Solved The Peter Falconio Disappearance

[Dickie Greenleaf]

Background:

Peter Marco Falconio (20 September 1972 – c. 14 July 2001) was a British tourist who disappeared in the Australian outback in July 2001, while travelling with girlfriend Joanne Lees. Falconio is presumed dead.
Falconio was 28 years old at the time of the disappearance. His body has never been found. Bradley John Murdoch was convicted of his murder on 13 December 2005. The case attracted considerable public and legal attention worldwide.


Missing person or murder?

Lees stated that while travelling at night along the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek (between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek) in the Northern Territory on 14 July 2001, the pair were stopped by a man waving for the couple to stop their Volkswagen Type 2 "Kombi" van and indicating trouble with their vehicle's exhaust.
At the committal hearing in December 2004 Lees told the court that her assailant then tied her wrists together behind her, put a sack over her head and forced her into his ute (pick-up truck). She also stated that the person forced her between the seats of his vehicle and into the rear of his vehicle. She said she escaped from his ute and fled into the dark, hiding under bushes, while he tried to find her with a torch. Expert Aboriginal trackers, called from a nearby settlement could find no sign of tracks other than Lees' in the vicinity. Tracker Teddy Egan stated, "I see tracks where she run and fall down beneath tree. She lie there, hiding".[1] It was also noted that a pool of Falconio's blood that had been covered in soil had attracted no ants or flies, considered to be much more out of the ordinary by Territorians than a roadside fire.
Falconio's body has not been found despite a massive police search. Much doubt has been cast on how Lees may have been able to escape from her bindings, as when she flagged down a passing truck for assistance, her hands were in front of her body. Lees however was able to demonstrate in court how easily she was able to bring her bound hands from behind to front. Police, however, found no vehicle that was able to be accessed from the front seats to the rear canopy area without leaving the vehicle.
Some two years after the disappearance, Bradley John Murdoch, a man living in Adelaide and previously acquitted of a rape charge, was found to have a possible connection to Barrow Creek on 14 July 2001. Murdoch was found not guilty of the rape but Northern Territory police applied for extradition to face charges of abduction and murder. Lees identified his photograph as being the man who abducted her after being shown a photograph of a person in custody in Adelaide by a journalist in the UK, and the DNA from the bloodstains on Lees' clothing matched Murdoch's DNA

cont: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Falconio

My interest in this case was peaked after I recieved a pretty good birthday present from a family member last year: a signed book on the disappearance by investigative journo Robin Bowles. She had access to the convicted killer Bradley Murdoch throughout his trial an conviction and whilst not presuming the guy to be innocent, there were several aspects of the case that never came to public attention.

There have also been some pretty bizarre claims made by some colourful characters, none the least being this little pearler from the disgraced lawyer Andrew Fraser last year.

DISGRACED Melbourne lawyer Andrew Fraser has made the astonishing claim that British backpacker Peter Falconio is alive, 10 years after he disappeared in Alice Springs.

Killer ... Bradley John Murdoch. The Daily Telegraph

Bradley Murdoch was convicted of Falconio's murder in 2005, but Mr Fraser maintains he is innocent, and that he is "100 per cent" sure Falconio manufactured his own disappearance.
Fraser did not provide proof of Falconio being alive and said he had not spoken directly to anyone who had seen him.
Fraser said four people had seen Falconio since the night he disappeared, but he could not explain why these witnesses had not come forward during Murdoch's trial.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...ve-claims-lawyer/story-fn7x8me2-1226105636139

His body has never been found and most likely never will be.

Personally i think there are a few questions unanswered by the prosecution and from my brief investigation, the conviction is a little shaky.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

What exactly has Murdoch admitted to, if anything?

With the DNA on Lees’ clothes there’s no doubt he was there.

 

[rayven]

How did they catch the bloke again?

 

[Dickie Greenleaf]

As per usual, Murdoch has never admitted guilt.

What he has admitted to is being a drug runner at the top end and was in partnership with a well known WA crim who was about to be busted and had some very good reasons of his own for turning state witness for the prosecution.

He's admitted to being on the road on a run at the time of the disappearance/murder.

More reading for those interested can be found here:

http://www.robinbowles.com.au/books/true-crime/dead-centre/

& here:http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1531232.htm

& here: http://richardshears.com/tag/peter-falconio/

 

[DrVanNostrand]

What exactly has Murdoch admitted to, if anything?

With the DNA on Lees’ clothes there’s no doubt he was there.

He claims the blood got on her shirt after he had visited a Red Rooster in Alice Springs, where he cut himself and left blood on a counter. Peter and Joanne visited the same Red Rooster on the same day. It was reported a few years later he's actually allergic to chicken, making his story even more absurd. He has also been placed in Barrow's Creek (town with a population of 8) on the same day, 10km south of the crime scene.

He did it. No question at all IMO. Your blood doesn't end up on her shirt, in their car, and DNA on the tape used to tie her wrists, in such a remote part of Australia, without anything suss going on. A drug dealer who thought he was being followed and going to get turned in. Amazing a body hasn't been found in the 11 years since; surely the scrub along the Stuart isn't dense enough to conceal a body for so long?

Even before this happened, my parents told me of their trip around Australia before I was born, and said NEVER stop along the Stuart Highway for anyone on the side of the road. Nothing but ferals wanting to rob/assault you.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Having a few drinks right now so just going from memory ..

I read somewhere along the line that some detective took the hand ties from the evidence room without signing them out - went to see Murdoch in prison, threw them at him and said something like 'what do have to say about these' .. obviously trying to get his fingerprints or DNA on them.

Also, Joy Kuhl, the person that sent Lindy Chamberlain away with her incorrect forensic testimony was involved in this case so it doesn't inspire confidence thats for sure.

Also remember reading that the DNA found on his shirt was some low count DNA that was not accepted in some courts in the western world ..

Dodgy oldskool cops, dubious forensic 'experts' .. who can say for sure what the story is.

 

[childeric]

Having a few drinks right now so just going from memory ..

I read somewhere along the line that some detective took the hand ties from the evidence room without signing them out - went to see Murdoch in prison, threw them at him and said something like 'what do have to say about these' .. obviously trying to get his fingerprints or DNA on them.

Also, Joy Kuhl, the person that sent Lindy Chamberlain away with her incorrect forensic testimony was involved in this case so it doesn't inspire confidence thats for sure.

Also remember reading that the DNA found on his shirt was some low count DNA that was not accepted in some courts in the western world ..

Dodgy oldskool cops, dubious forensic 'experts' .. who can say for sure what the story is.

Same as Chamberlain, small town cops trying to cut a dash on the world stage end up making us all look like fools

 

[Ghostwriter]

They caught him at a supermarket carpark in Pt Augusta where he had been shopping for supplies, one of the items was a hot chicken. He never got to eat it.

 

[rayven]

They caught him at a supermarket carpark in Pt Augusta where he had been shopping for supplies, .

What did he do for the port Augusta cops to want him?

 

[Ghostwriter]

What did he do for the port Augusta cops to want him?

My memory is vague but it was for rape charges which were later dropped or proven false, the arrest was imo for the cops to detain him and interview him about the Falconio murder.

 

[rayven]

My memory is vague but it was for rape charges which were later dropped or proven false, the arrest was imo for the cops to detain him and interview him about the Falconio murder.

How can you be sure if your memory is 'vague'?

 

[Ghostwriter]

How can you be sure if your memory is 'vague'?

I haven't bothered looking it up anywhere, its only what I can recall from the time, pretty sure it was Pt Augusta and pretty sure he was arrested on other charges and then charged later for Falconio, does it matter or do we only post absolute facts here?, as I said i couldn't be bothered looking it up and I usually have a good memory for certain things, perhaps my wires are crossed and it was someone else who got arrested in PT Augusta

 

[Ghostwriter]

Previous arrests and convictions

• In 1980, aged 21, Murdoch received a suspended sentence after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving. [1]

• In 1995 Murdoch served 15 months imprisonment for shooting at people who were celebrating at an Australian rules football match in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. [2]

• He was arrested in South Australia during August 2002 and was charged with various offences, one of which was a rape offence involving a 12 year old girl and her mother, for which he was acquitted.

Murdoch is a self confessed drifter, drug runner, and regularly transported large amounts of cannabis between Alice Springs and Broome...

Lifted from his Wikipedia page, only thing missing is the Pt Augusta reference.

 

[Ghostwriter]

He was actually arrested outside a court after his aquittal for the rape charges, pretty sure he was arrested in PA for the previous rape charges though.

 

[Ghostwriter]

28th August: Bradley Murdoch was arrested outside of Woolworths, Port Augusta, S.A for the alleged rape and abduction of a 13 year girl and the sexual molestation and abduction of the girls mother.

Link. http://falconio.weebly.com/timeline-of-events.html

 

[Barry Zuckercorn]

Only a matter of time before this thread was started. IMO the most intriguing Australian case.

I have nothing more to add at this point.

 

[rayven]

28th August: Bradley Murdoch was arrested outside of Woolworths, Port Augusta, S.A for the alleged rape and abduction of a 13 year girl and the sexual molestation and abduction of the girls mother.

I live in the area he was arrested for this. The two Berri women escaped while trying to get money out of there account at an eftpos in augusta. It was big news at the time and there was nothing about what later would happen. I believe they were deemed in court as not reliable witness's and there statements retracted. It wasn't that he was found innocent, it was it couldn't be proved BRD. The arrest lead to murdochs DNA being taken, which lead to him being put at the crime scene of the falconio/lees incident. I do believe that the SA coppers had other stuff to do with him, but let the territory police at him.

I don;'t know why those who like to talk about his innocence seemed to gloss over this...
.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

He claims the blood got on her shirt after he had visited a Red Rooster in Alice Springs, where he cut himself and left blood on a counter. Peter and Joanne visited the same Red Rooster on the same day. It was reported a few years later he's actually allergic to chicken, making his story even more absurd. He has also been placed in Barrow's Creek (town with a population of 8) on the same day, 10km south of the crime scene.

He did it. No question at all IMO. Your blood doesn't end up on her shirt, in their car, and DNA on the tape used to tie her wrists, in such a remote part of Australia, without anything suss going on. A drug dealer who thought he was being followed and going to get turned in. Amazing a body hasn't been found in the 11 years since; surely the scrub along the Stuart isn't dense enough to conceal a body for so long?

Even before this happened, my parents told me of their trip around Australia before I was born, and said NEVER stop along the Stuart Highway for anyone on the side of the road. Nothing but ferals wanting to rob/assault you.

I stayed at the Wycliffe Well caravan park last year while travelling around the country with my wife and kids. There was a dry dam there. Bones were found in it and it was thought that they were Falconio's, caused a huge amount of excitement. Turns out they were dog bones.

 

[kaiserchief13]

If there's no body how can there be a murder?

 

[Illinois Nazi]

To anyone who can't understand how the body was never found, go and drive along the Stuart highway for a bit yourself. Absolutely nothing but scrub for hundreds of kilometres in every direction. You could bury someone within a few hundred metres of the road and they'd only ever be found by luck. If you're willing to take them a bit further off the road then they will never be found.

I seem to recall the Falconio family in the UK were quite critical of the NT coppers on this point - until they travelled out here and had a look for themselves. Then they understood that Peter may never be found. It's like having the whole UK with no people in it to hide something in.

As for Murdoch, as always there's a conspiracy theory says he's innocent, but he did it.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

It was in another thread on here (Milat one) but there was a theory put up there about Joanna Lees and that she may have had sex with Murdoch so she could be released. Not entirely sold on that theory but it's intriguing how she got away. Don't trust her 100%.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

It was in another thread on here (Milat one) but there was a theory put up there about Joanna Lees and that she may have had sex with Murdoch so she could be released. Not entirely sold on that theory but it's intriguing how she got away. Don't trust her 100%.

The police didnt trust her either -about 6 weeks ago i watched a UK produced documentary on the case

The reason they didnt trust her-like her current boyfriend is presumed murdered -she makes a miraculous escape -yet within 2 or 3 days of this ordeal -its disclosed she contacts a former lover in France or Germany -and says - hi lovi -look i will be back in Europe in a couple of weeks -how about we get back together again -i mean only a woman could do that -but it is very suspicious.

If it wasnt for the blood (dna match ) on Murdochs shirt -he would have walked
They did show cctv footage of a local roadhouse /Servo -in the area -at the time of the attack -but all you could see was a bloke with a cap on getting supplies -you couldnt tell who it was.

 

[Catfish Alley]

It was in another thread on here (Milat one) but there was a theory put up there about Joanna Lees and that she may have had sex with Murdoch so she could be released. Not entirely sold on that theory but it's intriguing how she got away. Don't trust her 100%.

That's hardly a crime though. Hell, I'd offer it up for my life as well!

 

[Interceptor]

It was in another thread on here (Milat one) but there was a theory put up there about Joanna Lees and that she may have had sex with Murdoch so she could be released. Not entirely sold on that theory but it's intriguing how she got away. Don't trust her 100%.

He would have been pretty foolish to make any sort of "release deal" with her, since she could ID him.
Some of the inconsistencies in the story (such as lack of matching vehicle and lack of additional tracks to Lees') raise questions, but the blood links seem to be convincing enough.

 

[rayven]

Anyone got a link for the evidence given by the people that found her?