How did Ivan Milat die? ‘Backpacker killer’ perished alone in cell wearing adult nappy, riddled with cancer
One of Australia's most notorious serial killers reportedly died alone in jail wearing an adult nappy as he succumbed to terminal cancer. Ivan Milat was aged 74 when he died in Sydney's Long Bay Correctional Centre on October 27, 2019, after being convicted of seven murders in the 1990s, the Daily Mail reported.
According to the newspaper, Milat was diagnosed with terminal stomach and throat cancer. However, he repeatedly refused treatment, and that prolonged his suffering and shortened his life. In his final days, Milat was wearing an incontinence garment under his prison clothes and had minimal personal belongings, per the outlet.
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He was cheerful, "compliant," and polite in the years leading up to his death, despite being riddled with pain and struggling to swallow, prison documents show. According to medical records opened during an inquest into his death last month, Milat was still wearing the adult diapers when his body was tagged and taken to the morgue.
Records seen by the Daily Telegraph revealed how Milat knew very few of his fellow inmates and had no interest in getting to know them. Meanwhile, the only personal belongings he left behind were letters from people who wrote to him.
Milat maintained his innocence in the backpacker murders till the end, and vowed he would never stop trying to clear his name. "Milat stated he enjoyed his own company and has no interest in any approved associates," the report stated. "He displayed an appropriate mood with some joviality at times. He is currently compliant with unit routine and is polite to staff."
Nonetheless, Milat was still considered a high-security inmate who was a flight risk. He was also deemed at risk of self-harm after he swallowed razor blades and staples, and cut off the little finger of his left hand with a plastic knife in 2001, per the Daily Mail.
An inquest into Milat's death heard that he had developed severe gastrointestinal symptoms in October 2018 and received medical treatment at the hospital wing for two months. After his condition did not improve, doctors recommended a colonoscopy -- which he outright refused.
Milat routinely skipped medical appointments recommended by doctors during his 25 years behind bars moving around New South Wales' maximum-security prisons, medical records show. His symptoms worsened during February and May of 2019, and he went on to lose a whopping 45 lbs due to his difficulty swallowing food.
When he finally agreed to see a specialist, it came to light that Milat was suffering from cancers in the mouth, throat, and below his diaphragm. In 2009, in a bizarre bid to appeal his sentence, the cold-blooded killer cut off his pinky with a shiv so he could mail it to the High Court of Australia. Eight years prior, he went on a hunger strike in a ploy to get a PlayStation in his cell. The unsuccessful stint lasted nine days and he ended up losing 55 lbs in the process.
The day before he died, Milat asked nursing staff for pain and anxiety medication. They complied with his final request, according to the Daily Mail.