Milat's cruel legacy leaves people in dark about loved ones

No-one is mourning Ivan Milat, but those with missing loving ones wanted to hear him say where they might be.

Convicted serial murderer Ivan Milat has been transferred from prison to a specialist hospital for treatment. Picture: Contributed

FOR most of the community, the news of Ivan Milat's death from cancer at the weekend has not come a moment too soon.

The sadistic murderer of the seven people whose bodies were found in Belanglo State Forest more than a quarter of a century ago deserved no more thought than he gave any of his victims.

But the question remains: how many more did Milat kill and for those people seeking answers to the disappearance of loved ones, was he the killer?

The man who led the team that tracked Milat down, former NSW assistant police commissioner Clive Small, is certain Milat killed at least one more.

He said the death of Peter Letcher, whose body was found at Jenolan Caves in 1988, was a prelude to the backpacker murders.

Mr Small said the way he was killed was similar to the way Milat bound and shot his future victims.

As the cases of other serial killers reveal, Milat could be responsible for many more deaths of people such as Grafton woman Narelle Cox or Newcastle woman Leeanne Goodall, who went missing at a time Milat was known to be living in their area.

These people want to see the end of Milat as much as the rest of us, except for one thing: he can no longer tell them where those loved ones might be.

It is the ultimate pain a vicious psychopath like Milat can inflict.

Originally published as Milat's cruel legacy leaves people in dark about loved ones