Peter Falconio murder 25 years on: new footage shows dying killer refused to reveal body location

Northern Territory Police released body-worn camera footage on Saturday showing notorious killer Bradley John Murdoch vehemently denying any knowledge of the whereabouts of missing backpacker Peter Falconio's body. The interview took place weeks before Murdoch died of throat cancer in Alice Springs hospital in July 2025.

In the footage, an officer asks Murdoch to consider how Falconio's family might feel, to which Murdoch responds with a foul-mouthed tirade, stating, "I know nothing. I've said this for 22 years. I know nothing." When pressed to think again, he exclaims he has thought about it for 22 years and is tired of the questioning.

The case dates back to July 2001 when Murdoch flagged down Falconio and his girlfriend Joanne Lees on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek, pretending their van had engine trouble. Falconio got out to investigate, and Lees heard a gunshot. Murdoch then bound Lees with cable ties and covered her head, but she escaped and hid in the bush for five hours while Murdoch hunted her with his dog. She was eventually rescued by a truck driver.

Murdoch was arrested in November 2003 after a South Australian jury acquitted him of raping and falsely imprisoning a 12-year-old girl. That case enabled NT Police to obtain his DNA, which was later found on the makeshift handcuffs worn by Lees and on her T-shirt, leading to his arrest. He was serving a life sentence for Falconio's murder and had maintained his innocence, refusing to disclose the body's location until his death.

Northern Territory Police continue to urge anyone with information to come forward, noting a $500,000 reward for knowledge of Falconio's body location. "Twenty-five years is a significant milestone and NT Police remains committed to bringing this investigation to its fullest conclusion," the force stated.