Northern Territory Police Release Photos 25 Years After Falconio Killing as Search for Body Continues

Northern Territory police released a collection of previously unseen photos and footage on Monday in a renewed effort to locate the body of British backpacker Peter Falconio. The material was issued on the 25th anniversary of the July 14, 2001, incident in which Falconio and his partner Joanne Lees were ambushed on a remote desert highway in the Northern Territory.

Bradley John Murdoch stopped the couple's orange Volkswagen Kombi van after claiming to have seen sparks from the vehicle.

He shot Falconio in the head when the backpacker walked to the rear of the van to inspect the reported problem. Lees was bound but escaped and hid in outback vegetation for hours before flagging down a passing lorry. Extensive searches involving Aboriginal trackers, roadblocks and helicopters have not recovered Falconio's body.

Murdoch was convicted in 2005 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 28 years. He died in July 2025 without disclosing the location of the remains. Among the released images are a photograph of Lees appearing visibly shaken hours after the attack, a picture of a significant graze she suffered, crime scene images showing evidence markers beside a pool of blood, a large footprint found at the scene, and a photo of Murdoch staring into the camera.

Footage of officers attempting to persuade Murdoch to reveal the location of the remains was also made public. Northern Territory police commissioner Martin Dole said the case remains open. "This was a traumatic and horrific event for Ms Lees, and for Peter's family, who have now gone such a long time without the answers they deserve," he stated.