The mild Morcombe lawyer who helped catch Daniel's killer

IT’S hard work trying to get Nambour solicitor Peter Boyce to talk about himself.

IT'S hard work trying to get Nambour solicitor Peter Boyce to talk about himself.

But the humble partner at Butler McDermott Lawyers is set to have the spotlight cast on him, as the critical role he played in the capture and conviction of Daniel Morcombe's killer, Brett Cowan, is finally revealed.

Come tonight, Mr Boyce's pivotal role in the hunt for Daniel's killer will be highlighted on ABC's Australian Story.

"He's a humble sort of guy, the most difficult thing probably was to get him to ever take the credit for anything," Australian Story producer Kent Gordon said of Mr Boyce.

"He questioned every aspect of the case."

Mr Gordon said while Mr Boyce attributed the credit for the results to the dedication of Daniel's parents, Bruce and Denise, Mr Gordon said it was the Morcombes, as well as News Corp journalist Kristin Shorten, who had pushed to have Mr Boyce's efforts recognised.

"Boyce asked for witnesses to be investigated ... he broke Cowan's alibi open," Mr Gordon said.

"Under Boyce's examination (at the inquest), he (Cowan) admitted he looked a lot like the comfit description.

"Nothing that anyone told me contradicted what the program is saying ... it all crystalised at the inquest."

Typically understated, Mr Boyce, an uncomfortable subject, said he was taken aback at the meticulous research that went on behind the scenes from the production team ahead of tonight's program.

"I spent hours with them going through paperwork and talking to them and it's certainly very thorough what they do," he said.

"It was really interesting actually going back over it all and it brought back lots of memories.

"I'm a bit embarrassed by it all."

Mr Boyce said the Morcombe case, on which he became embedded in the early days, shortly after the Daniel Morcombe Foundation was established in 2005, had been a huge commitment, but one he never regretted.

"It consumed a great deal of my life but I just had to make extra time by working longer, but I'd never trade that for anything," he said.

"I learnt a lot about life from Bruce and Denise personally and as a lawyer.

"It was certainly the most important work I'd done and the inquest was just so important in the end and don't forget, it was the Morcombes who drove that."

Mr Boyce said there'd been plenty of gruelling moments, trawling through documents on more than 30 persons of interest in Daniel's case, but he was amazed at the way Bruce and Denise had steeled themselves to get through the process.

"They were fantastic and I'm extremely grateful that we were able to get the result," Mr Boyce said.

Mr Boyce's role in the Morcombe investigation will be played out on ABC's Australian Story tonight at 8pm on ABC1.