Bradley John Murdoch, known as the infamous backpacker killer, passed away in prison after battling throat cancer. His death occurred in the palliative care unit at Alice Springs Hospital, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the Department of Corrections. An investigation into his death will be conducted by the Northern Territory Coroner.
Murdoch was serving a life sentence for the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio, a crime that took place on 14 July 2001. On that night, Murdoch flagged down Falconio and his girlfriend Joanne Lees while they were driving on the Stuart Highway, approximately 250 kilometres north of Alice Springs. He claimed that he had noticed sparks coming from their Kombi van’s exhaust system, prompting them to pull over.
Once they had stopped, Murdoch shot Falconio and attempted to abduct Lees, binding her hands in the process. Fortunately, she managed to escape, likely while Murdoch was handling Falconio’s body, and was eventually rescued by another driver.
In 2005, Murdoch was found guilty of Falconio’s murder and received a life sentence. Throughout his time in prison, he maintained his innocence and never disclosed the whereabouts of Falconio’s remains.