Peter Falconio: New reward to find murdered British backpacker's body

Australian police are offering a new reward of up to A$500,000 for information that could lead to the discovery of the remains of British backpacker Peter Falconio, who was murdered 24 years ago. Falconio was fatally shot on a remote highway around 300km north of Alice Springs in July 2001. The 28-year-old traveler from Huddersfield was on a trip around Australia with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, also from the same town.

In 2005, Bradley Murdoch was convicted of Falconio’s murder but has never disclosed where the body was buried. Murdoch was also found guilty of attempting to kidnap and assault Joanne Lees, who managed to escape by hiding in the nearby bushland. Acting Commander Mark Grieve from the Northern Territory Police stated during a press conference that the goal is to bring some closure to Falconio’s family by finding his remains.

Appealing to potential witnesses, Grieve mentioned that it is never too late to come forward with information. He emphasized the importance of any details that could assist in the search, highlighting that sometimes people may not realize the significance of what they know. Despite multiple attempts to engage Murdoch in disclosing the location of Falconio’s body, he has consistently chosen not to cooperate with the authorities. Police have previously issued public appeals for information on the anniversaries of Falconio’s death.

Following his conviction, Murdoch, 67, was sentenced to a minimum of 28 years in an Alice Springs prison. Although he was scheduled for potential parole in 2032, the “no body, no parole” legislation in the Northern Territory means that Murdoch will not be eligible for parole if he continues to withhold assistance in locating Falconio’s remains. Recent media reports have suggested that Murdoch is battling terminal cancer and has been moved to palliative care, but the police have refrained from making any comments on his health status

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