Australian police investigating the murder of the British backpacker Peter Falconio in the outback said blood found at the crime scene matched the DNA of the missing man.
The blood was compared with samples provided by Falconio's distraught father and brother, who flew in from Britain two days ago.
Falconio, 28,
and his girlfriend Joanne Lees, 27, were tricked by a gunman into pulling their Volkswagen van over on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek, 1298 km south of Darwin and he has not been since.
A massive search with aircraft and Aboriginal trackers of the Northern Territory has failed also to find the gunman.
'We now believe the blood found at the scene is that of missing man Peter Falconio,' Max Pope, the Northern Territory police commander, said.
He said the news had been given to Falconio's family who have been holding out hope that he is still alive. 'It's a very difficult time for them and such news makes it more difficult,' he said.
Police believe the gunman could be an experienced bushman and hold out few hopes that Falconio is still alive.
About 1,000 possible sightings and other leads in three states have been investigated but have not yet produced any solid information, although an elite tactical response police returned to the crime scene yesterday (Friday) to follow up fresh information.
Police in Oodnadatta, a small Outback town south of Alice Springs, yesterday killed a gunman in a shootout, but the dead man was not believed to be the suspect sought in Falconio's disappearance.
- INDEPENDENT
