Death of outback killer leaves victim's family without answers

SBS Australia

16-07-2025

Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . Peter Falconio wasn't Australian - like many young people from Britain, he came to Australia on a backpacking holiday. He and his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, were driving down the Stuart Highway, near Barrow Creek in the Northern Territory in July 2001, when Bradley John Murdoch, in a ute, signalled for them to pull over. When the 28-year-old Mr Falconio went over to talk to him, Murdoch shot him dead. The lead investigator for Northern Territory Police was Colleen Gwynne, who says Murdoch shared the qualities of many killers. "I guess he's got a lot of narcissistic tendencies. He's a very controlling individual. He's very entitled. And I guess he's got a very chequered background." Joanne Lees was assaulted and bound, but eventually managed to escape, hiding in a bush for five hours whilst Murdoch hunted for her with his dog. After a manhunt, Murdoch was arrested in 2003 and sentenced to life in prison in 2005, the judge describing his crime as remorseless and cowardly. The crime inspired the famous Australian film, Wolf Creek - although Murdoch's trial delayed its release in the Northern Territory. Despite repeated efforts, Murdoch never divulged what he did with Peter's body, a secret he has now taken to the grave after dying from throat cancer in an Alice Springs hospital, under the watch of corrections officers, at the age of 67. His death came just a day after the anniversary of the crime. In a statement, Northern Territory Police condemned Murdoch's silence. "His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved, Our thoughts are with the Falconio family, whose grief continues." But his intransigence was no surprise to Ms Gwynne. "I never thought that Bradley would disclose the whereabouts, or give any further information that may assist us. It doesn't really change a great deal. I guess, symbolically, it's probably significant for the family." It's believed Murdoch dumped the body somewhere between Alice Springs and Broome. Ms Gwynne says investigators still hope Murdoch told someone - a fellow inmate, or perhaps someone else he trusted - the body's location, and perhaps, that person can now speak to give the family some sort of closure. Police have renewed their appeal for anyone who has any information about the location of the body to come forward- no matter how small their information might seem. There remains a 500,000 dollar reward. Meanwhile, Murdoch's family say they will remember him as a gentle giant, with a heart of gold, and quick wit. Ms Gwynne says Murdoch's death makes her think again, first and foremost, of Mr Falconio's loved ones. "My reaction is for the family who've lost Peter... really for Joanne, who has been through a terrible ordeal and has had to live through that. And I think, yeah, my emotions are very much with the family." She says their pain persists to this day.
"They continue to go through pretty prolonged agony over losing their son, their brother...and you can imagine that causes, I guess, a lot of anxiety and grief."