The man who murdered British backpacker Peter Falconio has died from throat cancer at the age of 67.
Notorious outback killer Bradley John Murdoch was serving a life sentence for killing Falconio in the Northern Territory more than two decades ago.
Falconio had been driving a Kombi campervan with his girlfriend Joanne Lees along the Stuart Highway on February 14, 2001, when they were waved down by Murdoch.
He lied to the couple, saying there were sparks coming from their van, before he pulled out his shotgun and shot Falconio in the head.
He then took Ms Lees hostage, bounding her hands with cable ties, before throwing her into the back of his Landcruiser.
She thankfully managed to escape while Murdoch was dumping Falconio’s body, running for her life through bushland before finally managing to wave down a truck and call for help.
Four years later, a jury unanimously found Murdoch guilty of murder and he was sentenced to life behind bars.
In 2019, Murdoch was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer and transferred from Alice Springs Correctional Centre to a palliative care unit where he died overnight.
Murdoch would have been eligible for parole in 2032, but the Northern Territory’s “no body, no release” laws meant he would only be released if he revealed where Falconio’s body was.
He never revealed the location, taking the secret to his grave.
