Convicted killer Ivan Milat has died in Long Bay Jail's hospital wing from terminal oesophagus and stomach cancer.
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The 74-year-old took his final breath at 4.07am Sunday, Corrective Services NSW said.
Milat had been undergoing chemotherapy since first being diagnosed in May.
The former road worker was sentenced in 1996 to seven consecutive life sentences for murdering seven backpackers whose bodies were found in makeshift graves in NSW's Belanglo State Forest in the 1990s.
Milat's next of kin, his brother Bill, was not notified by authorities of his brother's death before the news broke Sunday morning.
The family learned of his death when contacted by the Mercury.
His death was even listed on Wikipedia before the family had received any official word.
Bill's wife Carol said she was disgusted.
"We haven't been told," she said at 6.30am.
She said police officers knocked on her door at 6.50am to notify them of the death.
"They said they have to inform us before a media release (is issued)," Carol said. "Unbelievable."
On Friday Carol told the Mercury the family had just had their final visit.
"We've sadly said all the things we wanted to say, I cried because it's too hard to say goodbye to a friend," she said.
"He has that horrible chest rattle and it's not long now and they have told him he's close.
"He is very alert but so tired, he choked several times and the rattle became a bit louder.
"He talked about the crimes he has been accused of and he reiterated that he had nothing to do with the crimes he's been in jail for 25 years for.
"Then we talked about family."
In recent weeks, the families of some of his victims have said they hoped for a deathbed confession to bring some form of closure.
However, the 74-year-old vehemently denied the crimes and maintained his innocence right up until his death.
He had always maintained his innocence, despite prosecutors and a judge describing the case against him as "overwhelming".
He had unsuccessfully appealed his conviction several times, with evidence linking victims' belonging to him described as "so comprehensive, and so overwhelming in its force".
Milat's entire family believe in his innocence.
"Backpackers are still going missing, but now they go missing from up north. One went missing just last week from northern NSW," Carol said.
With AAP
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