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Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
'Outback killer' to make 'explosive' deathbed declaration after murdering Brit
Bradley John Murdoch has reportedly been moved to palliative care and could make a shocking revelation about the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio before he dies An Aussie Outback killer who brutally killed a British backpacker could soon make an "explosive" statement as he nears death. Bradley John Murdoch, who is dying from terminal throat cancer, is serving a life sentence for killing Peter Falconio and attacking his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, on a remote highway in the Northern Territory back in 2001. Mr Falconio, 28, and his partner, both from Yorkshire, were on a road trip in their VW Kombi campervan between Alice Springs and Darwin when they were flagged down by Murdoch and attacked. Mr Falconio was fatally shot in the head while Ms Lees was chucked in the attacker's car with her wrists bound with cable ties. Miraculously she managed to escape and hid in the bushes for five hours before flagging down a passing truck. Now, nearly 24 years on, Murdoch is nearing death himself after he was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019. He was moved to palliative care from Alice Springs Correctional Centre earlier this month and according to true crime author Robin Bowles, who sat down with the killer a few years ago, he could make an 'explosive' statement in his final words. She told 7NEWS: 'I know what they are, and they will be explosive. It's a shame they weren't able to be released earlier. You can't sue a dead man, so if he's making the claims, and he's died - the proverbial might hit the fan.' Murdoch has never revealed the location of Mr Falconio's body and in a desperate attempt to find the tourist's remains, Australian police this week announced a huge 500,000 Australian dollar (£238,670) reward for information that leads to the discovery of the British backpacker's remains. Police said ahead of the 24th anniversary of the murder next month they held out 'hope' that someone would now come forward. Acting Northern Territory Police commander Mark Grieve said: 'In what will be the 24th anniversary of (Falconio's) death this July, being next month, we're asking for anyone who may believe they have information that can assist to please come forward and contact police. It's never too late to reach out, and at least start that conversation with police, because you just never know how beneficial that information that you may hold may be. We recognise the passage of time that's transpired, however, it's never too late to reach out and start that conversation with police." Murdoch, 67, has always denied the killing and protested his innocence during the 2005 murder trial. After seven weeks he was found guilty of murdering Mr Falconio and assaulting and attempting to kidnap Ms Lees. Northern Territory Police have previously searched swathes of land close to the crime scene but Mr Falconio's remains have never been found. Murdoch was spotted on CCTV at a petrol station in Alice Springs - about 190 miles south of the crime scene - in the hours after the attack. He is then said to have driven around 800 miles through the night and the following day across the inhospitable Tanami Track, reaching Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia at about 8pm. He was arrested and charged with the murder of Mr Falconio 16 months after the attack, thanks to DNA evidence and Ms Lees identifying him. Ms Lees, who has since returned to the UK, told Australian current affairs programme 60 Minutes in 2017 she still wanted to "bring him home". "Pete lost his life on that night, but I lost mine too," she said at the time. "I'll never be fully at peace if Pete's not found, but I accept that that is a possibility."
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Expert's chilling theory about why Peter Falconio's body may never be found - as claims emerge of killer's 'explosive' last words
The lead investigator into the death of British tourist Peter Falconio has revealed why his convicted killer will likely die before helping to locate the backpacker's body. Bradley John Murdoch, 67, was jailed for life over the 2001 killing of Mr Falconio, then 28, on a remote stretch of highway north of Alice Springs, though no remains have been found. He was also convicted of the assault and attempted kidnapping of Falconio's girlfriend Joanne Lees, who managed to escape into surrounding bushland. It was revealed this week throat cancer-stricken Murdoch had been moved to palliative care and would soon die, raising the risk the secret of Mr Falconio's whereabouts could die with him. The news prompted Northern Territory police to double their reward for information that led to the location of Mr Falconio's body to $500,000 on Wednesday. But, more than 20 years after her investigations led to Murdoch's arrest, former NT police officer Colleen Gwynne has suggested the killer may not know where Mr Falconio's body is. 'There is potential that, with the stress that (Murdoch) was under, the fact that Joanne escaped and he had a victim that was now at large, that he may – through the stress – he may have forgotten exactly where he disposed of the body,' she told NT News. She would be 'surprised' if he had forgotten, given Murdoch's familiarity with the Outback, she said, but the theory casts doubt on the potential for a deathbed confession, which another expert, Robin Bowles, has claimed will be 'explosive'. The author released a book called Dead Centre in 2022 about the case and claims in her research she conducted 50 hours of interviews with Murdoch. 'I know what they (his last words) are, and they will be explosive,' she told 7News. 'It's a shame they weren't able to be released earlier. You can't sue a dead man, so if he's making the claims, and he's died, the proverbial might hit the fan.' Murdoch has always maintained his innocence and has shown no indication of changing his position when spoken to by officers as recently as this week, NT police said. 'On all occasions, he's chosen not to positively engage with the police,' acting commander Mark Grieve told reporters on Wednesday. Murdoch is not eligible for parole for another eight years but, under the NT's 'no body, no release' laws, he wouldn't have been up for release without revealing the location of Mr Falconio's remains. Mr Falconio's whereabouts remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in recent criminal history, with the roadside killing and Ms Lees's miraculous escape partially inspiring the hit 2005 film Wolf Creek. On July 14, 2001, Mr Falconio and his then-girlfriend Joanne Lees were driving between Alice Springs and Darwin in their VW Kombi campervan. Murdoch signalled at their car, instructing the pair to pull over on the Stuart Highway, north of Barrow Creek on the pretence their van may be experiencing engine issues. After shooting Mr Falconio, Murdoch threatened Ms Lees before he bound her hands behind her back with cable tie restraints and bundled her into the back of his vehicle. While Murdoch disposed of Mr Falconio's body, Ms Lees managed to escape barefoot into surrounding bushland where she remained for five hours. She remained hidden while Murdoch hunted for her with his dog before she eventually flagged down a passing truck. Despite her latest theory, Ms Gwynne nonetheless welcomed the police's decision to increase the reward for information relating to Mr Falconio's whereabouts. 'I think the fact the reward has come out is a great idea and it shows the Northern Territory see this still as a significant gap here,' she told Seven News. 'We achieved a conviction but we still haven't been able to find Peter and from a law enforcement point of view that's still an important part of this. 'It's good to see the NT police have taken this tack. It's important and it's important to the family.' Speaking from his home in Huddersfield, England, Mr Falconio's father Luciano recently told the Daily Mail he had learned of the new reward for information through the media and had not been contacted by authorities. His wife, Joan, previously told the Daily Mail: 'All we ever hope is that Peter will finally be found one day, in our lifetime.' Even if Ms Gwynne's theory is correct and Murdoch could not recall where he had disposed of Falconio's body, Mr Grieve said the reward could prompt other to speak up. 'We recognise the passage of time that's transpired, however it's never too late to reach out and start that conversation with police,' Mr Grieve said this week. 'There may be someone out there he's confided in. Whether or not that's family or friends, we just don't know.'
