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 had been receiving treatment at a hospital in the same region for terminal throat cancer over recent weeks. The Northern Territory Department of Corrections confirmed to the BBC the passng of a man in custody, but did not initially identify Murdoch.
In 2005, Murdoch was convicted for the murder of Mr. Falconio, whose body has never been found, following his shooting on a desolate highway near Barrow Creek in July 2001. At the time, the 28-year-old was traveling across Australia with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, who was also from the UK. Murdoch faced additional charges for the attempted kidnapping and assault of Ms. Lees, who narrowly escaped by hiding for hours in the outback before signaling for help.
Murdoch was 43 when he committed these crimes, which partially inspired the 2005 horror film "Wolf Creek." Recently, Australian police announced a new reward of up to A$500,000 (£240,000) for any information leading to the discovery of Falconio's remains. Acting Commander Mark Grieve expressed hope in a press conference that someone might still possess critical information, despite the years that have passed.
Efforts by police to engage with Murdoch about the location of Falconio's body remained unsuccessful, leading to continued uncertainty for the victim's family. This breaking news story is still developing, with more details expected to follow.
