'I wish he left something': Peter Falconio's dad speaks on heartbreak after outback killer Bradley John Murdoch dies without revealing location of slain body
Just hours after finding out Murdoch died from throat cancer on Tuesday overnight, Mr Falconio told Newscorp: 'He has died, oh dear."
'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'.
On the same day, a couple hours prior to Murdoch's death, Mr Falconio told Newscorp he wishes something was left behind for him to help find his backpacker son's body.
However, Murdoch died having taken that secret to the grave, by maintaining his innocence on the murder till the very last day.
'I tell you what I think, I wish he (Murdoch) left something for me to find him,' Mr Falconio said.
'I wish he left something.
'My vocabulary is not that good, what can I do, I'm only a human being'.
Mr Falconio, 28 at the time, and Ms Lees, then 27, were exploring the Northern Territory outback– about 300km north of Alice Springs – on February 14, 2001, when Murdoch approached the young couple and tricked them.
He waved the pair down by falsely convincing them there were sparks coming from their van.
After Mr Falconio stopped the car, he walked to the rear of the van where he met his deadly fate.
Ms Lees last saw him alive when he approached the driver's door and asked his girlfriend to rev the engine.
Shortly after returning to the rear, Mr Falconio was shot in the head by Murdoch.
Murdoch then approached the driver's door, pointed a gun at Ms Lees and abducted her into his four-wheel drive, but she managed to escape when Murdoch momentarily stepped away from the vehicle.
Murdoch was found guilty of the murder of Mr Falconio and assault of Ms Lees on December 13, 2005, and was sentenced to life in jail, with a non-parole period of 28 years.
He unsuccessfully appealed his conviction twice and was never eligible for parole due to the "No body, no parole'' legislation.
Colleen Gwynne, who led the investigation that caught Murdoch, told Sky News Murdoch was definitely the killer.
"You get a lot of people saying you don't have a body so you don't have a case,' she told Laura Jayes on AM Agenda.
'Bradley Murdoch was convicted by a jury after extensive evidence, both circumstantial and forensic evidence, and there are a whole range of things in that complex case that says that Bradley Murdoch absolutely committed this crime."
'There was a well-known journalist, Paul Toohey, who wasn't a believer and he said to me 'I think you've got the wrong man' so I said 'well sit in on the trial', which he did, and he wrote a book as a result of that and it's a pretty comprehensive perspective of the evidence and who Bradley Murdoch was.'
Ms Gwynne said on the day news broke of Murdoch's death it was hard to listen to claims he was innocent.
Mr Falconio's father previously made an emotional plea to find his young son's body just days before his killer died, adding he dosen't know if him and his wife will 'live long enough' to ever find out where he is.
'Today is an important day,' he told News Corp.
'It is very significant, I wish I could find him and make an end to it, bury him. (I want to) find where he is buried and what happened to him, even me, I don't know.
'I know what happened, but I don't know where he is."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘These things tend to boomerang': Tulsi Gabbard calls for Obama to be prosecuted
Filmmaker Ami Horowitz discusses the latest Obama scandal, in which the US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has called for former US president Barack Obama to be prosecuted. 'Two things can be true at once,' Mr Horowitz told Sky News host Rita Panahi. 'The Obama administration was looking for a rationale to tie Donald Trump with the Russians. 'These things tend to boomerang around back to you. 'Whether or not he'll be facing charges … I actually don't think any charges will be filed.'
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Funeral held for backpacker killer Bradley John Murdoch who murdered Peter Falconio
The family of outback killer Bradley John Murdoch has held a private funeral service to farewell the man responsible for one of Australia's most notorious crimes. Murdoch, who was serving a life sentence for the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001, died on July 15. He had been diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019. The 67-year-old never revealed where Mr Falconio had been buried. In a private ceremony for family and friends, Murdoch was cremated and his ashes scattered at an 'undisclosed location', 7News reported on Thursday. After his death, his family remembered him as a devoted family man. '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. '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.' Mr 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.' Murdoch was convicted of murdering Mr Falconio on July 14, 2001. Mr 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 Mr Falconio in the head. Murdoch then tried to kidnap Ms Lees, pulling her out of the van and binding her wrists with cable ties before forcing her in the back of his vehicle. While Murdoch went back to his vehicle, Ms 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 NT's introduction of 'no body, no parole' laws in 2016 meant he would only have been released if he revealed the location of Mr 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.' Originally published as Family of outback killer Bradley John Murdoch hold private funeral service
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Funeral held for backpacker killer
The family of outback killer Bradley John Murdoch has held a private funeral service to farewell the man responsible for one of Australia's most notorious crimes. Murdoch, who was serving a life sentence for the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001, died on July 15. He had been diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019. The 67-year-old never revealed where Mr Falconio had been buried. In a private ceremony for family and friends, Murdoch was cremated and his ashes scattered at an 'undisclosed location', 7News reported on Thursday. After his death, his family remembered him as a devoted family man. '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. '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.' Bradley John Murdoch was serving a life sentence for the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio. Credit: News Limited Peter Falconio and his girlfriend Joanne Lees were travelling through the remote Northern Territory when Murdoch attacked them. Credit: News Corp Australia Mr 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.' Murdoch was convicted of murdering Mr Falconio on July 14, 2001. Joanne Lees and Peter Falconio had been travelling through the outback in a Kombi van. (AP Photo/Northern Territory Police, HO) Credit: Supplied Mr 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 Mr Falconio in the head. Murdoch then tried to kidnap Ms Lees, pulling her out of the van and binding her wrists with cable ties before forcing her in the back of his vehicle. While Murdoch went back to his vehicle, Ms 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. The parents of murdered British backpacker Peter Falconio are skeptical that his killer, Bradley John Murdoch, is dying of throat cancer. Murdoch would have been eligible for parole in 2032, but the NT's introduction of 'no body, no parole' laws in 2016 meant he would only have been released if he revealed the location of Mr 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.'
