The detective who caught notorious backpacker killer Ivan Milat has died at 79.
Clive Small, who went on to become the NSW Assistant Commissioner, led the team who investigated a string of gruesome murders after the bodies of young backpackers were found in the Belanglo State Forest in the early 1990s.
The investigation led to the 1994 arrest and conviction of Milat for the murders of seven young people between 1989 and 1992.
The taskforce was first formed when the bodies of missing 22-year-old backpackers Joanne Walters and Caroline Clarke were uncovered in the forest in 1992.
A year later, the bodies of Deborah Everist and James Gibson were found in the same area, and a month after that, the remains of Simone Schmidl, Gabor Neugebauer and Anja Habschied were also discovered.
The big break in the case came when British backpacker Paul Onions came forward and told police that he had hitched a ride from a man who matched Milat’s description on the Hume Highway in 1990. The young backpacker escaped the vehicle, and ran down the highway dodging bullets, once he realised the driver had ulterior motives for picking him up.
Small always maintained that Milat was working alone, despite the many theories throughout the years that he was working with an accomplice for at least some of the murders.
Small’s death comes just months after New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced he was looking into opening a parliamentary inquiry into Milat and a series of still unsolved cases that many believe could be linked to him.
“I wouldn’t rule it out. I think that may be the necessary next step given the scale of some of the things that you’re mentioning,” he told Parliament in August.
“It would be a privilege to meet victims’ families. I think that’s an important thing to do, to understand not just their circumstances and their anguish associated with the loss of their loved one.”
The move came after Legalise Cannabis Party MLC Jeremy Buckingham called for an inquiry into what he described as “the true extent of the crimes of Milat and his associates”.
The cases which could be linked to the notorious serial killer include the 1993 disappearance of German backpacker Nancy Grunwaldt in Tasmania, 18-year-old dental nurse Robyn Hickie who vanished in NSW in 1979, and 30-year-old Italian backpacker Anna Liva, who disappeared from Coober Pedy in 1991.
Milat’s family, however, maintain his innocence and believe he was set up. His nephew Alistair Shipsey recently told news.com.au that he has been investigating the case for over 10 years and he believes his uncle was set up so the high-profile murders wouldn’t jeopardise Sydney’s bid for the 2000 Olympics Games.
“I see they keep vilifying Ivan with no real proof, just stories,” he told the publication. “I have spent 10 years researching this. I can show the corruption in the system and I want to open up people’s eyes.”
He has even published a book, Secrets of Belanglo, in which he claims a blood-soaked van allegedly linked to victims Carolyn Clark and Joanne Walters was covered up by police.
“The van was found in a storage yard on Airds Rd, Leumeah. It was found full of human blood but that was never brought up at Ivan’s trial,” he said.
“It was taken away and hidden. I rang all the tow truck companies and wreckers, and no one had seen it, but I talked to a guy who saw it being towed out the next day. Another cover up.”
Small’s death was confirmed this week by former homicide detective chief inspector Russel Oxford.
“Very sad day… he was a terrific policeman. He died overnight,” Inspector Oxford told the Daily Telegraph. ”At least he outlived Ivan.”
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