Casefile True Crime - Case 109: Belanglo (Part 5)

Episode Date: April 20, 2019

[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... Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Episode researched by the Anonymous Host Episode written by Elsha McGill For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-109-belanglo-part-5

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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 panelling and gold trim that adorned the cream-coloured walls. Thirty 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 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 1,000 potential jurors, eight men and four women had been selected. They were griefed 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 deputy senior crown prosecutor Mark Tedeski 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 a follow-up on any questions that may arise. Accused serial killer, 51-year-old Ivan Millat sat motionless before the court, dressed in a navy suit, white shirt and grey checkered tie.

He sported a fresh, neat haircut and his face was cleanly shaven. Above his seat, a small, perspex screen 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. At the commencement of Ivan Millat's trial, a royal commission was underway into corruption within the NSW police force, leading to the expectation his defence team would use this to their advantage and allege police had planted evidence to frame their client. Surprisingly, the defence 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 poor onions, 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 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 centred around proving Ivan Millat's 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 killing's sake, with the defendant acting purely to fulfil his own psychological gratification.

While 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 victims' families. Joanne Walter's mother Gillian broke down on her way to the witness box and was unable to testify. Her emotional turmoil cleared to all observers except the accused, who showed no reaction. At one stage, the jurors were escorted into Balangelo 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 admitted that the camping-related items seized from his home and 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 Schmidel, as did the day pack 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 Millat testified that at the height of Task Force Air'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 day pack. In Richard Millat's 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, Chalinda, was called to explain how she came to be photographed wearing a long-sleeved Benetton brand shirt matching one owned by Caroline Clark. Chalinda said she had taken the shirt from a pile of ironing at Ivan's Eaglevale property one morning in 1994, wearing it to the beach that day where Ivan took the photo of her. Later that afternoon, she returned the shirt to the clothes pile and hadn't seen it since. During Chalinda's testimony, Crown Prosecutor Mark Tedeschi presented the photograph to the court,

revealing handwriting on the back of the image that displayed at 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 and camera, which were found on Galston Gorge Road in northwestern 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 Dural, just a few weeks before James and his partner Deborah Everest went missing. Galston Gorge Road was along the route Ivan had taken when driving to his work site in Dural,

indicating he was familiar with the area where the evidence had been dumped. Several of Ivan's former work colleagues and 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 Belangelo 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 Neugebauer and Daniel Habschied's crime scene,

she recognized it as the same type her ex-husband once used to tie her son's go-card onto the back of a trailer. When questioned about the Anschutz rifle found at his property that had since been linked to the Area A crime scene, Wally Malat testified that the gun belonged to Ivan. Unprompted, Wally then claimed to have borrowed the firearm in the past to shoot rabbits in Belangelo. 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, but 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 Malat 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 Belangelo victims were abducted. Carolyn took the court back to Boxing Day of 1991,

the day Gabor Neugebauer and Daniel Habshe 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 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 Easter-long weekend of 1992. The timeframe Joanne Walters and Caroline Clark went missing. The photos were stored in an album that was originally marked 1991, but Carolyn 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 back sides of the photographs in question. Scrawled in handwriting were the dates March 29 and March 31, 1991,

indicating the photos were captured a year earlier than Carolyn testified. Like other malats, Carolyn was suspected of deliberately providing false evidence in an attempt to protect Ivan. Following this accusation, reporters swarmed Carolyn outside court. When a photographer snapped her photo, her husband Bill Malat launched a violent attack, smashing the photographer's camera. He was subsequently charged with malicious damage and assault-occasioning actual bodily harm,

and later faced court for the attack, where he was defended by Malat 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 defence relied on the fact that Wally and Richard also matched descriptions of Paul Onion's attacker. All men had a Yugoslavian father, and like Ivan, Wally had been divorced and had at one time worked for the Roads and Traffic Authority.

In 1990, Richard also sported a Merve Hughes horseshoe-style moustache 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, Tedeschi questioned, is it possible that you would lie about anything? To which Richard replied, anything is possible. The prosecution's star witness Paul Onions took the stand, describing the horrifying moment he escaped the gun-wielding assailant suspected to be the Belangelo serial killer.

In an attempt to discredit his testimony, the defense revealed the silver Nissan Patrol four-wheel drive, driven by Ivan at the time of the botched abduction, was not fitted with a spare tyre 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 Malat. After 13 weeks of proceedings, the most highly anticipated moment of the trial came on June 17, when Ivan Malat finally appeared on the stand. The packed public gallery watched on in strange 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 defences established 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 Unions, telling the court that he didn't sport a mustache in January 1990. This assertion caught the attention of one of Ivan's former work colleagues, who was following the extensive media coverage of the trial. He immediately contacted police and provided four photographs of Ivan 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 Holden Jackaroo 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 wore no, 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, to 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 later describing the palpable tension remaining after Ivan's slip-up. It 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, 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, meant it was almost as though he had left a fingerprint in the forest. He urged the jury not to be influenced by the defences theory that a different Malaprother could have been responsible for the attack on Paul Onions, 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 to why Ivan would keep the incriminating evidence at his house if he knew the police were making inquiries about him, Tedeschi explained, 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. Ivan's barrister Terry Martin spent two days delivering his closing argument, reiterating the defences position that another member of the Malap 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 lied to the court about having a mustache at the time of the attack on Paul Onions, but reasoned it was an act driven out of desperation rather than guilt. Martin 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 aid to fences must be within the Malap family, or very, very closely associated to it. The question is, who is it in the Malap family that has committed these aid to fences? Do you have a reasonable doubt that it was Ivan Malat 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 you find him guilty. You're dead. The juror believed the caller was about to say, Look out if you find my, but quickly stopped himself. The call was traced to Queensland, where two of Ivan Malat's brothers resided, but the caller could not be identified. Given that the juror's names were never disclosed, just as 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 behaviour would cause immediate prejudice against the accused and jeopardise the verdict. After four hours of deliberation, Justice Hunt decided to discharge the juror who received the threat, lost 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 Malat 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 the 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.

Whilst awaiting a verdict, members of the Malat family were interviewed by a journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, who asked how they would feel if Ivan was found guilty. Richard Malat responded, It's hard to say, mate. Are they going to prove it, or are they going to say he'd done it? It was a cunt of a thing what happened to Ivan, but it was more a cunt 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 Balangelo serial killer, saying the police would have arrested him by now if they thought he was responsible. Bill Malat told the journalist his family had been treated like cheats and 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 liars being told in court. Bill also expressed his devastation for the victim's 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. Wally Malat refused to comment. 18 weeks after the commencement of Ivan Malat's trial for the murders of James Gibson, Deborah Everest, Simone Schmidel, Gabor Neugebauer, Anya Habsheed, Joanne Walters, Caroline Clark, and the attempted kidnapping of Paul Unions, the jury reached a verdict. On the morning of July 27, 1996, the name of each victim was read aloud in court, with Justice Hunt asking the jury, How do you find the accused? The verdict was the same each 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, I'm 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 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 labelled 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 or his accomplice was the one responsible for inflicting the injuries that caused the deaths.

Regardless, Justice Hunt concluded, I am satisfied that Ivan is just as responsible for that behaviour as the person who did inflict the particular injuries which caused the death of each of the victims. Ivan Malat 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 Deborah Everest's brother Tim stating, I think there'll be more to come. Caroline Clark's father, Ryan, questioned how a person as insignificant as Ivan Malat 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 Malat the pleasure of ruining our lives as well as Caroline's. We've got other children that we owe responsibility 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 Gibson's mother, Peg, 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 Air, whose kindness has far exceeded that of duty. From Germany, Gabor Nogabauer's father, Manfred, said that while the sentencing wouldn't bring their son back, it was a huge victory for justice. Joanne 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, it's there forever. I want people to know how much Malat has destroyed lives like ours. Several members of Ivan's family told journalists that the Malat name had been irreparably tarnished to the point they were struggling to find employment. Wally Malat's wife told the Sydney Morning Herald, Wally's a nervous wreck, we all are.

That day after the papers ran the story with Wally and Richard's pictures 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 and their families, she stated that they weren't the only ones suffering. Quote, We are too, you know. We are victims as well. Bill Malat 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 Malat 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, but was advised not to respond in case anyone was seeking information they 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 Belangelo victims during the trial, who asked why he wouldn't just plead 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 bustle of new prisoners pulled up to the jail, one inmate walked up to the fresh arrivals and asked, Which one's Malat? When someone pointed towards the convicted killer, the inmate approached Ivan, punching him in the head several times and knocking him to the ground before saying, Welcome to Maitland, you cunt. Coast to Michigan Coast. Simply feel the flow in the moment. And let those vast lakes, rivers and streams create everlasting memories.

Jump right in and let fresh wash over you in Pure Michigan. Keep it fresh at Michigan.org. Again, the spotlight was shone on Richard Malat, 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 Polgaz, who told police that Richard and Ivan allegedly came home with a bloodstained knife, backpacks and passports on the same weekend Joanne 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 Philip's 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 Malat's 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 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 two-killer theory was uncovered in Area A, the belangelo crime scene near where Gabor Noygabauer and Anya Habsheed's remains were discovered. Sergeant Gerard Dunn, 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 definitive 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 at Malat, 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 two people. Since the outset of the investigation, anthropologist Dr. Richard Basham had also believed 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 Mercer, Dr. Basham 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 favour of at least two 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 leading them into the forest. Gabor Neugebauer's father, Manfred, was not convinced Ivan acted alone, stating, Gabor was 1.86 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 Malat's 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 Gabor's physique. Quote, It would have been difficult for someone, even as strong as Ivan Malat, to move someone as tall as Neugebauer. Not everyone involved in the Balangalo serial killer investigation was convinced that Ivan Malat operated with an accomplice. To explain how Ivan could have controlled two victims at once, those critical of the multi-perpetrator theory suggested the victims may have been drugged to subdue them or render them unconscious.

Several of the victims' spines had been severed, leaving them paralysed, which some viewed as Ivan Malat's way to maintain control of two people at once. Head of Task Force Air, Superintendent Clive Small, staunchly believed that while some members of the Malat family may have suspected Ivan was up to no good, none of them were directly involved in the crimes. Small believed Ivan would not have trusted anyone else to assist with the murders. Quote, In his book titled Inside Australia's Biggest Manhunt, Clive Small explained the various reasons why he believed Ivan Malat 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 Air 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 this incident served as yet another example of his confidence in confronting two people at once.

Small detailed Ivan's predatory process, using the Paul onions incident to establish the pattern. Ivan would lure his victims into his vehicle by offering them a ride, making them comfortable with small talk, before holding them at gunpoint under the guys who was conducting a robbery. In relation to victims travelling in pairs, he likely instructed one to restrain the other, reassuring them this was simply to prevent them from doing anything to jeopardise the hold up. Small also believed Ivan kept the backpack as 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 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 Millat allegedly made to co-workers about the crimes, Small cited the flurry of media reports about missing backpackers that were circulating at the time. 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 murders 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.

I suggest the opposite, that the more often Ivan 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 ritualised 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 Millat acted alone, the question was raised as to whether he could be linked to any other crimes. Despite Ivan being behind bars, Task Force Air 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 1992, identifying 43 missing person cases and 16 unsolved murder cases they believed fitted Ivan Millat's MO. According to Clive Small's book, further investigations revealed there was no concrete evidence directly linking Ivan to any of the missing people, but three of the unsolved murder cases were cause for suspicion. 18-year-old Peter Lecce was last seen alive on Friday, November 13, 1987, when he intended to hitchhike the 180-kilometre journey west from the Sydney suburb of Busby to his hometown of Bathurst.

Two months later, bushwalkers in the Genowland State Forest were trekking through the remote wilderness 20 kilometres away from the popular Genowland 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 Lecce. 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 Mark Whitaker, Alex Millat 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 the southern highlands. You ever checked out any unsolved murders in the Genowland State Forest? Following Ivan's conviction, an investigation revealed the convicted killer had started maintenance work on Genowland Caves Road on Monday, November 16, 1987, three days after Peter Lecce was last seen alive.

Ivan's former co-workers confirmed it was possible he may have travelled 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 near the Genowland Caves in 1982, where they drove around 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 Lecce's remains, the manner of his death, and the murder weapon used, all fit Ivan Millat's MO. 20-year-old Karen Rowland was four months pregnant when on Friday, February 26, 1971, her car ran out of petrol along the then rugged Parksway 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 Millat, who was working nearby at the time, allegedly boasted to 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 Ivan Millat. 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 Galbin. 29-year-old Diane Panacchio was last seen leaving a pub in the suburb of Bungendore, near Canberra, on Friday, September 6, 1991. She had informed friends she intended to hitchhike the 30 kilometre journey home to Queenby Ann. Two months later, Diane's remains were discovered in the Talaganda State Forest, approximately 120 kilometres southwest of Belangelo. 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 Belangelo victim Caroline Clark. They also acknowledged other similarities between Diane's crime scene and those associated with Ivan Millat, including that several of Diane's personal items were missing.

As these items held no monetary value, police suspected the killer likely took them as mementos. As with Peter Letcher and Karen Rowland, the location, timing and circumstances of Diane Panacchio's death, along with the rudimentary burial of her remains, has led investigators to suspect Ivan Millat 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 Air 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 Struck 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 Eaglevale 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 were still alive, while blood samples were taken from their families to store for DNA profiling. News of Struck Force Fenwick's work generated a large amount of public interest, and investigators were flooded with information within the first few months. Calls placed from members of the public 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 re-interviewed, but no new witnesses came forward. Before long, Struck Force Fenwick had narrowed its focus on 10 specific missing person cases dated between 1978 and 1993, generating a list of 40 potential suspects. Ivan Malat was considered a person of interest in the unsolved disappearances of three females, Leanne Goodall, Robin Hickey, and Amanda Robinson, but during subsequent interviews he denied any involvement. After having exhausted all investigative inquiries into these three disappearances, Struck Force Fenwick presented their findings to the New South Wales state coroner John Abernethy. Given the cases shared many similarities to one another, the coroner agreed to conduct a joint inquest.

20-year-old aspiring artist Leanne Goodall was last seen by a friend at the Star Hotel in Newcastle at 4pm on Saturday, December 30, 1978, where she left some belongings behind the counter and had never returned. Ivan Malat 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 Malat was believed to be working for the Roads and Traffic Authority on the Pacific Highway at the time, just a few kilometres 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-old Amanda Robinson failed to return to her home in Swansea after a 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 Malat's 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 Abernethy noted as dysfunctional and 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 were called during the inquest, one of whom was Ivan Malat. He denied any knowledge or involvement in the disappearances of Leanne, 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 Malat's known propensity for violence, his habit of picking up hitchhikers dating back to at least 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 Leanne Goodall.

Abernethy presented his findings, concluding that despite their bodies having never been located, Leanne, 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 Malat 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 the lack of evidence. Despite Ivan Malat's unwelcome 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 Balangalo killer to a journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper as, 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 Malat was suburbia. In March 1997, Ivan was just eight months into his life sentence when he formed a bond with a fellow inmate named George Sarvis. Sarvis 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 them overwhelming the guards, tying them up, stealing their uniforms, and then scaling the 8-metre-high razor-wire-topped prison wall.

After slipping through the gates and 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 knew exactly what the pair were up to, promptly placing both inmates under arrest. Later that night, George Sarvis took his own life. Ivan Malat was relocated to the segregation unit at Long Bay Jail in Sydney, before being transferred to Gulburn Correctional Centre, 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 emotion alarms, 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 George Sarvis, 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 tyre rack. He also argued Justice David Hunt did not fairly present the defence 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 to 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 Malat's case confirmed there was no such doubt, and his application was rejected.

In 2006, controversy ensued when media reports revealed Ivan had been rewarded for good behaviour 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 Yammer ordered a full review of the reward system in Galbin's Supermax prison, and as a result, Ivan's toaster and television privileges were revoked. Ivan launched his next appeal that same year, criticising Justice David Hunt's conduct during his trial, alleging he had 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 a second person participated in the murders. In the same segment, Crown Prosecutor Mark Tedeschi stated it was not part of their case to prove that anyone other than Ivan Malat 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 Crown 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 Gulban Hospital for treatment, but medical staff were unable to reattach the finger. In a letter to his brother Bill, Ivan explained 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 crimes. This application was rejected. Over the years, Ivan 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 inmate 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 Woodham added, 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, 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 malat 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-cult pistol in the backyard of their Eaglevale 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 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 Belangalo murders, Shirley was subsequently charged with possessing an unlicensed firearm, to which she played guilty and was fined $1000. Following the publication of the rumours about Shirley's involvement in the backpacker murders, Superintendent Clive Small contacted the man who originated the theory, John Marsden. Marsden, who was seriously ill at the time, told Small he was so heavily medicated that he didn't recall making the accusations at all. Not long after, Small visited Gulban's Supermax prison when he happened to cross paths with Ivan Malat. Small detailed their interaction in his book Inside Australia's Biggest Man Hunt, describing a much thinner, older and 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 demeanour changed, as if he had suddenly realised 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 Balangelo State Forest. Chase led police into a clearing in the forest, revealing the recently deceased 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 Muleman had a relatively uneventful childhood before his personality took an unexpected turn during high school. The otherwise passive and sociable team suddenly developed a darker and quieter side. He began distancing himself from friends and carrying a flick knife wherever he went. At age 14, Matthew decided to adopt the surname of his extended family, Malat, 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 Balangelo where he would hang out in the bush and smoke cannabis. On November 20, 2010, 17-year-old Matthew, now going by the surname Malat, told his girlfriend that he and a friend had plans to kill someone. Later that afternoon, the couple and another friend, 18-year-old Colin Klein, were sitting together when Matthew excitedly rubbed his hands together and said,

We're going out to Balangelo. Someone's going to die. After making a few phone calls, Matthew and Colin collected Chase before picking up another mate, David Octoloni. David was celebrating his 17th birthday and had been lured out by Matthew who had suggested they go out to Balangelo 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 listen to music. Matthew and Colin exited the vehicle where the ladder activated the audio recording feature on his mobile phone, catching him whisper, Yeah, go it. To which Matthew asked, Can you feel the adrenaline? Colin then coaxed 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, Colin 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. Colin remained in the vehicle recording audio of the murder on his mobile phone while pacifying Chase, who was unaware of the duo's morbid plan. The three men then dragged David's body into a clearing and covered him with branches. As they made the 50 kilometre drive back to their hometown of Bargo, Matthew remarked, That was such an adrenaline rush. Colin said, I told you that you were going to go down the same path as your uncle. The next day, Matthew gloated about the murder to several friends and was quoted as saying, You know me, you know my family, you know the last name Malat. I did what they do.

After Chase led police to David's body and Matthew and Colin were arrested for the murder, they both played guilty, but maintained the crime had not been premeditated. Their defence was that Matthew only intended to injure and assault David over rumours he had allegedly been spreading. Whilst awaiting sentencing, Matthew told a forensic psychologist 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 Belanglo, coupled with the audio taken during the murder in which he and Colin excitedly encouraged one another to proceed with the attack, provided proof of premeditation. During the Supreme Court sentencing in June 2012, acting justice Jane Matthews rejected the defendant's claim that the decision to conduct the murder in Belanglo was not significant, stating she was convinced that Matthew was trying to emulate his great uncle Liven. Judge Matthews described the death of David Octoloni as falling within the worst category of murder, consequently sentencing Matthew Millat to 43 years imprisonment and Colin Klein to 32 years.

Prior to his death in 2006, Ivan's former lawyer John Marsden released a book titled I Am What I Am, in which he wrote, But Ivan's brothers, including Richard and Wally, whom I still represent, have told me that if Ivan is indeed guilty, he deserves to be locked up for life. Marsden had lamented to a news-limited journalist about what may have happened had he not helped Ivan Millat avoid a prison sentence for the rape charges against him in 1971. Do I think those lives would have been saved? Ivan might have been out by then, so maybe, maybe not. Do I ever think about it? Yes. Marsden, who had relied on the jury's prejudice to attack the sexuality and credibility of Ivan's rape survivors, left part of his sizeable estate to various gay and lesbian organisations. Many members of the Millat family still maintain their loyalty to Ivan, 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 ABC documentary series Australian Story, We believe that Ivan was framed.

In a 2010 interview for television program Crime Investigation Australia, Richard Millat was asked how he felt about Ivan's defence 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. Boris Millat 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 see 10,000 Ivan's die before I'd see one of the backpackers die. I just hate him for what he's done. When 19-year-old James Gibson went missing, his mother Peg 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 are always hopeful, aren't you? You have to be. A mounting pile of letters addressed to 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 Clive Small for his book Inside Australia's Biggest Manhunt, Deborah Everest's 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 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 Schmidl's remains were found, a memorial service was held in her honour at the Northern Suburbs Cramatorium in Sydney. Service organiser Marie Westle 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 honoured their daughter with her own memorial in Belanglo, marked by a small cross with a German inscription that translates to say, You live on in our hearts. We love you. Gabor Neugebauer's father, Manfred, told Clive Small he remained haunted by the fact that Ivan Malat never confessed to his crimes, leaving him to imagine the horrors that his son endured in Belanglo. Christmas was a particularly difficult time for the Neugebauer 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 Gabor's voice. Manfred's 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 honour his memory. Manfred Neugebauer told Clive 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 five 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 kilometre journey to Munich to join Anja Habsheed's mother Olga at 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 by Christopher Berry D and Steve Morris, Caroline Clark's parents Ian and Jackie explained they were still anguished by Ivan Malat's absence of remorse and believed he lacked the feelings of a human being.

Ian recalled being a little apprehensive when their vivacious 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 anguish 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 Gillian 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 Gillian 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 Malat's trial took its toll on Paul Unions, who said,

I was knackered mentally for 10 years. I'm more at peace now. For providing authorities with key information that helped secure Ivan Malat's 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 seven belangelo victims. He returned the money to the Australian government and sought happiness by living a full life enjoying his favourite hobbies, skiing and 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, Gulban Ghost Tours was forced to cancel their extreme terror tours of Belangelo State Forest.

The website enticed visitors to come with us to Belangelo, where Ivan Malat buried the bodies of his victims and featured the crass warning. Once you enter Belangelo 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 Malat's crimes near eliminated the practice of hitchhiking throughout Australia, with young travellers 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 fictionalised Australian horror film and TV series of the same name, Wolf Creek. Marketed as being based on true events, the plot revolves around backpackers taken captive and hunted by main antagonist Mick Taylor, who bears a strong physical and behavioural resemblance to Ivan Malat. Now aged in his 70s, Ivan Malat continues to serve his life sentence inside the supermax wing of Gulban Correctional Centre, with no chance of parole.

Belangelo State Forest remains relatively unchanged since the murders, with campers, hikers and daytrippers continuing to venture into the remote terrain. As motorists bypassed the forest via the Hume Highway, now called the Hume Freeway, the ominous green sign at the entrance that once warned visitors to please 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 Belangelo State Forest pine plantations and surrounding rugged bushland note the ominous feeling that emanates from the isolated dirt tracks and large trees. The memorial plaque 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 journalist Roger Maynard described in his book, Belangelo, the next chapter. Those who visit Belangelo are consumed by a spine-dingling 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.

Thank you for watching.