Bradley Murdoch, the man convicted of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio in Australia in 2001, has died from throat cancer at the age of 67—without ever disclosing the location of Falconio’s body.
Murdoch was serving a life sentence at a prison in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, when he passed away on 15 July in the palliative care unit of Alice Springs Hospital—just a day after the 24th anniversary of the killing.
His death will now be investigated by the Northern Territory Coroner.
The Northern Territory Police expressed regret that Murdoch took the secret of Falconio’s final resting place to his grave.
“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,” the police said in a statement.
Peter Falconio, 28, from Yorkshire, was shot and killed by Murdoch on a remote stretch of highway near Barrow Creek, around 300km north of Alice Springs.
Murdoch had flagged down Falconio and his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, claiming he saw sparks from their camper van. He then fatally shot Falconio and kidnapped Lees, binding her with cable ties.
She managed to escape hours later, hiding in the outback before flagging down help.
Murdoch was convicted in 2005 of Falconio’s murder and the assault and attempted abduction of Lees.
He had always denied responsibility and lodged two unsuccessful appeals against his conviction.
Despite extensive searches, Falconio’s body has never been found. In 2016, Northern Territory authorities introduced “no body, no parole” legislation, which meant Murdoch would not have been eligible for release in 2032 unless he revealed the body’s location.
Falconio’s father, Luciano, told NT News this week: “I wish I could find him and make an end to it, bury him. I know what happened but I don’t know where he is.”
Colleen Gwynne, the lead investigator in the case, described Murdoch’s death as a “sad day” for the family, saying an “enormous opportunity” to recover Falconio’s remains had been lost.
Police say they remain committed to resolving the case, and have reiterated a standing reward of up to A$500,000 (£240,000) for any information that leads to the discovery of Falconio’s remains.
Murdoch’s family released a statement following his death, insisting he maintained his innocence “from his arrest until his death” and was “much more than the headlines.”
The case shocked Australia and the UK, and partially inspired the 2005 horror film Wolf Creek.
