Police release unseen photos 25 years after British backpacker Peter Falconio's murder
Image: BBC News
Australian police have released previously unseen photographs from one of the country's most haunting unsolved mysteries — the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio, 25 years on.
Falconio, from Huddersfield, was shot on a remote stretch of highway near Barrow Creek in the Northern Territory on 14 July 2001. His body has never been found.
His killer, Bradley Murdoch, died of throat cancer in jail last year aged 67 — taking the location of Falconio's remains to the grave. Police hope the newly released images will jog memories and generate a fresh tip-off.
The pictures include a full-length shot of Murdoch staring at the camera during the investigation, and a visibly traumatised Joanne Lees in the hours after the attack. Others show the injuries she suffered, including where her wrists were bound with cable ties.
Why it matters: Lees escaped by hiding in scrubland for hours before flagging down a truck, but Falconio's family have spent a quarter-century without answers or a grave. "This investigation can never be considered closed until Peter's remains are found and his family can lay him to rest," said Police Commissioner Martin Dole.
Also released are images of the orange Volkswagen Kombi van the couple were driving, abandoned just off the Stuart Highway near the attack site, alongside fresh crime-scene photographs.
What's next: With Murdoch gone, the case now rests on the public. Detectives are appealing for anyone who recalls the route, the vehicle or the days after the shooting to come forward — the smallest detail could still bring closure.