Ivan Milat
Australian-Croatian serial killer convicted of seven backpacker murders.
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Ivan Milat, an Australian-Croatian serial killer dubbed the Backpacker Murderer, was convicted for the abduction, assault, robbery, and murder of seven people—two men and five women—in New South Wales between 1989 and 1992. His method involved approaching hitchhiking backpackers along the Hume Highway, offering them a ride, and then driving them to the Belanglo State Forest, where he would overpower and kill them. Authorities also suspect him of numerous other similar crimes across Australia, some dating back to 1962.
Born in 1944 to a Croatian emigrant father and an Australian mother, Milat was the fifth of fourteen children. The family lived in poverty, first on a rural farm west of Sydney and later in Liverpool. Though his parents were reportedly conscientious, his father was an alcoholic with a temper.
Many of the Milat boys were known to police and accustomed to handling knives and firearms. From a young age, Ivan displayed antisocial and psychopathic behavior, including attacking animals with machetes, leading to a residential school placement at thirteen. His criminal record began with theft and break-ins as a teenager, resulting in multiple prison sentences through his twenties. In 1971, he abducted two female hitchhikers at knifepoint, raping one before they escaped at a petrol station.
While awaiting trial, he faked his suicide and fled to New Zealand, living there for two years before being rearrested in 1974. The charges failed, and he later worked as a truck driver and for the Roads & Traffic Authority. In 1977, he attempted to rape and murder two more hitchhikers but was never charged.
Background
Ivan Milat was born on 27 December 1944 to Croatian emigrant Stjepan Marko Milat and Australian Margaret Elizabeth Piddleston, the fifth of 14 children. The family lived in poverty on a farm in Bossley Park before moving to Liverpool, New South Wales. His father had a temper due to alcoholism, and many of the ten Milat boys were known to police, handling knives and firearms. Siblings recalled Milat displaying antisocial and psychopathic behaviour at a young age, such as attacking animals with machetes, leading to a stint in a residential school at age 13.
By age 17 he was in juvenile detention for theft, and by age 22 he had received multiple prison sentences for theft and breaking and entering. In 1971, Milat abducted two female hitchhikers with a knife, raped one, and was arrested. While awaiting trial, he faked his suicide by leaving his shoes at The Gap, a Sydney suicide site, and fled to Queensland, Victoria, and New Zealand. He was rearrested in 1974 after his mother had a heart attack, but the cases failed at trial.
He worked as a truck driver and for the Roads & Traffic Authority for 20 years. In 1977, he unsuccessfully attempted to rape and murder two women hitchhiking from Liverpool to Canberra, but was never charged. Between 1989 and 1992, Milat murdered seven backpackers: Deborah Everist and James Gibson (both 19), Simone Schmidl (21), Gabor Neugebauer (21) and Anja Habschied (20), and Caroline Clarke (21) and Joanne Walters (22).
Victims were stabbed, shot, beaten, or decapitated. The bodies were discovered in Belanglo State Forest from September 1992 to November 1993. A key break came when Paul Onions, a British backpacker who escaped Milat in 1990, identified him. Milat was arrested on 22 May 1994 at his house in Eagle Vale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ivan Milat?
Ivan Robert Marko Milat (1944–2019) was an Australian-Croatian serial killer who preyed on lone travellers in New South Wales. He is most widely recognised in Australian media under the label 'Backpacker Murderer.'
What happened to Ivan Milat after his conviction?
He was sentenced to life imprisonment and served the remainder of his sentence in a maximum-security facility. Milat died in custody on 27 October 2019, aged 74.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ivan Milat (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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