Interview with Chalinder Hughes
The following interview was published in Who Weekly, August 5, 1996. At the beginning of their relationship Milat and Hughes often went to the movies, dinner or to visit members of his family. “He liked staying at home quite a bit because he was pretty tired from work. He took me to Darling Harbour and Circular Quay on occasions.“ They didn’t see much of each other during the week, but spent many weekends together. On the weekend of May 22, 1994, Chalinder Hughes was staying with Ivan at the home he and his sister Shirley shared on Eagle Vale when the now-famous Task Force Air police raid was made. “From…
Ivan Milat’s Younger Years
“These people like Milat are consummate actors,” forensic psychiatrist Rod Milton, who advised Task Force Air during their 20-month hunt for the killer, said. They “present themselves as loving and kind and nice. It’s very interesting to think that some of these serial killers’ families, when they find out, sever all connections. Others closes ranks.” By and large, Milat’s family has thus far stood by him, and so has his former girlfriend. Actor he was. Through his sheer energy and cowboy charm, Milat exerted a certain charisma that captivated and bullied those close to him and, like the distractions of a good magician, served to veil evil impulses that he…
Corrective Services officer about Ivan Milat’s years at Goulburn Supermax
‘Frank’’, a career Corrective Services officer now in retirement who knew Ivan Milat during his years at Goulburn Supermax has no illusions about the backpacker killer. “I’d describe him as nondescript,” Frank tells me about the jail’s most infamous prisoner. “He was nothing startling, to me he was just another crim who’d vacuum the hallways. In later years he was flat out stringing two words together.’’ But Milat’s idiosyncratic nature still left something of an impression as Frank remembers. “He did teach me how to recharge flat batteries,” he chuckles, still puzzled by Milat’s curious behavior. “Milat had a lot of tricks like that he’d picked up while working on…
Interview with Ivan Milat, 1997
In October 1997, The Bulletin published an exclusive interview with Ivan Milat, the first since his arrest and trial. The interview was based on questions sent to him via letters and to which Milat replied. He warned them that the “real murderers” are still free and capable of further killings. He said he was framed by police. When asked if he was in any way involved in the murders, the convicted serial killer said, “Absolutely not. Nor do I feel I have to show any feelings towards the people murdered by the backpacker killers because I didn’t do them.“ He described how he spend most of his days in “closed…
Unconfirmed Victims : Gillian Jamieson and Deborah Balken
Gillian Janine Jamieson and Deborah Susan Balken, both 19, were last seen on July 12, 1980, at the Toll Gate Hotel, North Parramatta, and then heard of by a phone call from Wollongong. They planned to hitchhike from Thirroul station, near Wollongong, to Sydney. The deputy state coroner Carl Milovanovich wondered whether all the “bizarre coincidence of young persons going missing” could be laid at Milat’s feet. “It may well be there is another serial killer out there, and the perpetrator here may not be Ivan Milat. Unfortunately, his name comes up in every missing person’s case I deal with.” he said yesterday, while offering his condolences to the Jamieson…
Wally Milat : My Brother Ivan
Less than a month after Ivan Milat’s arrest for the Backpacker Murders, his younger brother, Wally Milat, gave an interview to Who Weekly. The interview was published in the June 13, 1994 edition which was subsequently banned for showing Ivan’s face to the world. On growing up Like most of the Milat children, says Wally, Ivan left school at 15. “He’s always been in road work or construction work. He did work in construction for a while, digging foundations and things like that. He worked all over Sydney. About that time my dad was in the construction game and most of the work was jumping onto a train and riding…
Letter to Chalinder : March 6, 1995
Ivan Milat’s letter to his girlfriend, Chalinder Hughes, from Long Bay Jail. The spelling mistakes are his. 6-3-95 Chalinda my love Good evening. I hope you had a nice day. I assume it is Wensday but could be Tuesday. Who care anyway. Again another lost weekend this last 9 1/2 months has been very hard for you. (I do love you and the next 6-7 months will be as difficult as well. I still have high hopes knowing they will make it very hard for me. Anyway my love thanks for coming out last Saturday you looked great as usual, don’t worry too much about how I look, it won’t…
Interview with Shirley Milat, May 1997
Following Ivan Milat’s and other prisoner, George Savvas’ planned jail break, Savvas was found dead in Maitland jail on May 18, 1997. Ivan was moved to a segregated cell at Long Bay jail and was denied all visitors. “I’m not allowed to see Ivan and I don’t know at the moment whether or not my brother is safe. One man is already dead and I fear they want another dead,” Shirley Milat said. Milat and Savvas planned their escape the week before but the prison guards were tipped off. Shirley Milat denied rumors her family was involved in the escape plan, “nobody in our family was involved in any escape attempt.…
Ivan Milat Surveillance Photos
On February 24, 1994, Ivan Milat was placed under police surveillance. The above photographs were taken around that time while he was at work.
Ivan Milat and the Backpacker Murders : Was He Acting Alone?
Ivan Milat, also known as The Backpacker Killer, was a serial killer convicted for the 7 murders of backpackers. All of the bodies were found between September 19, 1991 and November 4, 1993 in the Belanglo State Forest, in New South Wales, Australia. The Backpacker Murders were one of the inspirations for the movie Wolf Creek, starring Australian actor, John Jarratt. The seven known victims were : Deborah Everist and James Gibson (last seen on December 30, 1989) – Simone Schmidl (last seen on January 20, 1991) – Gabor Neugebauer and Anja Habschied (last seen on December 26, 1991) – Joanne Walters and Caroline Clarke (last seen on April 18,…
