The eerie last smirk of Peter Falconio's killer revealed in his family's chilling final photograph - before he died of cancer and took his grim secret to the grave
A photograph of Murdoch, grinning in a prison-green t-shirt, his brutal features softened in the backlit image, was released along with a gushing family tribute to the violent killer.'
Murdoch was described as 'a devoted father and grandfather', 'a generous spirit', 'a gentle giant with a heart of gold, known for his quick wit'
The glowing eulogy issued by Murdoch's lawyer Christopher Dale noted that the man convicted of the 2001 murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio had been seeking a petition of mercy to pardon him.
However, he dismissed claims Murdoch's former legal counsel Andrew Fraser was working with 'three King's Counsel to draft the petition', and admitted none of the KCs had been involved 'for years'.
He said it was 'a crushing blow to Brad, who had clung on to that hope'.
This may also explain why Murdoch refused to disclose the location of Mr Falconio's body – a crucial secret he never revealed, even in his final moments
The ruthless murderer had steadfastly refused even to admit his guilt in the ambush, kidnap and kill incident which still haunts the Australian Outback and which changed the lives of Mr Falconio's family and his then-girlfriend Joanne Lees.
While Mr Dale, on behalf of the offender's family, said Murdoch was 'deeply loved' and 'will be deeply missed', it has been agony for the victim's family, who have long begged to bring their loved one's remains home.
Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed in March that Murdoch was dying, and again on Monday - 24 years to the day since the murder - that the killer had two days to live and by then, had fallen unconscious and was unable to communicate.
Even then, Mr Falconio's parents were still begging for news of the whereabouts of their son's remains, to heal what has been an open wound for almost a quarter of a century.
NT Police said on Wednesday that it was 'deeply regrettabl that Murdoch has died without, as far as we are aware, ever disclosing the location of Peter Falconio's remains'.
The statement added: 'His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved.'
Mr Falconio was 28 when he was murdered by Murdoch on the Stuart Highway north of Barrow Creek on July 14, 2001.
Falconio and Joanne Lees had visited Uluru and Alice Springs before driving 200km north in their VW Kombi campervan to the Ti-Tree Roadhouse to watch the sun set.
After setting off towards the Devil's Marbles tourist attraction, they were followed by a white 4WD with a green canopy driven by Bradley Murdoch.
By signalling that flames were shooting from the Kombi's exhaust pipe, Murdoch tricked them into pulling over at around 7.30pm.
Murdoch shot Mr Falconio in the head and restrained Ms Lees with cable-tie handcuffs before bundling her into the back of his vehicle as he dealt with Mr Falconio's body.
Ms Lees managed to escape from the car into the roadside scrub where she hid while Murdoch vainly searched for her with his dog.
He eventually took off, police believe, to dispose of the body at an unknown site. Ms Lees, still cuffed, managed to flag down a truckie who took her to the Barrow Creek Roadhouse.
Murdoch was arrested and eventually found guilty in the NT Supreme Court in December 2005 and sentenced to life in prison.
At the trial, Murdoch disputed DNA evidence found on Ms Lees' t-shirt and on the gearstick of the couple's Kombi, which was found dumped about 80m from the murder scene the following morning.
NT Corrections will release the cremated remains of Murdoch to his family.
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