Bradley Murdoch, the Australian man convicted of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001, has died. Murdoch, 67, was serving a life sentence at a prison in Alice Springs, in Australia's Northern Territory. He was being treated at a hospital in Alice Springs in recent weeks for terminal throat cancer. The Northern Territory Department of Corrections reported the death of a man in custody.
In 2005, Murdoch was convicted of murdering Mr. Falconio, but he had never revealed the location of his body. Mr. Falconio was shot dead on a remote stretch of highway near Barrow Creek, approximately 300 kilometers north of Alice Springs, in July 2001. The 28-year-old was traveling around Australia with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, who also hails from the UK.
Murdoch was additionally convicted of the attempted kidnapping and assault of Ms. Lees, who escaped by hiding for hours in the outback until she signaled for help. Murdoch was 43 at the time of the crimes, which later inspired the horror film "Wolf Creek."
Last month, Australian police announced a new reward of up to A$500,000 (£240,000) for information leading to the discovery of the murdered backpacker’s remains. Acting Commander Mark Grieve stated, "Police still hold out hope that someone might provide vital information to assist in this search.” Despite numerous attempts to engage Murdoch, he did not cooperate with police, leaving the Falconio family without closure.
