Ivan Robert Marko Milat - Backpack KillerThe factsIvan Robert Marko Milat was born on 27 December, in New South Wales, 1944. At the age of just 36, he was was convicted of seven murders involving local and international hitchhikers. These murders, after some time, became known as "the backpacker murders". He is currently serving multiple life sentences at Golburn Prison in NSW and will most likely remain there for the rest of his life. The investigation conducted between 1988 and 1992 there were seven confirmed murders in similar areas and circumstances. The most obvious and logical assumption was that these murders were the work of a serial killer, but the idea was shunned and ignored due to the severity of the implications. He would later be found to have shot his victims with a .22 caliber Ruger long rifle, all in the Belanglo State Forest southwest of Sydney. Milat's first two victims were Joanne Walters and Caroline Clarke, both British tourists who got more than they bargained for. for when they decided to ask Milat for a ride. Exactly 13 months later the bodies of a second deceased couple James Gibson and Deborah Everist were found, having apparently disappeared while hitchhiking. By now the police were very suspicious about the recurring events in the Belanglo State Forest. A few months later a fifth body was found, later identified as that of Simone Schimdl. Faced with overwhelming evidence, the police finally decided to follow up on their suspicions. As a result, three days after Schmdle's discovery, an army of 300 police officers were sent into the Belanglo State Forest in an attempt to uncover further evidence. Their efforts, however, were not at all in vain: during the searches, two more bodies were found. The bodies identified as those of German tourists Anja Habschied and Kurt Neugebauer, brought the tally to seven terrifying victims. The search also led to the discovery of .22 caliber rifle bullets near the location where Caroline Clarke was found. A short time later a British hitchhiker named Paul Onions also found himself hitchhiking with Milat. Walking alone he was offered a lift by Milat disguised as a man named "Allen". During the trip, “Allen” stopped to take some music cassettes from the trunk. The onions, already suspicious, decided to run away.