Peter Falconio murder: Shock reason why public turned on outback victim Joanne Lees

Twenty years since the outback murder of tourist Peter Falconio and the attempted abduction of his girlfriend, questions still remain unanswered.

Some murder cases are remembered for their graphic details, the tragic loss of innocent life, a capacity for social outrage.

But the outback murder of Peter Falconio is one that captivates for its mystery.

Killer Bradley John Murdoch has long been convicted of the crime but claims

he is innocent. And, and with no body ever located, the public continues to speculate, tirelessly poring over every detail.

British tourist Peter Falconio with girlfriend Joanne Lees, who escaped the abduction attempt.

This year marks two decades since British backpacker Falconio disappeared on a lonely stretch of highway, near Barrow Creek, Northern Territory, while travelling with his girlfriend Joanne Lees, and police have renewed their public appeal for information in the hope they may finally be able to return Falconio’s remains to his family.

Peter Falconio went missing near Barrow Creek, Northern Territory.

Journalist Stephen Drill came face-to-face with the Falconio family in the UK and witnessed their torment at never being able to lay their loved one to rest.

“I did speak with his father, Luciano, in Huddersfield when we were there. They’re still devastated,” Drill said.

“They live in this beautiful, picturesque town in Huddersfield. They have lovely pubs down the road. It’s kind of like what you’d see in a British TV show … but their lives are still shattered. All they want to find out is where their son’s remains are.”

British backpackers Falconio and Lees had been travelling Asia before landing in Australia. Like many young adventurers, they explored the vast land in a Kombi, and on Saturday, July 14, 2001, they left Alice Springs en route to Darwin.

Driving through the evening, they became aware of a white Toyota 4WD following them.

Eventually, the car’s male driver gestures for the couple to pull over, which they do.

The driver tells them that their Kombi has been letting out sparks.

When Falconio steps out of the van to inspect it, the man, now identified as Murdoch, shoots him and makes his way towards Lees, waving his gun.

Lees recounts that Murdoch ties her hands behind her back with cable ties and drags her into his car. However, while he is distracted moving Falconio’s body she manages to escape, and, after a night hiding in the bushes she manages to make her way to safety – flagging down a road train to take her to police.

The horrifying and unusual attack, and Lees’ survival against all odds, quickly makes the story a media sensation.

But the public did not embrace Lees as the brave victim, and became hostile towards her, criticising her for failing to publicly display emotion and wearing a T-shirt many believed to be inappropriate to a press conference in the aftermath of the attack.

“Joanne was criticised for wearing a singlet which had the words ‘Cheeky Monkey’ written on it. Now, I don’t know if I’d be thinking about my wardrobe after I’ve been kidnapped, held hostage for five hours, tied up in a car and after having to chase down a truck to get to freedom,” Drill said.

Joanne Lees during the press conference in Alice Springs about her escape. Picture: Chris Crerar

It was a tough investigation for police. They had Lees’ account of events, which was understandably conflicting in parts, given her ordeal, as well as CCTV footage which depicted the Toyota Land Cruiser.

However, police were able to connect Bradley John Murdoch to the crime through traces of his DNA found on homemade handcuffs used in the attack and on Lees’ T-shirt.

IN 2005, Murdoch was found guilty of Falconio’s murder by a unanimous jury verdict and was sentenced to life with a non-parole period of 28 years. He has since unsuccessfully lodged three appeals.

A borrowed orange Kombi van set up on the Stuart Highway for a scene recreation in an attempt to get clues over the disappearance of Peter Falconio.

However, public conjecture remains, in part, fuelled by media investigations into the mysterious case. Following the airing of controversial documentary, Murder in the Outback, which cast doubt on Murdoch’s guilt, Drill approached Lees’ stepfather Vincent James for comment at his Huddersfield home.

“Her [step]father said he watched the documentary and was thinking that perhaps Bradley John Murdoch wasn’t guilty based on some information that was out there …,” he said.

“It just makes me wonder how fractured that family has become because when you are a victim of crime, the fractures can go on for a very long time. And Joanne, she still has a house in Huddersfield. She hasn’t married. It seems like her life hasn’t moved on or turned out the way she expected when she went on holiday in 2001,” Drill said.

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Originally published as Peter Falconio murder: Shock reason why public turned on outback victim Joanne Lees