Outback killer Bradley John Murdoch dead at 67

The family of Outback killer Bradley John Murdoch issued a shocking statement after he died and took the location of Peter Falconio’s body to the grave.

The family of outback killer Bradley John Murdoch have described him as a “gentle giant with a heart of gold” after he died and took the location of Peter Falconio’s body to the grave.

Murdoch died overnight from throat cancer at the age of 67.

He was given a terminal diagnosis in 2019 before being transferred earlier this year to a palliative care unit from Alice Springs Correctional Centre, where he was serving a life sentence for the murder of the British backpacker more than two decades ago.

Mr Falconio, 28, had been driving a Kombi campervan with his girlfriend Joanne Lees, then 27, along the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek – about 300km north of Alice Springs – on July 14, 2001.

Murdoch, a drug runner and former mechanic, waved the young backpackers down and lied by saying there were sparks coming from their van.

When Mr Falconio went to inspect the back of the vehicle, he pulled a gun and shot Mr Falconio in the head.

Bradley John Murdoch arriving in Darwin where he faced murder charges in 2003.

He bound Ms Lees’ hands with cable ties, placed a sack over her head, and shoved her in the back of his Land Cruiser, from which she managed to escape while Murdoch was dumping Mr Falconio’s body.

HOW THE OUTBACK KILLER BRADLEY JOHN MURDOCH MURDERED PETER FALCONIO

Ms Lees spent five hours running barefoot through bushland while Murdoch tried to hunt her down with his dog. She eventually managed to wave down a truck and contact police.

A jury unanimously found Murdoch guilty of murder in 2005.

He would have been eligible for parole in 2032, but the NT’s ‘no body, no release’ laws meant he would only get parole if he revealed the location of Mr Falconio’s body – which has never been found.

An artist’s impression of shackles allegedly used on Joanne Lees by her abductor.

Despite all this, his family issued a bizarre statement on Wednesday describing him as a devoted father and well-liked inmate.

The statement read: “He was a gentle giant with a heart of gold, known for his quick wit, his talent for fixing or building just about anything, and his incredible skills in the kitchen. Above all, he was someone who, no matter the circumstances, always extended a helping hand to those around him.

“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. But to those who truly knew him, he was much more than the headlines.

“When given the opportunity, 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 friend.

“Throughout his years in custody, Brad was well liked and respected by fellow inmates and correctional officers alike. He earned the affectionate title of ‘Uncle’ from many Indigenous prisoners, recognising his efforts to offer guidance, support, and practical help whenever he could.”

Joanne Lees in 2005. Now 51, she has never married or had children.

“Following the broadcast of the television series Murder in the Outback in 2020, which questioned key aspects of the case that led to his conviction, Brad believed there was one final avenue of hope: a Petition for Mercy.

“For three years, Brad placed his trust in former criminal lawyer Andrew Fraser, who acted as his legal representative and claimed to be working closely with a team of three King Counsels to draft the petition. It was later revealed that all three KCs had not been involved in Brad’s matter for years. This revelation was a crushing blow to Brad, who had clung to that hope in good faith.

“We understand that the public perception of Bradley will always be shaped by his conviction, but our intention is simply to share the man we knew, the version of him that was rarely, if ever, seen beyond our family and close friends.

“He was deeply loved. He will be deeply missed.”

Murdoch has long disputed key evidence in the case against him – namely, his own DNA on Ms Lees’ shirt and the Kombi gear stick, which was found dumped in nearby bushes the morning after the murder.

He launched two unsuccessful appeals to overturn his conviction.

In June, NT police doubled the reward to $500,000 for information leading to Mr Falconio’s body.

“[Murdoch] has not being too forthcoming in regards to engaging with police, but we will continue doing what we have to,” NT police acting commander Mark Grieve told media.

“The NT police still hold out hope that someone may be able to provide some vital information to assist in this search.”

“We think there’s still people out there that may hold some information. There may be someone out there that he’s confided in, whether or not that’s family or friends, we just don’t know.”

A news clipping following the crime.

On Tuesday, the 24th anniversary of the murder, Mr Falconio’s father Luciano, 83, told this masthead that he doesn’t know whether he and his wife Joan will live long enough to find out where their son’s body was left.

“Today is an important day,” he said from his home in Hepworth, 300km north of London. “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 … I know what happened but I don’t know where he is.

“I still hope, yeah I still hope, but I don’t know, if we’ll live long enough”.

Bradley John Murdoch at age 14. Picture: Supplied

Bradley John Murdoch at his wedding in 1984 with his father Colin and mother Nance.

Ms Lees was traumatised after the ordeal and published a book in 2006 about her experience, called No Turning Back.

The horror film Wolf Creek was based on Murdoch and backpacker killer Ivan Milat.

Murdoch was born on February 29, 1958, in regional WA. He became a diesel mechanic in Broome, and was jailed for the first time in 1995 for shooting at crowds during an AFL game with a stolen rifle.

He then met a drug trafficker in the late 1990s and started moving large amounts of marijuana between Adelaide and Broome.

Murdoch’s former friend and landlord said he became highly agitated in 2002, during the high-profile hunt for Mr Falconio’s killer, and spent considerable periods smoking marijuana and drinking tea laced with amphetamine.

Originally published as Outback killer Bradley John Murdoch dead at 67