Death of outback murderer hasn't killed hope of finding victims remains
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NZ Herald
6 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Family of outback killer Bradley John Murdoch hold private funeral service
'To many, Bradley Murdoch is known only for the events that led to his conviction in 2005 for the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio, a crime for which he has always denied responsibility from his arrest until his death,' their statement to the media said. This undated handout photo shows British couple Joanne Lees and boyfriend Peter Falconio as they sit in their van, taken before they were ambushed by Bradley John Murdoch near Barrow Creek in July 2001. Photo / Handout, Getty Images 'But to those who truly knew him, he was much more than the headlines. 'Brad was a devoted father, father-in-law and proud Poppy who never missed a chance to brag about his grandchildren. He was a beloved brother, uncle and friends.' Falconio's parents Joan and Luciano said they still held out hope their son's remains would be found. 'Upon hearing that Bradley John Murdoch had died our first feeling was of relief, it's like a weight that's been lifted. 'We are only forced to think about him now that he's died, we don't want to let him ruin our lives more than he already has. 'The awful thing is our family's future with Peter was cruelly taken away. 'Today we instead focus on the three children we have left and our grandchildren.' British backpacker Peter Falconio and his girlfriend Joanne Lees. Photo / Handout, Getty Images Murdoch was convicted of murdering Falconio on July 14, 2001. Falconio had been travelling with his girlfriend Joanne Lees in a Kombi van along the Sturt Highway, north of Barrow Creek between Darwin and Alice Springs, when another car stopped alongside them and motioned to them to pull over. When the Kombi van pulled over, Murdoch shot Falconio in the head. Murdoch then tried to kidnap Lees, pulling her out of the van and binding her wrists with cable ties before forcing her into the back of his vehicle. While Murdoch went back to his vehicle, Lees managed to escape and hid in the bushes for several hours before she flagged down another driver. Murdoch was found guilty of murder in December 2005 and was sentenced to life in jail with a non-parole period of 28 years. He maintained his innocence throughout the trial and twice tried to overturn the convictions, but both attempts were unsuccessful. Murdoch would have been eligible for parole in 2032, but the Northern Territory's introduction of 'no body, no parole' laws in 2016 meant he would only have been released if he revealed the location of Falconio's body. In a statement released after his death, the NT Police Force said it remained committed to 'resolving this final piece of the investigation'. 'It is deeply regrettable that Murdoch has died without, as far as we are aware, ever disclosing the location of Peter Falconio's remains,' the statement read. 'His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved. 'We continue to appeal to anyone who may have information that could lead us to Peter Falconio's remains to come forward, no matter how small the detail may seem.'
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Justice Department to meet Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell
By Ben Turner and Chris Lefkow , AFP Former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence. (File photo) Photo: AFP / Getty Images A top Department of Justice official is expected to meet on Thursday (US time) with Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned accomplice of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as US President Donald Trump struggles to quell fury over his handling of the notorious case. The former British socialite is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking minors on behalf of Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial in his own pedophile trafficking case. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche - Trump's former personal lawyer for his hush money trial and two federal criminal cases - was to interview Maxwell at a federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, multiple US media reported. "If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say," Blanche said in a statement on Tuesday. "No one is above the law - and no lead is off-limits." Maxwell, the daughter of the late British press baron Robert Maxwell, is the only former Epstein associate who was convicted in connection with his activities, which right-wing conspiracy theorists allege included trafficking young models for VIPs. But Joyce Vance, an ex-federal prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Alabama, said any "'new' testimony (Maxwell) offers is inherently unreliable unless backed by evidence". "Trump could give Ghislaine Maxwell a pardon on his last day in office, in exchange for favourable testimony now," Vance said in a post on X. "She knows he's her only chance for release." The meeting with Maxwell marks another attempt by the Trump administration to defuse anger among the Republican president's own supporters over what they have long seen as a cover-up of sex crimes by Epstein, a wealthy financier with high-level connections. A Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday hiked up that pressure as it claimed Trump's name was among hundreds found during a review of DOJ documents on Epstein, even if there was no indication of wrongdoing. Trump spokesman Steven Cheung called the report "fake news" and said Trump had long ago broken with Epstein and "kicked him out of his (Florida) club for being a creep". The same newspaper claimed last week that Trump had penned a sexually suggestive letter to Epstein, a former friend, for his birthday in 2003. Trump has sued for at least US$10 billion (NZ16.5b) over the story. Many of the president's core supporters want more transparency on the Epstein case, and Trump - who has long fanned conspiracy theories - had promised to deliver that on retaking the White House in January. But he has since dismissed the controversy as a "hoax," and the DOJ and FBI released a memo this month claiming the so-called Epstein files did not contain evidence that would justify further investigation. Epstein committed suicide while in jail, did not blackmail any prominent figures, and did not keep a "client list," according to the FBI-DOJ memo. Seeking to redirect public attention, the White House has promoted unfounded claims in recent days that former president Barack Obama led a "years-long coup" against Trump around his victorious 2016 election. The extraordinary narrative claims that Obama had ordered intelligence assessments to be manipulated to accuse Russia of election interference to help Trump. Yet it runs counter to four separate criminal, counterintelligence and watchdog probes between 2019 and 2023 - each of them concluding that Russia did interfere and did, in various ways, help Trump. Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually exploited hundreds of victims at his homes in New York and Florida. Among those with connections to Epstein was Britain's Prince Andrew, who settled a US civil case in February 2022 brought by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed he sexually assaulted her when she was 17. Giuffre, who accused Epstein of using her as a sex slave, committed suicide at her home in Australia in April. - AFP
RNZ News
21 hours ago
- RNZ News
Man arrested after 20-year-old dies in Hamilton brawl
The scene of the fatal stabbing in central Hamilton. Photo: RNZ / Victor Waters An 18-year-old man has appeared in the Hamilton District Court, in relation to a man who died after a fight in the CBD last weekend. Tyreece Te Pairi, of Hamilton, was injured in the incident in the central city just after midnight on Sunday and later died in hospital. Three other victims suffered injuries ranging from moderate to serious. RNZ understands the victims were stabbed. Detective Inspector Daryl Smith said the 20-year-old was fatally injured on Alexandra Street. "We know incidents like these are distressing for the wider community, and we will have a presence in the area while our investigation is ongoing," he said. "The information that is provided from the community is crucial in assisting in our investigation, and we urge anyone who has information and has not yet contacted us to please get in touch." Sources have told RNZ that the stabbing may have been linked to a club event in the central city. Smith appealed for anyone that saw the fight, filmed it, or have footage of it, to come forward. A web portal has also been set up for people to upload photos or footage taken on Alexandra Street and the surrounding areas, between 11.30pm on Saturday, 19 July to 11.30 the following morning. The arrested man has been remanded in custody. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
