Newly released body-worn footage shows convicted killer Bradley John Murdoch, known as the 'Outback killer', refusing to reveal the location of British backpacker Peter Falconio's remains, just weeks before Murdoch died of throat cancer in prison.
Murdoch Maintains Silence in Final Interview
The footage, released by Northern Territory Police ahead of the 25th anniversary of Falconio's murder on July 14, 2001, captures an officer pleading with Murdoch to consider the victim's family. The officer says: 'I need you to have a think about if Peter Falconio was your son … and somebody knew something about where his body was.'
Murdoch, serving a life sentence for murder and assault, responds dismissively: 'Don't beat around the bush because I'm just going to cut you short every time OK? I know nothing. I've said this for 22 years. I know nothing.' When pressed to reconsider, he adds: 'I'm not thinking about it. I've thought about it, I thought about it for 22 f*****g years.'
Murdoch, who died in October 2025, maintained his denial to the end, telling the officer: 'I've been with these fellas for 22 years. They've all understood what's going on, I've said the same story over and over and over, and now you're here at the last minute because I'm f*****g dying.'
Police Confirm No New Information Before Death
Following Murdoch's death, police confirmed he had not provided any fresh information about the location of Falconio's body. The Northern Territory Police Force issued a statement saying: 'It is deeply regrettable that Murdoch has died without, as far as we are aware, ever disclosing the location of Peter Falconio's remains. His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved.'
Falconio's father, Luciano Falconio, expressed his anguish, telling Newscorp: 'I wish he (Murdoch) left something for me to find him.'
The 2001 Murder and Disappearance
Peter Falconio, 28, from Huddersfield, was travelling with his girlfriend Joanne Lees on a remote highway near Barrow Creek, about 188 miles north of Alice Springs, when Murdoch pulled alongside their van, claiming to have seen sparks. As Falconio inspected the vehicle, Murdoch shot him in the head. He then forced Lees into his vehicle, binding her wrists with cable ties. Lees managed to escape and hide in scrub for hours before flagging down a passing truck.
Prosecutors at Murdoch's trial argued he likely disposed of Falconio's body somewhere in the vast desert between Alice Springs and Broome, a distance of over 1,200 miles. Despite extensive searches, Falconio's remains have never been found.
Ongoing Grief and Legal History
Lees, who returned to the UK, told Australian programme 60 Minutes in 2017: 'Pete lost his life on that night, but I lost mine too. I'll never be fully at peace if Pete's not found, but I accept that that is a possibility.' Murdoch lodged multiple unsuccessful appeals, with Australia's highest court refusing to hear his case in 2007.
