The unanswered questions about Peter Falconio’s murder as outback killer dies aged 67
The whereabouts of British backpacker Peter Falconio’s remains is just one of many secrets Bradley John Murdoch took to the grave.
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The location of British backpacker Peter Falconio’s body is just one of many questions that could go unanswered in the wake of his killer, Bradley John Murdoch’s, death overnight.
In an eerie coincidence, Murdoch, 67 – who was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019 – died just one day after the 24th anniversary of the infamous killing.
Despite continued efforts by police, Mr Falconio’s remains have never been found.
In a statement acknowledging Murdoch’s death on Wednesday morning, NT Police said it was “deeply regrettable that (he) died without, as far as we are aware, ever disclosing the location of Peter Falconio’s remains”.
“His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved. Our thoughts are with the Falconio family in the United Kingdom, whose grief continues.”
In 2020, Britain’s Channel 4 released Murder in the Outback: The Falconio and Lees Mystery, an AACTA-award winning, four-episode documentary that explored the circumstances of the case – and mysteries surrounding it – two decades on.
On July 14, 2001, Mr Falconio and his girlfriend Joanne Lees were travelling on the Stuart Highway north of Barrow Creek, about 208km north of Alice Springs, when a car pulled up alongside their Kombi van and motioned for the couple to pull over.
Behind the wheel was Murdoch, who told the young backpackers there were sparks coming out of their van. As the 28-year-old went to inspect the back of the Kombi, Murdoch pulled a gun on him and shot him in the head.
Murdoch then forced Ms Lees out of the van, binding her wrists with cable ties and forcing her into the back of his Land Cruiser. She was somehow able to escape, hiding in the outback’s sparse scrub for five hours before she was able to stop a road train and get help.
Murdoch in the Outback creator, former defence lawyer Andrew Fraser raised a number of questions about Mr Falconio’s murder – including the location of his body, Murdoch’s motive, why there was no blood spatter when Mr Falconio had been shot, and the so-called ‘jelly man’ and red car spotted up the road from the crime scene.
‘I saw this bloke who looked like jelly’
Vince Millar was the lorry driver who picked up Ms Lees on the highway.
In Murder in the Outback, Mr Millar recalled seeing a red car parked near the crime scene – near which he claimed he saw “two blokes” holding up a third.
“I saw this bloke who looked like jelly,” Mr Millar said.
“He was in the middle of two blokes.”
Mr Millar said he pulled over to check if the men were all right, only for them to get into the car and speed off.
“I’m pretty sure that the bloke in the middle (being held up) was Peter Falconio,” he claimed.
Lack of DNA at the crime scene
The lack of DNA at the crime scene has been another point of speculation over the years. Murdoch’s DNA was initially found on Ms Lees’ T-shirt, but Mr Fraser questioned why, if the killer had wrestled her to the ground like she’d said, it wasn’t on other parts of her body.
In 2011, Justice Dean Mildren, author of the book Big Boss Fella, All Same Judge, also raised questions about the reliability of the DNA testing that helped convict Murdoch (though it wasn’t the only evidence against him).
“If the body were to be found, that would clear the matter up completely one way or the other,” Justice Mildren told AAP.
“If Peter Falconio was shot, the body is likely to have marks on the skeleton showing there was a bullet.
“Maybe if the bullet was still in the body when it was buried … then it would not just be beyond reasonable doubt, but beyond any doubt at all.”
During Murdoch’s murder trial, it was revealed the killer put Mr Falconio’s body into his car, before dumping him somewhere between Alice Springs and Broome – towns almost 2000km apart.
“The difficulty is that one of the things that can’t be excluded is that the body was taken a long way from the area before it was buried, if it was buried,” Justice Mildren said.
“No one knows where else to look.
“There’s always a chance that the body might turn up through accident, but I think after all this time the chances are starting to look pretty remote.”
‘There was no blood splatter’
Blood expert Professor Barry Boetcher also questioned why, given Mr Falconio was shot in the head by Murdoch, there wasn’t much blood at the scene.
Though police found blood on the road in three places, there was no sign of a body being dragged to Murdoch’s car.
“If a body had been shot and then dragged somewhere you would expect a blood trail,” Professor Boetcher said.
“There was no blood trail in this case. Further than this, there was no blood spatter found at the scene.”
Dad’s sad plea before Murdoch’s death
On Tuesday, Mr Falconio’s elderly father Luciano told the NT News he still clings to hope his son’s remains will be found.
Twenty-four years to the day that Mr Falconio was killed, the 83-year-old said: “I wish I could find him and make an end to it, bury him … 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,” Luciano said.
“I still hope, yeah I still hope, but I don’t know, if we (will) live long enough (to find out).”
After Murdoch’s death was announced, Luciano again said he wished the killer “left something for me to find (Mr Falconio)”.
“I wish he left something,” he added.
Police launch fresh appeal for information
Police launched a new appeal for information on the whereabouts of Mr Falconio’s body when Murdoch was transferred to palliative care in June, offering a potential reward of up to $500,000.
At a press conference, NT Police Acting Commissioner Mark Grieve said authorities “still hold out hope that someone will be able to provide some vital information to assist in this search”.
“As such, a fresh reward for information is now on offer of up to $500,000, for information that leads to the discovery of Peter’s body,” Acting Commander Grieve said.
“We’re asking for anyone that may believe they have information that can assist to please come forward and contact police … We recognise the passage of time that’s transpired, however it’s never too late to reach out and at least start that conversation.”
Authorities have repeatedly searched the area where Mr Falconio was killed.
A previous reward of up to $250,000 had been offered to anyone with information. Police have doubled that amount, Acting Comm Grieve said, in the hope of trying to “at least bring some slither of resolution to Peter’s family by bringing home his remains”.
“We have been unwavering in that regard in the 24 years up to this point,” he said.
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Originally published as The unanswered questions about Peter Falconio’s murder as outback killer dies aged 67
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