The 28-year-old’s was never been found after he was slain in the Australian Outback while travelling with his girlfriend Joanne Lees in 2001. Police have dropped never-before-seen photos from the investigation in the hopes they will blow the cold case wide open
Police in Australia have released a tranche of previously unseen photographs from the ongoing cold case inquiry into the killing of British backpacker Peter Falconio, who disappeared without trace while travelling in the Outback back with then-girlfriend Joanne Lees in 2001.
Northern Territory Police hope the newly published photographs will trigger public memory in the hopes of generating fresh leads in the aims of solving one of Australia’s most infamous cold cases as the 25th anniversary of his disappearance approaches on Tuesday (July 14).
A quarter of a century ago, Falconio on the adventure of a lifetime; the 28-year-old was exploring Australia following his graduation from university with girlfriend Joanne Lees, then 27, at his side. That all ended on July 14, 2001, when the couple were travelling along a desolate stretch on the Stuart Highway in Outback. The couple were flagged down on the isolated stretch of road by a man claiming to have car trouble.
Lees would later tell police she heard a bang she identified as a gunshot when Falconio went to assist. She was then held at gunpoint by a man and restrained with rope and tape.
She managed to break free and fled into the scrub alongside the highway while her captor was busy moving Falconio’s body. She managed to evade her kidnapper for five hours in the sparse bushland for five hours, before waving down a passing lorry which then whisked the shellshocked backpacker to safety.
The body of her boyfriend was never found, and to this day the case remains one of Australia’s most notorious unsolved mysteries. And, despite being one of the two real-life horror stories that inspired the 2005 film Wolf Creek, this tale is one that may never reach a conclusion.
Bradley John Murdoch was found guilty of the abduction and murder of the 28-year-old backpacker and the attempted abduction of Lees, yet Murdoch went to his grave in 2025 without ever confessing to the crime. He also refused to divulge where he dumped Falconio’s body. So, despite Murdoch receiving a life sentence, the case remains officially open with his remains never recovered.
As Australian detectives continue to pursue answers for Falconio’s family, NT Police hope the fresh batch of previously unseen files from the Falconio investigation will uncover fresh leads.
Among the cache of crime scene photos, a visibly shaken Lees is pictured in the immediate aftermath of her terrifying escape from Murdoch, Further images show evidence markers placed along the roadside, highlighting a dark crimson stain on the rough tarmac surface that appears to be blood, a photograph of the distinctive orange Volkswagen Kombi van the young British couple had been driving before the horror crime. Other images chronicled the cuts and grazes sustained by Lees in her harrowing experience, and more.
In addition to the photo dump, NT Police shared video footage showcasing investigators’ final attempts to persuade Murdoch to confess to his crimes and to disclose the whereabouts of Falconio’s body. However, their appeals fell on deaf ears with Murdoch ultimately refusing to share his awful truth.
In a statement accompanying the newly released photographs, NT Police commissioner Martin Dole condemned Murdoch as a “coward” for his refusal to reveal the location of Falconio’s remains.
“This was a traumatic and horrific event for Ms Lees and for Peter’s family, who have now gone such a long time without the answers they deserve,” Dole said.
“It is deeply regrettable that Murdoch died without, as far as we know, ever disclosing the location of Peter’s remains. His cowardly silence has denied [Falconio’s] family, friends and loved ones the closure they deserve. Twenty-five years is a significant milestone, and the Northern Territory Police Force remains committed to bringing this investigation to its fullest conclusion and will continue to pursue every avenue available.”
A reward of AUD$500,000 – roughly equivalent to £260,000 – remains on offer for any information directly leading to the discovery of Falconio’s remains. Dole urged anyone possessing information, regardless of how insignificant it might seem, to contact police immediately.
“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,” Dole added. He continued with a plea to anyone who may have further information: “No piece of information is too small; what may seem insignificant could prove critical in helping investigators finally resolve this case.”
Detectives suspect Murdoch may have confessed his crimes to a family member or friend in the years that followed Falconio’s death, in spite of his public refusal to admit to the heinous crime.
Freshly released photographs aren’t all that have been released to mark the 25-year anniversary of Falconio’s death. A new documentary has dropped on Channel 4. Outback Terror: The Falconio Murder reexamines the evidence surrounding the notorious unsolved case, using modern scientific advancements in an attempt to figure out what happened on that fateful night a quarter-century ago.
In the two-part series, internationally acclaimed geoforensic expert Dr Mark Harrison and former FBI behavioural profiler Kathy Canning-Mello combine their expertise in a bid to provide the Falconio family with the closure they deserve after so long.
Outback Terror: The Falconio Murder can be streamed via Channel 4, or on Channel 9 and 9Now for viewers in Australia.
