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The Star
12 hours ago
- The Star
Death of Australia's 'Outback Killer' leaves whereabouts of British backpacker's body unknown
MELBOURNE: Police fear Bradley John Murdoch, known as the "Outback Killer,' has taken to his grave the secret of how he disposed of the body of British backpacker Peter Falconio who was murdered in arid central Australia 24 years ago. Murdoch died Tuesday (July 15) night, aged 67, in the palliative care unit of the Alice Springs Hospital, officials said Wednesday. He was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019 and was recently transferred to the hospital from the Alice Springs prison. His death leaves the mystery of the whereabouts of Falconio's body unsolved. The Northern Territory Police Force said investigators remain "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," a police statement said. "His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved." The victim's 83-year-old father, Luciano Falconio, was visibly shocked and lost for words after learning of Murdoch's death a day after the anniversary of his son's disappearance, News Corp Australia reported. "I tell you what I think, I wish he (Murdoch) left something for me to find him,' the father told the news company from his home in the UK. Bradley John Murdoch being led through the compound at the Adelaide Magistrates court on Nov. 13, 2003. - AP In 2005, Murdoch was convicted of the 2001 murder of 28-year-old Falconio, from Huddersfield in England's Yorkshire region, and the attempted kidnapping of Falconio's girlfriend Joanne Lees. The crime captured global attention and was one of the inspirations for the 2005 Australian horror movie "Wolf Creek,' about a serial killer who preyed on backpackers and left a single witness who became a suspect. Lees, who wrote about her ordeal in her 2006 memoir "No Turning Back,' complained that police treated her as a suspect in the years before Murdoch was charged. A court order prevented the movie's release in the Northern Territory during Murdoch's trial, fearing it could influence jurors. Murdoch was not accused of any other killings. Murdoch consistently maintained his innocence and did not help authorities search for Falconio's remains. At the time of the killing, Murdoch was an interstate drug runner, using amphetamines to stay awake for dayslong drives and cannabis to sleep. On the night of July 14, 2001, he tricked Falconio and Lees into stopping their campervan on a dark and remote highway north of Alice Springs. Lees watched her boyfriend leave the van to inspect a supposedly sparking exhaust pipe. She testified that she heard a gunshot and never saw her boyfriend again. Murdoch, an imposing 193cm (6 foot, 4 inches) in height, bound her wrists with cable ties before she managed to escape and hid in the desert scrub for hours. She testified she watched Murdoch searching for her with a flashlight and his dog. Lees later waved down a truck and raised the alarm. Last month, police doubled the reward for information leading to the location of Falconio's remains to A$500,000 (US$330,000), following news that Murdoch was in palliative care. "Police still hold out hope that someone may be able to provide some vital information to assist in this search,' Police Commander Mark Grieve said. Colleen Gwynne, a former police officer who led the investigation at the time of Falconio's disappearance, said Murdoch might have panicked after Lees escaped and in his confusion forgot what he did with the body. "Once that panic set in … he may have disposed of a body somewhere he's not entirely certain where that is,' Gwynne said earlier this month. Murdoch was sentenced to life in prison for Falconio's murder and was ordered to serve at least 28 years before he could be considered for parole. He was also sentenced to six years for assaulting Lees. The earliest he could have applied for parole would have been 2032, but without providing information as to what he had done with Falconio's body, Murdoch was not likely to have been released. The territory passed laws in 2016 preventing prisoners convicted of murder from qualifying for parole unless they provide police with the location of their victims' bodies. Murdoch was born in the west coast town of Geraldton, the third child of an automobile mechanic and his wife, a hairdresser. As a teen, he became involved in biker gang crime and was first sentenced to prison in 1995 for shooting at a group of Indigenous people at Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia. He served 15 months of a 21-month sentence. In sentencing Murdoch for Falconio's killing, Chief Justice Brian Martin said he doubted any words could express the trauma and terror Lees had suffered. "It must have been close to the worst nightmare imaginable,' the judge said. - AP
Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'Outback Killer' escapee Joanne Lees now after quitting UK and taking new name
Joanne Lees was thrust into the spotlight in 2001 when she survived an attack in the Australian outback that saw her boyfriend, Peter Falconio, murdered - here's what happened to her after In 2001, Joanne Lees became the focus of intense media attention after surviving a brutal attack while traveling with her boyfriend, Peter Falconio, who was murdered during their trip across the Australian outback. Their attacker, Bradley John Murdoch - better known as the "Outback killer" - has now died aged 67, taking details of his victim's body to his grave. Murdoch was previously diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019 and was transferred to a palliative care unit in Alice Springs Correctional Centre, in Northern Territory, Australia. The couple was driving through the remote outback late at night when another driver signalled them to pull over. According to Lees, then 28, Murdoch shot Falconio and attempted to tie her up, but she managed to escape, hiding in the grass for hours before flagging down a passing truck. Falconio's body was never recovered. Lees first came to public attention recounting the harrowing ordeal she endured with Falconio, her long-term partner whom she met in 1996. They had travelled extensively across Southeast Asia before spending five months in Sydney and planning their fateful road trip across Australia. After the attack, Lees' story divided public opinion, especially following the trial of Murdoch, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. During the trial, it emerged Lees had an affair with another British backpacker, Nick Reilly, in the months before Falconio's disappearance. The revelation, coupled with Lees' candid interview with Martin Bashir, sparked controversy. Speaking to Bashir, Lees admitted the affair was a mistake. "I did love Pete with all my heart," she said, "and when that happened I did overstep the boundaries of friendship, but it made me, like, love Pete even more and value what we did have." During the interview, she did not reveal whether she would have confessed to the affair if her emails weren't caught by police. In a police interview, she called the emails "irrelevant" despite Nick using a code name 'Steph' when they discussed meeting up in Berlin after the murder. Lees was criticised and branded suspicious for her demeanour during interviews and for altering parts of her statement, but she maintained that her interview with Bashir, for which she was paid £50,000, was meant to keep the case in the public eye. She also addressed other criticisms, such as the 'cheeky monkey' t-shirt she wore in the aftermath, explaining it was simply all she had with her at the time. She also denied being emotionless, saying she "wears her heart of her sleeve," adding: "Well, I do in the company of my mates." In 2006, Lees published her memoir No Turning Back, detailing her early life, including growing up in financial hardship with her late mother. She reportedly received a £25,000 advance for the book. Years later, Lees studied sociology at Sheffield University and is now a social worker. In 2017, she revealed she had discovered a half-sister named Jessica McMillan in Sydney, the daughter of Lees Australian father, who she is estranged from. The sisters quickly formed a close bond, with Lees seeking Australian citizenship to be nearer to Jess. In her book, Lees, who is now 51, did not share any details about her dad, but did say that she grew up in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, with her mother, Jennifer James, her stepfather Vincent James and step-brother Sam. "We didn't have much money but she worked hard to make sure I had a happy childhood," she wrote. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph in Australia, Lees described the reunion as 'almost like a mirror' and said it made her feel 'less alone in the world.' In an interview on Nine's 60 Minutes, Lees reflected on the impact of the tragedy, saying: 'Pete lost his life that night but I lost mine too. I'll never be fully at peace if Pete's not found, but I accept that that is a possibility." She even returned to the site of the attack to try to understand the mind of the attacker, driven by her enduring love for Peter.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Notorious 'Outback Killer' Dies Without Revealing Location of Victim's Body
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Bradley John Murdoch, the convicted murderer known as the Outback Killer, died in Australia at age 67, authorities announced Wednesday. Murdoch, who was serving a life sentence for murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001, died without revealing the location of Falconio's body. Murdoch was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2019 and was transferred from the Alice Springs prison to a hospital last month. Police and family members expressed sorrow that the opportunity to find and recover Falconio's remains had been "lost forever." Bradley John Murdoch (C) surrounded by police arrives at Darwin airport from Adelaide 24 November 2003. Bradley John Murdoch (C) surrounded by police arrives at Darwin airport from Adelaide 24 November 2003. David Hancock/AFP via Getty Images Why It Matters Murdoch's case gained global attention following the disappearance of Falconio and survival of Joanne Lees, who escaped after being attacked on a remote Northern Territory highway. What To Know Bradley John Murdoch's Conviction and Crime Murdoch was convicted in the Northern Territory Supreme Court in Darwin in 2005 for the 2001 murder of Peter Falconio, then aged 28, and the attempted kidnapping of his girlfriend Joanne Lees, then 27. Murdoch was running drugs across state lines at the time, staying awake for marathon drives on amphetamines and using cannabis to crash afterward. Late on July 14, 2001, he lured Falconio and Lees into pulling over on a desolate stretch of highway north of Alice Springs, claiming their camper van's exhaust was sparking. When Falconio got out to look, Lees heard a single gunshot and never saw him again. Murdoch then bound Lees' wrists with cable ties, but she slipped free, hid for hours in the desert scrub while he searched with a torch and a dog, and she eventually flagged down a passing truck to raise the alarm. Lees later wrote about her experience in her 2006 memoir No Turning Back, in which she said police treated her as a suspect before Murdoch's arrest. Joanne Lees, girlfriend of Peter Falconio (2ndR) leaves the Northern Territory Supreme Court with Falconio's family (L-R) father Luciano, mother Joan, brothers Nick and Paul after day 38 of the Falconio murder trial December 13,... Joanne Lees, girlfriend of Peter Falconio (2ndR) leaves the Northern Territory Supreme Court with Falconio's family (L-R) father Luciano, mother Joan, brothers Nick and Paul after day 38 of the Falconio murder trial December 13, 2005 in Darwin, Australia. MoreImpact on Victims and the Broader Community South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said Wednesday: "There are no winners in this. Sadly, Peter lost his life, Joanne suffered a horrific experience and had to give evidence in court and the fact that the Falconio family now will never know the location of Peter, I think is as I said, a tragedy." He added that Murdoch's actions affected international perceptions of safety: "There was an international impact from his conduct that potentially impacted on tourism. You know, people coming to South Australia, to enjoy the backpacking experience, to see what we have to offer, I'm sure a lot of people who thought twice because of the media attention that was brought to us because of his actions." The case partly inspired the 2005 horror film Wolf Creek. Police and Family Appeals for Cooperation Murdoch repeatedly refused to cooperate with authorities, never disclosing the location of Falconio's remains. Colleen Gwynne, the former Northern Territory Police lead investigator, said: "You mourn Peter today because I guess with Bradley's prolonged refusal to cooperate with police and provide that information that we needed to locate Peter's remains and that then resulting in the prolonged family agony by the Falconio family, it's a sad day for those reasons." This undated handout photo of British couple shows Joanne Lees (L) and boyfriend Peter Falconio as they sit in their van, taken in July 2001. This undated handout photo of British couple shows Joanne Lees (L) and boyfriend Peter Falconio as they sit in their van, taken in July 2001. Handout/Getty Images Legal Changes and Ongoing Efforts The Northern Territory passed laws in 2016 requiring convicted murderers to reveal the location of their victims' bodies to qualify for parole, effectively ensuring Murdoch would remain imprisoned without cooperation. As of June 2025, the reward for information leading to Falconio's remains was doubled to 500,000 Australian dollars (about $330,000) after news emerged that Murdoch was in palliative care. Murdoch consistently maintained his innocence. What People Are Saying Grant Stevens, South Australia Police commissioner, said: "The opportunity to resolve that part of this horrific crime is now lost forever. I can't imagine what the family are going through, but I am sure they were hopeful that prior to his passing he would have disclosed the location of Peter Falconio's body, and I think that is an absolute tragedy." Luciano Falconio, the victim's 83-year-old father told News Corp Australia: "I tell you what I think, I wish he [Murdoch] left something for me to find him." What Happens Next Authorities encourage anyone with knowledge about Falconio's disappearance to come forward. This article contains reporting from The Associated Press
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Death of Australia's 'Outback Killer' leaves whereabouts of British backpacker's body unknown
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Police fear Bradley John Murdoch, known as the 'Outback Killer', has taken to his grave the secret of how he disposed of the body of British backpacker Peter Falconio who was murdered in arid central Australia 24 years ago. Murdoch died Tuesday night, aged 67, in the palliative care unit of the Alice Springs Hospital, officials said Wednesday. He was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019 and was recently transferred to the hospital from the Alice Springs prison. His death leaves the mystery of the whereabouts of Falconio's body unsolved. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Northern Territory Police Force said investigators remain '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,' a police statement said. 'His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved.' The victim's 83-year-old father, Luciano Falconio, was visibly shocked and lost for words after learning of Murdoch's death a day after the anniversary of his son's disappearance, News Corp Australia reported. 'I tell you what I think, I wish he (Murdoch) left something for me to find him,' the father told the news company from his home in the U.K. In 2005, Murdoch was convicted of the 2001 murder of 28-year-old Falconio, from Huddersfield in England's Yorkshire region, and the attempted kidnapping of Falconio's girlfriend Joanne Lees. The crime captured global attention and was one of the inspirations for the 2005 Australian horror movie 'Wolf Creek,' about a serial killer who preyed on backpackers and left a single witness who became a suspect. Lees, who wrote about her ordeal in her 2006 memoir 'No Turning Back,' complained that police treated her as a suspect in the years before Murdoch was charged. A court order prevented the movie's release in the Northern Territory during Murdoch's trial, fearing it could influence jurors. Murdoch was not accused of any other killings. Murdoch consistently maintained his innocence and did not help authorities search for Falconio's remains. At the time of the killing, Murdoch was an interstate drug runner, using amphetamines to stay awake for dayslong drives and cannabis to sleep. On the night of July 14, 2001, he tricked Falconio and Lees into stopping their campervan on a dark and remote highway north of Alice Springs. Lees watched her boyfriend leave the van to inspect a supposedly sparking exhaust pipe. She testified that she heard a gunshot and never saw her boyfriend again. Murdoch, an imposing 193 centimetres (6 foot, 4 inches) in height, bound her wrists with cable ties before she managed to escape and hid in the desert scrub for hours. She testified she watched Murdoch searching for her with a flashlight and his dog. Lees later waved down a truck and raised the alarm. Last month, police doubled the reward for information leading to the location of Falconio's remains to 500,000 Australian dollars ($330,000), following news that Murdoch was in palliative care. 'Police still hold out hope that someone may be able to provide some vital information to assist in this search,' Police Commander Mark Grieve said. Colleen Gwynne, a former police officer who led the investigation at the time of Falconio's disappearance, said Murdoch might have panicked after Lees escaped and in his confusion forgot what he did with the body. 'Once that panic set in … he may have disposed of a body somewhere he's not entirely certain where that is,' Gwynne said earlier this month. Murdoch was sentenced to life in prison for Falconio's murder and was ordered to serve at least 28 years before he could be considered for parole. He was also sentenced to six years for assaulting Lees. The earliest he could have applied for parole would have been 2032, but without providing information as to what he had done with Falconio's body, Murdoch was not likely to have been released. The territory passed laws in 2016 preventing prisoners convicted of murder from qualifying for parole unless they provide police with the location of their victims' bodies. Murdoch was born in the west coast town of Geraldton, the third child of an automobile mechanic and his wife, a hairdresser. As a teen, he became involved in biker gang crime and was first sentenced to prison in 1995 for shooting at a group of Indigenous people at Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia. He served 15 months of a 21-month sentence. In sentencing Murdoch for Falconio's killing, Chief Justice Brian Martin said he doubted any words could express the trauma and terror Lees had suffered. 'It must have been close to the worst nightmare imaginable,' the judge said.
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Japan Today
Australian 'Outback Killer' dies at 67, leaving mystery of victim's body unsolved
FILE - Bradley John Murdoch is led through the compound at the Adelaide Magistrates court, Adelaide, Australia, Nov. 13, 2003. (AP Photo/David Mariuz, File) By ROD McGUIRK Bradley John Murdoch, known as the 'Outback Killer' and convicted of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio who vanished in arid central Australia 24 years ago, has died, authorities said Wednesday. He was 67. Murdoch died on Tuesday night in the palliative care unit of the Alice Springs Hospital, according to a statement from the Northern Territory Department of Corrections. He was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019 and was recently transferred to the hospital from the Alice Springs prison. His death leaves the mystery of the whereabouts of Falconio's body unsolved. The territory's police did not immediately respond to queries from The Associated Press whether Murdoch had provided any clues before he died. In 2005, Murdoch was convicted in the territory's Supreme Court in Darwin of the 2001 murder of 28-year-old Falconio, from Huddersfield, Yorkshire, and the attempted kidnapping of Falconio's girlfriend Joanne Lees, then 27. The crime captured global attention and was one of the inspirations for the 2005 Australian horror movie 'Wolf Creek,' about a serial killer who preyed on backpackers and left a single witness who became a suspect. Lees, who wrote about her ordeal in her 2006 memoir 'No Turning Back,' complained that police treated her as a suspect in the years before Murdoch was charged. A court order prevented the movie's release in the Northern Territory during Murdoch's trial, fearing it could influence jurors. Murdoch, who was arrested in 2003 in the case, was not accused of any other killings. Murdoch consistently maintained his innocence and did not help authorities search for Falconio's remains. At the time of the killing, Murdoch was an interstate drug runner, using amphetamines to stay awake for dayslong drives and cannabis to sleep. On the night of July 14, 2001, he tricked Falconio and Lees into stopping their campervan on a dark and remote highway north of Alice Springs. Lees watched her boyfriend leave the van to inspect a supposedly sparking exhaust pipe. She testified that she heard a gun shot and never saw her boyfriend again. Murdoch, an imposing 193 centimeters (6 foot, 4 inches) in height, bound her wrists with cable ties before she managed to escape and hid in the desert scrub for hours. She testified that she watched Murdoch searching for her with a flashlight and his dog. Lees later waved down a truck and raised the alarm. Last month, police doubled the reward for information leading to the location of Falconio's remains to 500,000 Australian dollars ($330,000), following news that Murdoch was in palliative care. 'Police still hold out hope that someone may be able to provide some vital information to assist in this search,' Police Commander Mark Grieve said. He added that over the years he spent in prison, Murdoch had not revealed the whereabouts of his victim's remains. Colleen Gwynne, a former police officer who led the investigation at the time of Falconio's disappearance, said Murdoch might have panicked after Lees escaped and in his confusion forgot what he did with the body. 'Once that panic set in … he may have disposed of a body somewhere he's not entirely certain where that is,' Gwynne told 10 Network News television earlier this month. In 2005, Murdoch was sentenced to life in prison for Falconio's murder and was ordered to serve at least 28 years before he could be considered for parole. He was also sentenced to six years, to be served concurrently, for assaulting Lees. The earliest he could have applied for parole would have been 2032, but without providing information as to what he had done with Falconio's body, Murdoch was not likely to have been released. The territory passed laws in 2016 preventing prisoners convicted of murder from qualifying for parole unless they provide police with the location of their victims' bodies. Murdoch was born in the west coast town of Geraldton, the third child of an automobile mechanic and his wife, a hairdresser. As a teen, he became involved in biker gang crime and was first sentenced to prison in 1995 for shooting at a group of Indigenous people at Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia. He served 15 months of a 21-month sentence. In sentencing Murdoch for Falconio's killing, Chief Justice Brian Martin said he doubted any words could express the trauma and terror Lees had suffered. 'It must have been close to the worst nightmare imaginable,' the judge said. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
