Australian police offer new reward in bid to find Peter Falconio's body
Bradley John Murdoch is serving a life sentence for killing the West Yorkshire man and attacking his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, on a remote highway in the Northern Territory in 2001.
Murdoch was convicted in 2005 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for at least 28 years (PA)
Mr Falconio and Ms Lees, both from Yorkshire, were backpacking across the country in a camper van when they were ambushed down by Murdoch on the Stuart Highway, an isolated road that runs through the centre of Australia.
Murdoch was convicted in 2005 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for at least 28 years.
He has never revealed the location of Mr Falconio's body.
Acting Northern Territory Police commander Mark Grieve said police 'still hold out hope' someone may hold 'vital information' to aid in the search.
'In what will be the 24th anniversary of (Falconio's) death this July, being next month, we're asking for anyone who may believe they have information that can assist to please come forward and contact police,' he told media in Darwin.
'It's never too late to reach out, and at least start that conversation with police, because you just never know how beneficial that information that you may hold may be.
British backpacker Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees
'We recognise the passage of time that's transpired, however, it's never too late to reach out and start that conversation with police.'
Murdoch, 67, was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019 and was moved to palliative care from Alice Springs Correctional Centre earlier this month, according to local media reports.
Mr Falconio and Ms Lees had been driving near the tiny settlement of Barrow Creek, around 188 miles north of Alice Springs, when Murdoch pulled up beside them claiming to have seen sparks coming from the Kombi van.
He then shot Mr Falconio in the head as he inspected the vehicle, before forcing Ms Lees into his vehicle and binding her wrists with cable ties.
She managed a daring escape, hiding in the outback scrub for hours before flagging down a passing truck.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Murdoch had likely disposed of the backpacker's body somewhere in the vast, remote expanse of desert between Alice Springs and Broome, covering more than 1,200 miles.
Despite repeated searches, Mr Falconio's body has never been found. His killer has always maintained his innocence.
British backpacker Peter Falconio's girlfriend Joanne Lees smiles as she leaves Northern Territory Supreme Court in Darwin (Wesley Johnson/PA)
Ms Lees, who has since returned to the UK, told Australian current affairs programme 60 Minutes in 2017 she still wanted to 'bring him home'.
'Pete lost his life on that night, but I lost mine too,' she said at the time.
'I'll never be fully at peace if Pete's not found, but I accept that that is a possibility.'
Murdoch lodged several unsuccessful appeals over the years, with Australia's highest court refusing to hear his case in 2007.
He was not eligible for parole until 2033, but would have remained behind bars under 'no body, no parole' laws preventing him from being released if he refused to disclose Mr Falconio's whereabouts.
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Times
19 minutes ago
- Times
Bradley Murdoch may take truth of Peter Falconio's murder to grave
Police have offered a half-million Australian dollar reward for information leading to the discovery of the remains of a British backpacker whose murder 24 years ago on a remote highway chilled Australians and sparked a wave of outback crime thrillers. The A$500,000 (£239,000) reward for information on Peter Falconio's body is among the largest offered by police in Australia and comes as the rogue desert wanderer convicted of his murder, Bradley Murdoch, 67, nears death from cancer in a Northern Territory prison. The outback killer, who was found guilty of the murder in December 2005, was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019. Despite continued efforts by police, Falconio's remains have never been found, leading to fears that Murdoch will take the location of the body to his grave. Mark Grieve, the Northern Territory police commander, announced the reward on Wednesday, adding that officers 'still hold out hope that someone will be able to provide some vital information to assist in this search'. Murdoch has always refused to say where in the outback he hid Falconio's remains. 'We've made numerous approaches to Mr Murdoch over the years that have been passed up —including very recently, this week,' Grieve told reporters. 'Unfortunately, the outcome of those conversations rests with Mr Murdoch. On all occasions, he has chosen not to positively engage with police.' It was reported on Tuesday that Murdoch was near death and had been transferred to a prison palliative care unit. Police have repeatedly conducted searches for Falconio's remains around the scene of his murder near the desert hamlet of Barrow Creek, 174 miles north of Alice Springs in central Australia. Falconio, 28, from West Yorkshire, was driving his orange Volkswagen campervan at night along the 1,690-mile Stuart Highway in the remote Northern Territory with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, 27. They were followed by a pick-up truck, driven by Murdoch, who trafficked drugs across the outback. Falconio pulled over after Murdoch signalled that the campervan was faulty. Murdoch shot him dead on the roadside then climbed into the vehicle. He tied Lees's hands and attempted to bind her feet and tape her mouth but she fought him off. Murdoch dragged her into the back of his Toyota four-wheel-drive but she managed to flee into the bush while he was moving Falconio's body. Murdoch searched for Lees before leaving, passing nearby three times, but she stayed hidden before finally flagging down a passing lorry in the early hours of the next day. Murdoch was found guilty of Falconio's murder by a jury in a unanimous verdict. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 28 years. He was also convicted of other assault-related charges on Lees. Only after the sentencing was it revealed that Murdoch had previously been acquitted of aggravated sexual assault on a mother and daughter in South Australia years earlier. Falconio's murder partly inspired the Australian crime thriller, Wolf Creek, in which three backpackers, two British and one Australian, are hunted down and captured by an outback serial killer. Falconio's father, Luciano, speaking from his home in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, told MailOnline he had only found out about his son's killer's poor health from media reports. 'We don't know anything about him receiving end of life care, we have not been told,' he said. His wife, Joan, was too distressed to speak, fearing that the killer's potentially imminent death would prevent the couple from ever finding out the truth of their son's fate. Now aged in her early fifties, Lees still lives Huddersfield. Joan Falconio has previously told how she and her husband, who have three other sons, have remained in contact with Lees, who was once a suspect in his murder case.
Daily Mirror
32 minutes ago
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Huge £240K reward to help find remains of Brit backpacker 24 years after murder
Australian police have announced a huge new reward for any new information that leads to the discovery of British backpacker Peter Falconio's remains Australian police have announced a huge new 500,000 Australian dollar (£238,670) reward for information that leads to the discovery of British backpacker Peter Falconio's remains. Bradley John Murdoch is serving a life sentence for killing Falconio and attacking his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, on a remote highway in the Northern Territory back in 2001. Police said ahead of the 24th anniversary of the murder next month they held out 'hope' that someone would now come forward. Mr Falconio and Ms Lees, both from Yorkshire, were backpacking across the country in a camper van when they were ambushed down by Murdoch on the Stuart Highway, an isolated road that runs through the centre of Australia. Murdoch was convicted in 2005 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for at least 28 years. He has never revealed the location of Mr Falconio's body. Acting Northern Territory Police commander Mark Grieve said police "still hold out hope" someone may hold "vital information" to aid in the search. He said: 'In what will be the 24th anniversary of (Falconio's) death this July, being next month, we're asking for anyone who may believe they have information that can assist to please come forward and contact police. "It's never too late to reach out, and at least start that conversation with police, because you just never know how beneficial that information that you may hold may be. We recognise the passage of time that's transpired, however, it's never too late to reach out and start that conversation with police." Murdoch, 67, was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019 and was moved to palliative care from Alice Springs Correctional Centre earlier this month, according to local media reports. Mr Falconio's body has never been found. His killer has always maintained his innocence. Ms Lees, who has since returned to the UK, told Australian current affairs programme 60 Minutes in 2017 she still wanted to "bring him home". Pete lost his life on that night, but I lost mine too," she said at the time. "I'll never be fully at peace if Pete's not found, but I accept that that is a possibility." Murdoch lodged several unsuccessful appeals over the years, with Australia's highest court refusing to hear his case in 2007. He was not eligible for parole until 2033, but would have remained behind bars under "no body, no parole" laws preventing him from being released if he refused to disclose Mr Falconio's whereabouts. Mr Falconio and Ms Lees had been driving near the tiny settlement of Barrow Creek, around 188 miles north of Alice Springs, when Murdoch pulled up beside them claiming to have seen sparks coming from the Kombi van. He then shot Mr Falconio in the head as he inspected the vehicle, before forcing Ms Lees into his vehicle and binding her wrists with cable ties. She managed a daring escape, hiding in the outback scrub for hours before flagging down a passing truck. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Murdoch had likely disposed of the backpacker's body somewhere in the vast, remote expanse of desert between Alice Springs and Broome, covering more than 1,200 miles.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Australian police offer new reward in bid to find Peter Falconio's body
Bradley John Murdoch is serving a life sentence for killing the West Yorkshire man and attacking his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, on a remote highway in the Northern Territory in 2001. Murdoch was convicted in 2005 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for at least 28 years (PA) Mr Falconio and Ms Lees, both from Yorkshire, were backpacking across the country in a camper van when they were ambushed by Murdoch on the Stuart Highway, an isolated road that runs through the centre of Australia. Murdoch was convicted in 2005 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for at least 28 years. He has never revealed the location of Mr Falconio's body. Acting Northern Territory Police commander Mark Grieve said police 'still hold out hope' someone may hold 'vital information' to aid in the search. 'In what will be the 24th anniversary of (Falconio's) death this July, being next month, we're asking for anyone who may believe they have information that can assist to please come forward and contact police,' he told media in Darwin. 'It's never too late to reach out, and at least start that conversation with police, because you just never know how beneficial that information that you may hold may be. British backpacker Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees (PA) 'We recognise the passage of time that's transpired, however, it's never too late to reach out and start that conversation with police.' Murdoch, 67, was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019 and was moved to palliative care from Alice Springs Correctional Centre earlier this month, according to local media reports. Mr Falconio and Ms Lees had been driving near the tiny settlement of Barrow Creek, around 188 miles north of Alice Springs, when Murdoch pulled up beside them claiming to have seen sparks coming from the Kombi van. He then shot Mr Falconio in the head as he inspected the vehicle, before forcing Ms Lees into his vehicle and binding her wrists with cable ties. She managed a daring escape, hiding in the outback scrub for hours before flagging down a passing truck. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Murdoch had likely disposed of the backpacker's body somewhere in the vast, remote expanse of desert between Alice Springs and Broome, covering more than 1,200 miles. Despite repeated searches, Mr Falconio's body has never been found. His killer has always maintained his innocence. Joanne Lees has since returned to the UK (Wesley Johnson/PA) Ms Lees, who has since returned to the UK, told Australian current affairs programme 60 Minutes in 2017 she still wanted to 'bring him home'. 'Pete lost his life on that night, but I lost mine too,' she said at the time. 'I'll never be fully at peace if Pete's not found, but I accept that that is a possibility.' Murdoch lodged several unsuccessful appeals over the years, with Australia's highest court refusing to hear his case in 2007. He was not eligible for parole until 2033, but would have remained behind bars under 'no body, no parole' laws preventing him from being released if he refused to disclose Mr Falconio's whereabouts.
