Australian police release unseen Peter Falconio photos
Australian police have released previously unseen photographs from the 2001 murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio on the 25th anniversary of his killing. The images show survivor Joanne Lees and the couple's abandoned van, and authorities hope they will jog memories to help locate Falconio's remains, which killer Bradley Murdoch never revealed before dying in jail.
The release comes as Northern Territory investigators continue searching for Falconio's body more than two decades after the attack on the Stuart Highway.
Key Takeaways
- Northern Territory Police published unseen investigation photos on the 25th anniversary of Peter Falconio's murder on 14 July 2001.
- Joanne Lees escaped after Bradley Murdoch attacked the couple on the Stuart Highway; Falconio's body has never been found.
- Released images show Lees after her escape, her injuries, the couple's orange Volkswagen Kombi, and crime scene evidence.
- Police recently released bodycam footage of a final interview with Murdoch, who died without disclosing where he hid the remains.
- Commissioner Martin Dole said the force reopened evidence boxes and remains committed to closing the investigation.
What happened to Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees?
On 14 July 2001, British backpackers Peter Falconio, 28, and his girlfriend Joanne Lees were travelling around Australia in an orange Volkswagen Kombi when they were flagged down on the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory.
Bradley John Murdoch told the couple something was wrong with the rear of their van. When Falconio went to inspect it, Lees heard a gunshot. Murdoch then bound her wrists with cable ties, covered her head, and forced her into his vehicle.
Lees managed to escape and hid in scrubland for several hours while Murdoch searched for her. She eventually waved down two men driving a truck and raised the alarm. Falconio's body has never been recovered.
What photos have Northern Territory police released?
Marking 25 years since the attack, Northern Territory Police published a tranche of previously unseen images from the investigation. According to the BBC, the release includes photographs of Joanne Lees looking traumatised in the hours after her escape, along with images of injuries she sustained when her wrists were bound.
Other pictures show the couple's abandoned Kombi just off the Stuart Highway, close to where the attack took place, plus crime scene evidence from the roadside. The Guardian reported that investigators reopened evidence boxes in an attempt to bring the long-running inquiry to a conclusion.
Why is this case still open 25 years later?
Murdoch was convicted over the attack but never revealed where he hid Falconio's body. He died of throat cancer aged 67 in jail last year, taking that secret with him.
Days before the anniversary, police released bodycam footage of an interview with Murdoch recorded about a week before his death, showing officers making a final attempt to learn where Falconio's remains might be. Police hope the newly published images could jog memories or lead to a tip-off.
What did Commissioner Martin Dole say about the anniversary?
In a statement on Tuesday, Northern Territory Police Force Commissioner Martin Dole called 25 years a significant milestone. He said it was deeply regrettable that Murdoch died without, as far as police know, ever disclosing the location of Peter's remains.
Dole described Murdoch's silence as cowardly, saying it had denied Falconio's family, friends and loved ones the closure they deserve. For more on long-running investigations, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries coverage.