same
path as your uncle the next day Mathieu gloated about the murder to several friends and was quoted as saying
you know me you know my family you know the last name Muller I did what they do after chase led police to David's body
and Mathieu and Cohen were arrested for the murder they both play the guilty but
maintained the crime had had not been premeditated their defense was that Mathieu only intended to injure and
assault David over rumors he had allegedly been spreading whilst the waiting sentencing Matthew told a
forensic psychologist that there was no special meaning in the location where his victim was killed he insisted the
intention behind changing his surname was not to bask in his uncle's notoriety but to distance himself from his
stepfather whilst in custody Matthew also wrote a number of disturbing poems that appeared to relive the murder which
were intercepted by authorities and passed on to police to be used as evidence against him at trial Matthew's
remarks about his plans to kill someone prior to inviting David to belong below coupled with the audio taken during the
murder in which he and Cohen excitedly encouraged one another to proceed with the attack provided proof of
premeditation during the Supreme Court sentencing in June 2012 acting justice Jayne Matthews rejected the defendants
claim that the decision to conduct the murder in Belanger Lowe was not significant stating she was convinced
that Matthew was trying to emulate his great uncle Ivan judge Matthews described the death of David octal Oni
as falling within the worst category of murder consequently sentencing Matthew mullet 243 years imprisonment and :
client 232 years prior to his death in 2006 Ivan's former lawyer john marston released the book titled I am what I am
in which he wrote there is no doubt that the case against Ivan was a strong one but the damage done to his family has
been immense they are a loyal family and of course they believe that the allegations are untrue
Margaret Millar went to her grave believing her favorite son was innocent but Ivan's brothers including Richard
and Wally who must still represent have told me that if Ivan is indeed guilty he
deserves to be locked up for life Marsten had lamented to a news limited journalist about what may have happened
had he not helped divert MLAT avoid a prison sentence for the rape charges against him in 1971 quote do I think
those lives would have been saved Ivan might have been out by them so maybe maybe not do I ever think about it
yes Marsten who had relied on the jury's prejudice to attack the sexuality and credibility of Ivan's rape survivors
left part of his sizable estate to various gay and lesbian organizations many members of the Millat family still
maintained their loyalty to eivin continuing to support him by attesting his innocence in 2005 his sister-in-law
carolyn who had previously been accused of trying to provide him with a false alibi for several of the murders told a
BBC documentary series australian story i suppose life would be easier if we could accept that he has been found
guilty and has done this crime but that is not the case in our eyes he's not guilty of it and until the day that we
find it different we will support him we believe that Ivan was framed in a 2010 interview for television program
crime investigation Australia Richard mullet was asked how he felt about Ivan's defense team naming him as a
possible suspect in the backpack of murders Richard replied Ivan would do anything
and I wouldn't blame him it was okay by me on that part because I knew it weren't me so I got no worries no matter
how much implication you can say I knew why he was dragging me into it trying to
save himself however there are also members of Ivan's family who believe he is guilty
his younger brother George believes Ivan murdered for pleasure and would never have stopped if he hadn't been caught
Morris mullet shares these sentiments and claims he has since been shunned by the rest of his family for expressing
his belief in his younger brother's guilt quote Ivan is a completely completely evil person and I would say
if he never got caught he would have went on to do more evil things I'd say ten thousand Ivan's die before I'd see
one of the backpackers die I just hate him for what he's done when 19 year older James Gibson went
missing his mother Pegg worked tirelessly to find her youngest son fronting the media to urge anyone with
information about his whereabouts to come forward wherever she went she would look twice at any dark-haired boy with a
ponytail who even slightly resembled James asking herself you were always hopeful larger you have
to be a mounting pile of letters addressed the James during his disappearance sat in his bedroom
untouched with PEG pausing at the door every time she walked past overcome with the tormenting fear that her son may no
longer be alive speaking to now retired superintendent cliff small for his book inside Australia's biggest manhunt
Deborah Everest brother Tim explained his father was already ill when 19 year old - Deborah was reported missing and
passed away before her remains were found saving him from ever having to hear the name of her killer their mother
Patricia passed away in 2009 still consumed by the pain of her loss and haunted by the memory of having
encouraged her daughter to go on the trip that ended her life Deborah had been helping out with her father's
ailing health and her mother told her that a break would do her good Tim Everest quote I didn't believe what
was happening when it first started you always think it won't happen to me I thought Deb would walk through the
door one day I tended to deal with it by not confiding in anyone choosing at times not to believe what happened
on learning that all would be called to give evidence and on facing Millar I had an unearthly feeling of rage
torment and disbelief that someone could have absolutely no respect for innocent
human life my mother had to endure a life sentence of hell over this horrific event having to hear in court the detail
of what happened to her daughter was nearly unbearable in itself a month after 21 year old Simone Schmidt was
remains were found a memorial service was held in her honor at the northern suburbs crematorium in Sydney service
organizer Marie Westall told the gathering mourners these young people were not just headlines for a few days
but a tragedy which has shaken our innocence Simone's parents have honored their
daughter with her own memorial in Blowing below marked by a small cross with a German inscription that
translates to say you live on in our hearts we love you Gabor Nikki Bella's father Manfred told Klaus small he
remained haunted by the fact that Ivan Milat never confessed to his crimes leaving him to imagine the horrors that
his son enjoyed in Berlin glow Christmas was a particularly difficult time for the neue Bell family as the last contact
they had with Gabor was on Christmas Eve of 1991 Manfred explained every year it
is still a time of grief for us the days are short and - the nights are long as the snow covers the ground around our
home in Germany we remember the familiar sound of good boys voices other son named one of his own children after his
beloved brother ensuring the Gabor neugebauer name lives on friends and former classmates of the adventurous
nature loving German visit his graveside each year to honor his memory Manfred Nagi Bella told clothes small a
few days ago I met the mother of a classmate of Gabor we spoke and she said to me that when she talks with me she
feels like she is looking at the face of Gabor she reminded me of the saying a man is not dead until he is forgotten
Gabor is not dead Gabor was buried a 5-minute walk from his family home and his mother Anka visited and cared for
the grave on a near daily basis she often made the 650 kilometers early to Munich to join Anja have shades mother
Olga had the graveside of her 20 year old daughter so the two mothers could support one another Olga and her husband
Gunther found it incredibly difficult to talk about their daughter to people outside their family
in an interview for the book Born Killers but Christopher Barry day and Steve Morris Caroline Clark's parents in
and Jackie explained they were still anguished by Ivan Milat absence of remorse and believed he lacked the
feelings of a human being Ian's record being a little apprehensive when their voracious and optimistic 21
year old daughter departed for her big Australian holiday warning her against the dangers of hitchhiking and
encouraging her not to travel alone Ian said I don't think we really until quite
later on finally faced up to the fact that they weren't coming back then a different kind of anger which comes in
when you know they are dead the Clarks have remained resolute throughout the devastating ordeal wanting to make sure
their daughter's killer never gets the satisfaction of their grief when the body of 22-year old - Joanne Walters was
identified her parents ray and Jillian were inconsolable with her father ray later stating the miracle we'd always
hoped for just didn't occur we have cried so much since she went missing now we're too numb to take it in four years
later the couple were overwhelmed with relief when the guilty verdict was announced with ray consoling Jillian as
she broke down in tears they later expressed their gratitude for the people of Australia and the police many of whom
they maintained strong friendships with quote it would be unfair to name individuals for they have all been
tremendous there is only one monster responsible for this tragic case Ivan Milat trial took its toll on Paul
onions who said I was naked mentally for 10 years on more at peace now for providing authorities with key
information that helped secure Ivan Milat arrest Paul was rewarded with a $200,000 payment from the Australian
government yet he felt the reward was joyless blood money and was unable to cash it knowing that anything he bought
would always remind him of the 7 billing below victims he returned to the money to the Australian government and a
sought happiness by living a full life enjoying his favorite hobbies skiing and a yacht racing in 2008 he was a member
of the winning team that took first place in the clip around the world yacht race he hoped to visit Australia again
one day in 2005 after public and political backlash local business Goulburn Ghost Tours was forced to
cancel their extreme territories of bolongo state forests the website enticed visitors to come with us to
palanga lo where Ivan Milat buried the bodies of his victims and featured the crass warning once you
enter galangal o state forest you may never come out the tour company was slammed by
supporters of the deceased backpackers families with New South Wales premier Mike Baird stating it's not only in bad
taste it's just terrible horrendous the notoriety of mullets crimes near eliminated the practice of hitchhiking
throughout Australia with young travelers heeding the warning of the dangers presented by accepting rides
from strangers the legacy of the backpacker murders remains providing part of the inspiration for the
fictional eyes dost rallyin horror film and to TV series of the same name Wolf Creek marketed as being based on true
events the plot revolves around two backpackers taken captive and hunted by main antagonist Mick Taylor who bears a
strong physical and behavioral resemblance to Ivan Milat now waged in his 70s Ivan Milat
continues to serve his life sentence inside the Supermax wing of Goulburn Correctional Center with no chance of
parole burl Angelo State Forest remains relatively unchanged since the murders with campers hikers and day-trippers
continuing to venture into the remote terrain as motorists bypassed the Forester via the Hume Highway now called
the Hume freeway the ominous green sign at the entrance that once warned to visitors the police be careful no longer
stands it has been replaced by a smaller less foreboding forestry corporation sign today those who traverse the acres
of the Blanco State Forest pine plantations and surrounding rugged Bush land note the ominous feeling that
emanates from the isolated dirt tracks and large trees the memorial Clarks paying homage to the seven backpackers
still stands in a remote area of the forest at the end of a long four-wheel-drive track as journalists
Roger Maynard described in his book Berlanga lo the next chapter those who visit bolongo are consumed by a
spine-tingling sense of death it is cloaked in an eerie silence there is little sign of animal life and even the
birds are strangely silent it's as though nature is in mourning [Music]

Case 109: Belanglo (Part 5)

[Part 5 of 5]

Accused serial killer, 51-year-old Ivan Milat sat motionless before the court dressed in a navy suit, white shirt and grey checkered tie...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research – Anonymous Host Writing – Elsha McGill Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

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Brief Summary

Ivan Milat's trial for the backpacker murders reveals courtroom drama, emotional testimonies, and ongoing investigations into potential accomplices.

Key points

The Ivan Milat Trial Begins. On March 26, 1996, the highly anticipated trial of accused serial killer Ivan Milat commenced.
Emotional Testimony from Victims' Families. Witnesses, including family members of victims, testify, revealing the emotional toll of the trial.
Threat to Juror. A juror received a threatening call during the trial, raising concerns about jury safety.
Verdict Delivered. The jury found Ivan Milat guilty of all seven murders, leading to emotional reactions in court.
Milat's Family Struggles. Ivan's family expressed their pain and the stigma they faced after his conviction.
Theories of Multiple Killers. Experts suggested that the nature of the crimes indicated more than one perpetrator was involved.

Episode highlights

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