Police Release Confronting Final Interview
Northern Territory Police have released video of the final interview with convicted killer Bradley Murdoch, in a last-ditch effort to discover where British backpacker Peter Falconio's remains were hidden. The footage, from June last year, shows a defiant Murdoch weeks before his death from terminal throat cancer, refusing to provide any information about the location of his victim's body.
In the prison interview, a detective asks, "If Peter Falconio was your son, Quinton, and somebody knew something about where his body was..." Murdoch interrupts, "Don't know anything about it, OK? You've been told I'm not answering. Right, move on. Don't beat around the bush, because I'm just going to cut the (interview) short every time." He adds, "I know nothing. I know nothing. I've said this for 22 years. I know nothing. You keep asking these f***ing questions, I know nothing."
Murdoch's Defiant Response
When the detective presses, "I just want you to think about it, all right?" Murdoch retorts, "Not thinking about it. I've thought about it. I've thought about it for 22 f***ing years. I've said the same story over and over and over, and now you're here at the last minute because I'm f***ing dying. Who gives a f*** about me?" The detective responds, "Because we think you might have information," to which Murdoch says, "I don't have information. This is what I'm trying to say to you."
Former detective Colleen Gwynne, who led the investigation, said Murdoch's response was no surprise. "His response is the same as what it was many years ago when I first spoke to him. We know that he is someone that has very much a controlling personality. He doesn't want to admit that he's done something wrong," Gwynne said. "When he panics, he tends to manifest that in anger."
The Murder That Shocked the World
The chilling murder case shocked the world in 2001, when Falconio was killed on a remote stretch of outback highway north of Alice Springs. Peter Falconio, 28, and his girlfriend Joanne Lees were driving about 300km from Alice Springs when they were flagged down by Bradley Murdoch. He shot Falconio point-blank and tied up Lees. She managed to escape, hiding for five hours in the outback.
New images released from the investigation show Lees soon after she was rescued, with patches on her shirt that turned out to be Murdoch's blood. The blood provided critical DNA evidence in convicting the truck driver. Other images show Lees' injuries from her restraints—the same ties were found in Murdoch's toolbox. Peter's blood was found on the van and on the highway where he was murdered 25 years ago.
Murdoch Took Secret to the Grave
Three weeks after the interview, Murdoch died, never confessing or revealing where Peter could be found. But Murdoch's death did not mean the end of the case. Northern Territory Police are still offering a reward of $500,000 for information leading to the discovery of Peter Falconio's remains and hopefully some closure for his loved ones.
