Peter Falconio's dad's heartbreaking reaction to learning son's killer has died
The father of a British backpacker murdered in Australia said he prayed outback killer Bradley John Murdoch had "left something for me to find Peter".
Luciano Falconio was speaking just after he learned the man convicted of killing his son had died from throat cancer. Murdoch has always refused to reveal where he left Peter's remains after he killed him in 2001.
Mr Falconio said: "I tell you what I think, I wish he [Murdoch] left something for me to find him. I wish he left something. My vocabulary is not that good, what can I do, I'm only a human being.'"
He was speaking from his home in Hepworth, West Yorkshire."He has died, oh dear," Mr Falconio said on Tuesday evening. "You heard I said, 'oh dear', that's my goodwill towards anybody.
"I don't wish anybody dead because you have only got one life and I think if you've been given that gift of life...I don't even know what to say." He then asked again if Murdoch was dead, processing the news that the killer had finally lost his battle with terminal illness on Tuesday, exactly a day after the 24th anniversary of the murder of his son.
Mr Falconio told News Corp he still lives with extreme 'sadness' every day knowing his son was murdered and had held hope in finally laying him to rest. He said he had just spent a wet British summer's day spending time with his grandchildren. He said he thinks about his late son frequently, nearly every day, sometimes 'every hour'.
Just last month Australian Police offered a huge new reward to try and find Peter's remains.
Following Murdoch's death yesterday, his own family issued a statement in which they claimed he was 'much more than the headlines' despite his murder conviction. Murdoch, 67, was serving a life sentence for the murder of 28-year-old Peter.
His death from throat cancer in the palliative care unit at Alice Springs Hospital means Falconio's family may never know where the backpacker's body was dumped. A statement shared by Murdoch's lawyer on behalf of his family lamented that he was known 'only for the events that led to his conviction', despite always denying responsibility for Falconio's death.
"When given the opportunity, Brad was a devoted father, father-in-law, and proud poppy who never missed a chance to brag about his grandchildren."
The statement continued that Murdoch was 'well-liked and respected by fellow inmates' and that he was a "gentle giant with a heart of gold. Above all, he was someone who, no matter the circumstances, always extended a helping hand to those around him."
The family claimed Murdoch had been working on a petition for mercy, a last-ditch attempt to be pardoned from his sentence after exhausting all his appeals. "He was deeply loved. He will be deeply missed," the statement concluded.
Peter was murdered on July 14, 2001 after Murdoch tricked him and girlfriend Joanne Lees into pulling over their campervan late at night while driving on an isolated stretch through the outback between Alice Springs and Darwin. When Mr Falconio got out of the vehicle after Murdoch lied that sparks were flying out of their vehicle, he went around the back of the van and pulled a gun on the backpacker and shot him in the head.
Ms Lees was tied up with cable ties but was able to escape while Mr Murdoch went to dispose of Mr Falconio's body. Murdoch always denied murdering Mr Falconio and never revealed where he disposed of Mr Falconio's body. He was found guilty in the NT Supreme Court in 2005 and had been serving a life sentence with a non-parole period of 28 years.
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