‘Outback Killer’ Dies At 67, Leaving Behind The Mystery Of A Missing Body

August 11, 2025

‘Outback Killer’ Dies At 67, Leaving Behind The Mystery Of A Missing Body – Read full story below.

Thomas bradley John Murdoch , know as the “ Outback Killer ” and convict of murder British packer Peter Falconio who disappear in waterless telephone exchange Australia 24 old age ago , has die , government state Wednesday . He was 67 .

Rupert murdoch die on Tuesday nighttime in the alleviant attention unit of measurement of the Alice Springs Hospital , harmonize to a statement from the Northern Territory Department of Corrections . He was diagnose with terminus pharynx malignant neoplastic disease in 2019 and was late transfer to the infirmary from the Alice Springs prison house .

His decease leaf the enigma of the whereabouts of Falconio ‘s organic structure unresolved . The district ‘s police force did not instantly react to question from The Associated Press whether Murdoch had supply any hint earlier he die .

In 2005 , Murdoch was convict in the district ‘s Supreme Court in Darwin fof the 2001 slaying of 28-year-old Falconio , from Huddersfield , Yorkshire , and the try snatch of Falconio ‘s girlfriend Joanne Lees , then 27 .

The offense capture planetary attending and was one of the inspiration for the 2005 Australian horror film “ Wolf Creek , ” astir a series slayer who prey on backpacker and left a bingle witnesser who become a suspect .

Lees , who write astir her ordeal in her 2006 memoir “ No Turning Back , ” complain that police force treat her as a suspect in the old age earlier Murdoch was charge .

A tribunal order prevent the film ‘s release in the Northern Territory during Murdoch ‘s test , fear it could influence juror . Rupert murdoch , who was collar in 2003 in the instance , was not accused of any other killing .

Rupert murdoch systematically keep his artlessness and did not aid government hunt for Falconio ‘s remains .

At the clip of the violent death , Murdoch was an interstate highway drug smuggler , exploitation amphetamine to stay wake up for dayslong drive and hemp to slumber .

On the nighttime of July 14 , 2001 , he flim-flam Falconio and Lees into fillet their campervan on a darkness and remote control main road north of Alice Springs .

Lees watch her fellow leave of absence the van to inspect a purportedly trip exhaust fumes tobacco pipe . She testify that she hear a gun shooting and ne’er saw her fellow once again .

Rupert murdoch , an enforce 193 centimeter ( 6 human foot , 4 inch ) in tallness , boundary her wrist with cablegram necktie earlier she pull off to flight and hid in the desert chaparral for hours . She testify that she watch Murdoch search for her with a torch and his dog .

Lees ulterior beckon down feather a motortruck and raise the dismay .

Stopping point calendar month , police force double the wages for info lead to the location of Falconio ‘s remains to 500,000 Australian dollar ( $ 330,000 ) , followers intelligence that Murdoch was in alleviant attention .

“ Police still clasp out hope that person may be able to supply some critical info to aid in this hunt , ” Police Commander Mark Grieve state . He add that over the old age he spend in prison house , Murdoch had not uncover the whereabouts of his victim ‘s remains .

Colleen Gwynne , a former police force military officer who led the probe at the clip of Falconio ‘s disappearing , state Murdoch mightiness rich person panic after Lees escape and in his confusion forget what he did with the organic structure .

“ Once that terror set in … he may rich person dispose of a organic structure somewhere he ‘s not wholly certain where that is , ” Gwynne state 10 Network News telecasting earliest this calendar month .

In 2005 , Murdoch was sentence to life in prison house for Falconio ‘s slaying and was order to service at least 28 old age earlier he could be see for word . He was besides sentence to six old age , to be serve at the same time , for assail Lees .

The earlier he could rich person use for word would rich person be 2032 , but without supply info as to what he had make with Falconio ‘s organic structure , Murdoch was not likely to rich person be let go of . The district pass Torah in 2016 prevent prisoner convict of slaying from modification for word unless they supply police force with the location of their victim ‘ body .

Rupert murdoch was Max Born in the Occident seashore town of Geraldton , the one-third kid of an car machinist and his married woman , a hairstylist .

As a adolescent , he become involve in biker pack offense and was number one sentence to prison house in 1995 for shot at a grouping of Indigenous people at Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia . He serve 15 calendar month of a 21-month sentence .

In sentence Murdoch for Falconio ‘s violent death , Chief Justice Brian Martin state he doubt any words could express mail the injury and panic Lees had suffer .

“ It must rich person be stopping point to the worst incubus conceivable , ” the justice state .