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The Star
17-07-2025
- 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
Sydney Morning Herald
16-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Buried in killer's dark heart: agony goes on for Falconio family
The convicted murderer Bradley John Murdoch has died in custody in the Northern Territory without revealing where he hid the body of his victim, British backpacker Peter Falconio, ensuring Australia's dead heart keeps another secret and exacerbating the pain of loss for his family and friends. Murdoch, 67, was serving a life sentence for killing Falconio, then 28, who disappeared in a remote part of the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek while travelling with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, in July 2001. She survived the attack. After a year-long nation-wide search, Murdoch was captured in August 2002 and extradited to the territory. His trial started in 2005, and Murdoch's decision to keep an elastic hair tie that belonged to Lees as a trophy was his undoing despite him maintaining his innocence. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life for also assaulting and attempting to kidnap Lees. His crime took on a life of its own. The long history of discomfort with the outback among Australian city dwellers sparked a national and continuing frenzy of true crime coverage. Internationally, Murdoch's crime belonged to the same school of thought as the 1980 disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain, the 1989-92 Ivan Milat hitchhiker murders and the 2000 Childers hostel fire. Falconio's disappearance gave many international tourists pause for thought, partly thanks to the media circus that followed the case over the years. A 2005 film originally based on the Milat murders but adapted to the Murdoch persona, Wolf Creek, was so successful it not only blazed a trail for Australian horror movies but sparked sequels, television series and documentaries. At least six books were written. British author Keith Allan Noble controversially offered a reward of $40,000 for information proving Falconio was alive. Other media outlets paid for interviews. As the only survivor, Lees lived a life of intense public scrutiny – for a while she was cast as an evil suspect in the murder of her boyfriend – even though she sought neither the crime nor the public interest. While Falconio is missing still, there are cases that offer comfort to people when someone close disappears without trace.
Vancouver Sun
16-07-2025
- 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
16-07-2025
- 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.
NDTV
16-07-2025
- NDTV
'Outback Killer' Dies At 67, Leaving Behind The Mystery Of A Missing Body
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 fof 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.
