Australian police have released previously unseen photographs as part of their ongoing investigation into the 2001 murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio. The images are intended to jog memories that could lead to information about the location of Falconio's remains.
Falconio was shot on a remote highway near Barrow Creek in the Northern Territory on July 14, 2001. His body has never been recovered. The convicted killer, Bradley Murdoch, died in jail last year at the age of 67 without revealing Falconio's burial site.
Murdoch was found guilty in 2001 of Falconio's murder and the assault of his girlfriend, Joanne Lees. Lees managed to escape Murdoch by hiding in the bush for several hours before flagging down a truck. She was later interviewed by police, and some of the newly released photographs capture her in the hours after the attack, appearing traumatized. Other images show injuries she sustained, including marks from cable ties used to bind her wrists.
One of the newly released photographs shows Murdoch during the police investigation, looking directly at the camera. The images were part of the original investigation file, but have not been publicly shown until now.
Police are appealing to the public for any information, however small, that might assist in locating Falconio's body. The hope is that releasing these images 25 years after the crime will encourage witnesses to come forward with details that have remained undisclosed.