Bradley Murdoch, the Australian man convicted of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001, has passed away at the age of 67. He was serving a life sentence at a prison in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, when he succumbed to terminal throat cancer after recent treatments.
The Northern Territory Department of Corrections confirmed his death, noting that it was a man in custody. Murdoch was found guilty in 2005 of shooting Falconio but never disclosed the whereabouts of his victim's body. The tragic incident occurred in July 2001 on a remote highway near Barrow Creek, approximately 300km (186 miles) north of Alice Springs, while Falconio was traveling with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees.
In addition to murder, Murdoch faced convictions for the attempted kidnapping and assault of Lees, who managed to evade capture by hiding in the outback for several hours before signaling for assistance. Murdoch was 43 at the time of the crimes, which later inspired aspects of the horror film "Wolf Creek."
Recently, Australian police announced a new reward of up to A$500,000 (£240,000) for information leading to the discovery of Falconio’s remains. Acting Commander Mark Grieve of Northern Territory Police expressed hope that time would not deter someone from coming forth with critical information. Despite numerous attempts to engage Murdoch for insights into the case in June, the police reported his consistent refusal to cooperate.
The police aim to provide some sense of closure to Falconio's family and have communicated with them regarding the reward initiative. This breaking news story is continuously being updated, with further details expected.
