Australian true crime author Amanda Howard has revealed she is writing a book with convicted serial killer Ivan Milat, in an attempt to understand why he maintains his innocence in the face of overwhelming evidence linking him to the deaths of eight young people between 1989 and 1993.
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Speaking on 2GB, Howard told host Chris Smith the project comes after years of correspondence with Milat, who was sentenced in 1996 to seven consecutive life sentences after discovery of several bodies in New South Wales’ Belanglo State Forest.
Milat has long vouched for his innocence. This week, he sent a letter from Goulburn Correctional Centre to True Crime Australia, claiming the Supreme Court and the media have been complicit in framing him.
Howard claims Milat’s belief in his own innocence is so strong he would likely pass a lie detector test – and that self-belief hasn’t been adequately challenged.
“I actually go to him with each piece of evidence and say ‘explain this, then,’” she said.
“So I’m actually doing a lot of challenge (sic) on a lot of these killers, because they do like to say that they’re innocent, they do like to say ‘oh no, it’s twelve other people.’”
Howard said the book will include the counter-argument “in his words.
“So, all of what he wants to say, and then the challenges that I pose to him about his eight victims and several others that… sort of pop up around the place that he was.”
Despite her extended working relationships with Milat and a slew of other convicted killers, Howard was clear that she harboured few warm feelings towards them.
“There is times that I’d like to punch them in the throat,” Howard said. “They are horrible, horrible people.”
The author said the book should pop up some time next year.
You can peep the whole chat HERE, and listen to our own All Aussie Mystery Hour discussion of Milat below:
