true crime

Listen up, true crime fans: We're pretty sure Casefile's upcoming special is on Ivan Milat.

It’s been more than 20 years since his arrest for the brutal murder of seven backpackers, but the name Ivan Milat still sends shivers down most people’s spines.

And now, it looks like the shivers may intensify – as it’s heavily speculated the notorious backpacker murderer will be the centre of true crime podcast Casefile’s next five-part special.

Ivan Milat was sentenced to seven life sentences.

The podcast, which has previously covered the Russell Street Bombing and the Frankston Serial Killer, dropped an announcement trailer for the upcoming special.

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While the subject hasn't been confirmed, snippets suggest it is set near Belanglo forest, where Milat's victims were discovered partially buried.

A voiceover in the trailer, on the podcast's website, also says:

“As visitors enter, a large ominous sign surrounded by a wall of towering trees warns ‘Please Be Careful’ … Casefile returns in two weeks with the first instalment of a weekly five-part series covering of our most highly-requested cases.”

This, plus the podcast's new Facebook cover photo which shows a backpacker walking in a forest, has fans convinced the subject is Milat.

"Has to be Milat! Looking forward to it!!" one woman posted along with a sign for Belanglo forest.

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Another said: "God I hope it’s Ivan Milat. I think I have requested that at least a dozen times."

While one more added: "Ivan Milat special coming I think."

Milat is now 74 and remains Australia’s worst serial killer. There’s long been a macabre fascination associated with the grisly murders he committed in NSW between the years 1989 and 1993.

He is known to have killed seven young people who were backpacking in the area – five of them from overseas, but it has been speculated he was involved in more murders.

The victims were shot, stabbed and sexually assaulted then buried in shallow graves in the Belanglo State Forest.

The Milat family has become infamous in recent years after Milat’s great nephew Matthew Milat and another boy, Cohen Klein (both 19 at the time), were sentenced to 43 years and 32 years in prison respectively for murdering 17-year-old David Auchterlonie on his birthday with an axe in the same forest where Milat buried his victims.

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Milat was convicted of the murders in 1996 and sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences. The last time he was in the news, it was because he was on a hunger strike because he wasn’t allowed a Playstation in his prison cell.

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