Peter Falconio was travelling across Australia with girlfriend Joanne Lees when their dream backpacking trip turned into one of the country’s most notorious murder cases.
But was Bradley Murdoch really the man who killed him?
The case is revisited in Outback Terror: The Falconio Murder, which marks 25 years since Peter’s death and examines the evidence that led to Murdoch’s conviction.
Peter, 28, and Joanne, 27, were driving through the Australian outback at night in their hired camper van when another driver persuaded them to pull over.
What happened next changed both of their lives forever. Peter was shot dead, while Joanne was restrained and assaulted before managing to escape into the darkness.
She hid in nearby bushland for four hours before flagging down a passing road train for help.
Although Joanne survived, Peter’s body has never been found.
Here’s what the documentary reveals about Bradley Murdoch and the evidence that secured his conviction.
Who was Peter Falconio?
Peter Falconio was born in Yorkshire in September 1972. He met girlfriend Joanne Lees when he was 24. The couple later moved to Brighton before setting off on what they hoped would be the trip of a lifetime.
In 2000, they began travelling through Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand and Cambodia.
Their journey ended in tragedy in July 2001 on a remote highway near Barrow Creek in Australia’s Northern Territory.
The pair were driving north from Alice Springs in an orange camper van when another motorist signalled there was a problem with their vehicle.
Peter stopped to investigate. According to the only witness, Joanne, the man shot Peter before attempting to abduct her.
Joanne escaped and hid in the bush for four hours before stopping a passing road train and raising the alarm.
Did Bradley Murdoch kill Peter Falconio?
Bradley Murdoch was convicted of murdering Peter Falconio following a trial at the Northern Territory Supreme Court in Darwin in 2005, four years after the killing.
Murdoch later appealed against his conviction twice, but both appeals were unsuccessful.
The documentary also looks at Murdoch’s previous criminal history.
At 20, he received a suspended sentence for causing death by dangerous driving. He was later jailed for shooting at people during an Indigenous Australian rules football match.
Two years before the Falconio trial, Murdoch faced charges of raping a 12 year old girl and assaulting her mother. The court heard he bound, gagged and raped the girl in the back of his truck.
A jury later acquitted him after reaching a split decision.
Retired police detective Geoff Carson says in Outback Terror: The Falconio Murder: “I’ll say it now, I absolutely 100 per cent believed the mother and the daughter.
“I have no doubt in my mind that the person who committed those crimes upon them was Bradley Murdoch.”
What was the evidence against Bradley Murdoch in the Falconio case?
Murdoch denied murdering Peter Falconio and assaulting and attempting to kidnap Joanne Lees. However, prosecutors presented strong evidence during the trial.
The case included DNA evidence that was not challenged in court.
Forensic scientist Carmen Eckhoff concluded that a bloodstain on the back of Joanne’s T shirt was “at least 150 quadrillion times” more likely to belong to Murdoch than anyone else.
Investigators also found Murdoch’s DNA on the cable tie restraints used on Joanne and on the gearstick inside the couple’s camper van.
Joanne also identified Murdoch during a police identification parade.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non parole period of 28 years.
Where is Bradley Murdoch now? Has Peter’s body ever been found?
Bradley Murdoch died in July 2025 after being diagnosed with throat cancer. He was 67.
In the weeks before his death, police questioned him again in the hope he would reveal the location of Peter’s body.
One officer said: “I need you to have a think about if Peter Falconio was your son… and somebody knew something about where his body was.”
Murdoch replied: “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.”
He continued: “I’m not thinking about it. I’ve thought about, I thought about it for 22 [bleep-ing] years.
“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 [bleep-ing] dying.”
Murdoch died without revealing where Peter Falconio’s body was hidden. The documentary also follows experts as they search for answers, but despite their efforts, the mystery remains unsolved.
- Outback Terror: The Falconio Murder airs at 9pm on U&W on Monday July 13, 2026
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