B Bradley John Murdoch, the 67-year-old convicted of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio and attempting to abduct his girlfriend Joanne Lees, is reportedly close to death in an Alice Springs hospital.
Murdoch, under heavy guard, was moved from the Alice Springs Correctional Centre, where he’s been held since 2022, to a palliative care facility to spend his final days.
One of Australia’s Most Notorious Crimes
The 2001 murder of Mr. Falconio and the attempted abduction of Ms. Lees sparked one of the biggest investigative manhunts in Australian history.
Murdoch was convicted in 2005 and sent to jail in Darwin, later transferred to Alice Springs.
Despite pleading innocence throughout his trial, Murdoch has never revealed the location of Mr. Falconio’s body.
Authorities now hope that, with his impending death from terminal throat cancer, he might finally confess.
Corrective services officers have been ferrying Murdoch back to the jail to bid farewell to other inmates, sources confirmed to News Corp publications.
Taxpayer-Funded Goodbyes
When questioned about the cost of Murdoch’s farewell tour, local government representatives refused to comment. “The Department of Corrections does not comment on the health of individual prisoners,” a statement read.
The Murder That Shocked the World
Mr. Falconio and Ms. Lees were traveling around Australia in a Kombi van when Murdoch emerged in a vehicle alongside them and asked the couple to pull over. He then shot Mr. Falconio in the head and tried to abduct Ms. Lees.
Ms. Lees managed to escape, hiding in bushland before flagging down a passing motorist who helped her to safety and alerted emergency services.
“No Body, No Parole” Law
The Northern Territory Government passed a “no body, no parole” law in 2016, which applies to Murdoch. He was sentenced to 28 years for Mr. Falconio’s murder and would have been eligible for parole in 2023.