British backpacker Paul Onions accepted a lift from Ivan Milat while hitchhiking along the Hume Highway on 25 January 1990. When Milat stopped his vehicle and produced a gun, Onions fled, escaping despite Milat pursuing him. Years later, his evidence and identification of Milat provided investigators with the breakthrough they needed in the Belanglo Backpacker Murders.
Overview / Background
Paul Onions was a young British backpacker travelling through Australia in early 1990. On 25 January, he was hitchhiking south from Sydney along the Hume Highway, intending to travel towards Melbourne. Near Casula, Onions accepted a lift from a man who introduced himself as "Bill". The driver was Ivan Milat. Initially, the journey appeared ordinary. As they travelled south, however, Milat's behaviour increasingly concerned Onions. He asked unusual questions about whether anyone knew where Onions was and made remarks that caused the backpacker to become suspicious of his intentions. Near Mittagong, Milat pulled the vehicle to the side of the highway. He told Onions there was a problem with the car and asked him to assist. When both men were outside the vehicle, Milat produced a firearm and attempted to restrain him. Onions immediately realised he was in serious danger.
Crime Scene
The Attack and Escape: Rather than comply, Onions ran. He abandoned his backpack and possessions and sprinted along the highway as Milat pursued him. Onions later recalled Milat attempting to catch him while armed. With Milat closing in, Onions ran into the roadway and desperately attempted to flag down passing motorists. A woman named Joanne Berry was driving along the highway with her sister when she saw Onions running towards her vehicle. Recognising that he was terrified and apparently being pursued, Berry stopped and allowed him into the car. Milat returned to his vehicle and drove away. Berry took Onions to Bowral Police Station, where he reported what had happened. He described the attacker, his vehicle and the circumstances of the attempted abduction. At the time, however, the significance of the encounter was not recognised. Onions eventually continued his travels and returned to Britain.
Investigation
Detectives travelled to Britain to interview Onions in detail. He provided investigators with a description of his attacker and information about the man's vehicle, behaviour and method of approaching hitchhikers. Police subsequently developed Ivan Milat as a suspect through a combination of Onions' evidence, vehicle records, employment information and Milat's history. In 1994, Onions returned to Australia to assist investigators. During an identification procedure, he identified Ivan Milat as the man who had picked him up on the Hume Highway and attempted to abduct him four years earlier. The identification significantly strengthened the case against Milat. Police placed Milat under surveillance while investigators continued assembling evidence connecting him to the seven bodies recovered from Belanglo State Forest. On 22 May 1994, heavily armed police raided Milat's home at Eagle Vale. Inside, investigators discovered firearms, ammunition, camping equipment and personal possessions belonging to several of the murdered backpackers. Milat was arrested.
Outcome
Detectives travelled to Britain to interview Onions in detail. He provided investigators with a description of his attacker and information about the man's vehicle, behaviour and method of approaching hitchhikers. Police subsequently developed Ivan Milat as a suspect through a combination of Onions' evidence, vehicle records, employment information and Milat's history. In 1994, Onions returned to Australia to assist investigators. During an identification procedure, he identified Ivan Milat as the man who had picked him up on the Hume Highway and attempted to abduct him four years earlier. The identification significantly strengthened the case against Milat. Police placed Milat under surveillance while investigators continued assembling evidence connecting him to the seven bodies recovered from Belanglo State Forest. On 22 May 1994, heavily armed police raided Milat's home at Eagle Vale. Inside, investigators discovered firearms, ammunition, camping equipment and personal possessions belonging to several of the murdered backpackers. Milat was arrested.
Other Information
The Attack and Escape:
Rather than comply, Onions ran.
He abandoned his backpack and possessions and sprinted along the highway as Milat pursued him. Onions later recalled Milat attempting to catch him while armed.
With Milat closing in, Onions ran into the roadway and desperately attempted to flag down passing motorists.
A woman named Joanne Berry was driving along the highway with her sister when she saw Onions running towards her vehicle. Recognising that he was terrified and apparently being pursued, Berry stopped and allowed him into the car.
Milat returned to his vehicle and drove away.
Berry took Onions to Bowral Police Station, where he reported what had happened. He described the attacker, his vehicle and the circumstances of the attempted abduction.
At the time, however, the significance of the encounter was not recognised.
Onions eventually continued his travels and returned to Britain.
Connection to the Belanglo Murders:
More than two years later, the bodies of British backpackers Caroline Clarke and Joanne Walters were discovered in Belanglo State Forest.
Further searches eventually uncovered five additional victims.
As news of the Australian backpacker murders reached Britain, Onions recognised disturbing similarities between the circumstances of the disappearances and his own experience on the Hume Highway.
He contacted Australian authorities and explained that he had survived an attempted abduction along the same highway used by several of the missing backpackers.
Investigators retrieved the original police report from 1990 and realised that Onions may have encountered the Belanglo killer—and survived.
His account provided detectives with something the murder victims could not: a living witness who had spent considerable time inside the offender's vehicle, spoken with him and seen him at close range.
Significance to the Belanglo Investigation:
Paul Onions occupies a unique position in the Ivan Milat case.
He was not one of the seven murder victims, but his encounter demonstrated how Milat could approach lone travellers, gain their trust and isolate them before launching an attack.
More importantly, Onions could identify his attacker.
The report he made immediately after escaping in 1990 provided investigators with contemporary documentation of the incident, while his later identification of Milat gave detectives a direct eyewitness connection to a suspected attack along the Hume Highway.
His survival became an important element in the chain of evidence that ultimately brought Milat before a jury.
Notes:
- Paul Onions was a British backpacker travelling through Australia.
- The attack occurred on 25 January 1990.
- He was hitchhiking south along the Hume Highway when Ivan Milat offered him a lift.
- Milat introduced himself as "Bill".
- Onions became suspicious of Milat during the journey.
- Near Mittagong, Milat stopped the vehicle and produced a firearm.
- Onions escaped by running from Milat and attempting to flag down passing traffic.
- Motorist Joanne Berry stopped and rescued him.
- Onions immediately reported the incident to police.
- The attack occurred between the disappearance of Deborah Everist and James Gibson in December 1989 and Simone Schmidl in January 1991.
- Years later, Onions recognised similarities between his attack and the Belanglo Backpacker Murders.
- He identified Ivan Milat during the subsequent police investigation.
- Onions returned to Australia and testified against Milat at his 1996 trial.
- Milat was convicted of offences against Onions in addition to the seven murders.
- Paul Onions is widely regarded as the best-known survivor of an attack by Ivan Milat.
Media
- 60 Minutes Australia interviews and Belanglo investigations
- Ivan Milat: Backpacker Murderer
- Casefile True Crime – Belanglo
- Australian and British documentaries about the Backpacker Murders
- Extensive Australian and UK television coverage surrounding Milat's trial
- Later interviews examining Paul Onions' escape and role in identifying Milat
Sources:
- NSW Police
- Supreme Court of New South Wales
- ABC News
- BBC News
- Sydney Morning Herald
- The Guardian
- The Age
- Australian Associated Press
- Casefile True Crime