Two decades after his arrest for one of Australia's most heinous crimes, a newly released body-worn camera footage has shed further light on convicted killer Bradley John Murdoch's evasive responses regarding the whereabouts of Peter Falconio's remains. The exchange, captured in July 2023, mere weeks before Murdoch's death from throat cancer, serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing mystery surrounding Falconio's disappearance.
Murdoch had been serving a life sentence for the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio and the assault and attempted kidnapping of his girlfriend, Joanne Lees. In the footage, an NT Police officer can be seen pleading with Murdoch to consider the victim's family, saying, "I need you to have a think about if Peter Falconio was your son… and somebody knew something about where his body was."
Murdoch's response was characteristically sharp and unequivocal. He retorted, "Don't beat around the bush because I'm just going to cut you short every time OK? I know nothing. I've said this for 22 years. I know nothing." When pressed further, he launched into a foul-mouthed tirade, stating, "I'm not thinking about it. I've thought about, I thought about it for 22 f***ing years. I've been with these fellas for 22 years. They've all understood what's going on, I've said the same story over and over and over, and now you're here at the last minute because I'm f***ing dying."
The incident that led to Falconio's disappearance occurred in July 2001 on the remote Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek. The case garnered global attention and even partially inspired the horror film 'Wolf Creek'. At the time, Falconio and Lees were travelling in their van when Murdoch signalled them to pull over, claiming their vehicle had an engine problem. While Falconio went to the rear of the van with Murdoch, Lees heard a gunshot. She was then cable-tied and had her head covered, but managed to escape and hide in the bushland for five hours before flagging down a truck driver.
Murdoch was eventually arrested in November 2003 following an unrelated acquittal in South Australia. It was during this trial that NT Police obtained his DNA, which was later found on the makeshift handcuffs worn by Lees and on her T-shirt, leading to his conviction. Despite the passage of time, NT Police remain committed to the investigation, urging anyone with information to come forward.
A reward of 500,000 AUD (approximately £260,000) is offered for information that leads to the recovery of Falconio's body. In a statement, NT Police said, "Twenty-five years is a significant milestone and NT Police remains committed to bringing this investigation to its fullest conclusion and will continue to pursue every avenue available. There may still be someone who knows something, whether that be information they have never previously shared with police or something Murdoch said to them."