Brit backpacker Peter Falconio’s investigators issue new pics 25 years after disappearance | World | News
The photo of Peter Falconio with his then-girlfriend Joanne Lees was taken by a mysterious man in the Outback. (Image: Getty)
Australian police have revealed never-before-seen photographs of their cold case investigation into the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio, who disappeared without a trace in the Outback in 2001.
Northern Territory Police hope the newly revealed footage will revive the memory of a crime scene that went cold 25 years ago, on the quarter-century anniversary of her abduction on Tuesday, July 14.
On July 14, 2001, Falconio embarked on the journey of his life; The 28-year-old was backpacking around Australia to celebrate his university graduation. On that day 25 years ago, he disappeared with his girlfriend Joanne Lees, then 27, who managed to escape.
Falconio and Lees were driving in a remote part of the Australian outback in 2001 when a driver stopped them after an apparent car breakdown on the isolated Stuart Highway. When Falconio went to help the allegedly stranded driver, Lees said he heard a loud bang, which he believed to be gunshots.
His captor then tied him up, but he managed to break free and escape while he was distracted moving Falconio’s body. Lees fled into the bush and hid for five hours before running onto the highway to flag down a passing truck, which took him to safety.
Undated police statement that Lees and Falconio were in their orange Kombi van while in Australia (Image: Getty)
Falconio’s disappearance is one of Australia’s best-known cases that will never be solved. Bradley John Murdoch was convicted of the murder of the disappeared 28-year-old, but died in 2025 without ever confessing to the crime. He also never told investigators the location of Falconio’s remains. Although Murdoch was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, the investigation into Falconio’s murder remains open as his body was never found.
Murdoch had previously been indicted on seven counts of kidnapping and rape involving a twelve-year-old girl and her mother, whom Murdoch allegedly tortured for twenty-five hours. He was acquitted, but he used the same restraints and blindfolding on Lees that the kidnapper had used on the twelve-year-old girl.
Investigators still hope to solve one of Australia’s most notorious cold cases; NT Police are releasing a series of new files in the hope it might jog someone’s memory and spark a new lead.
One of the photos shows Lees looking stunned as she confronted the pair in a remote part of the Stuart Highway on that fateful night on July 14, 2001, in the hours after Bradley ran away from John Murdoch. Another photo shows evidence marks covering a dark red stain visible on the hard bitumen road at the edge of the Stuart Highway.
Other photographs include a photograph of the orange Volkswagen Kombi van in which the two young Britons were traveling, and images showing the cuts and scrapes Lees sustained on his body following his ordeal.
NT Police also released footage showing investigators’ final efforts to persuade Murdoch to reveal where he dumped Falconio’s body. But their pleas always fell on deaf ears. In a statement released alongside the new photos, NT Police commissioner Martin Dole branded Murdoch a “coward” for refusing to reveal the location of Falconio’s bones.
Police photo shows lipstick abandoned in the mud from where Lees was apparently doping (Image: Getty)
The deserted bush where Lees hid from Murdoch next to the Outback highway on July 14, 2001 (Image: Getty)
“This was a traumatic and horrific event for Ms. Lees and Peter’s family, who have long gone without the answers they deserve,” Dole said.
“It is extremely sad that Murdoch died without revealing the location of Peter’s remains as far as we know. His cowardly silence denied this.” [Falconio’s] giving family, friends and loved ones the closeness they deserve.
“Twenty-five years is a significant milestone and the Northern Territory Police Force remains committed to bringing this investigation to its full conclusion and will continue to pursue every avenue possible.”
The AUD500,000 reward (equivalent to roughly £260,000) still stands for any information that would lead directly to the discovery of Falconio’s remains. Dole added that anyone with information, no matter how small the detail, should come forward to talk to police.
“There may still be someone out there who knows something, whether it’s information they’ve never shared with the police before or something Murdoch told them,” he said, adding: “No piece of information is too small; what seems insignificant could be critical in helping investigators finally solve this case.”
Police mug shot of Bradley John Murdoch (Image: Getty)
Police believe that although Murdoch publicly denied any involvement in the brutal crime, he may have confessed to the crime to friends and family at some point in the years that followed.
NT Police’s new photo dump comes hours before the premiere of a new documentary about the Falconio mystery. Country Terror: The Murder of Falconio It explores the science behind the infamous unsolved case. World-renowned geoforensics expert Dr Mark Harrison and former FBI behavioral profiler Kathy Canning-Mello join forces to harness the power of forensic science to give the Falconio family the answers they deserve.
Struggling across the unforgiving terrain of the desolate Aussie Outback, the pair re-examine old evidence as they attempt to enter the mind of a killer to determine the most likely location of Peter’s body.
Country Terror: The Murder of Falconio It can be watched on Channel 4 or Channel 9 and 9Now for Australian viewers.
