Family of outback killer Bradley John Murdoch hold private funeral service

Bradley John Murdoch pictured outside the Supreme Court in Adelaide in November 2003. Photo / Fairfax Media via Getty Images

The family of outback killer Bradley John Murdoch have held a private funeral service to farewell the man responsible for one of Australia’s most notorious crimes.

Murdoch, who was serving a life sentence for the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001, died on July 15. He had been diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019.

The 67-year-old never revealed where Falconio had been buried.

In a private ceremony for family and friends, Murdoch was cremated and his ashes scattered at an “undisclosed location”, Australia’s 7News reported.

After his death, his family remembered him as a devoted family man.

“To many, Bradley Murdoch is known only for the events that led to his conviction in 2005 for the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio, a crime for which he has always denied responsibility from his arrest until his death,” their statement to the media said.

This undated handout photo shows British couple Joanne Lees and boyfriend Peter Falconio as they sit in their van, taken before they were ambushed by Bradley John Murdoch near Barrow Creek in July 2001. Photo / Handout, Getty Images

“But to those who truly knew him, he was much more than the headlines.

“Brad was a devoted father, father-in-law and proud Poppy who never missed a chance to brag about his grandchildren. He was a beloved brother, uncle and friends.”

Falconio’s parents Joan and Luciano said they still held out hope their son’s remains would be found.

“Upon hearing that Bradley John Murdoch had died our first feeling was of relief, it’s like a weight that’s been lifted.

“We are only forced to think about him now that he’s died, we don’t want to let him ruin our lives more than he already has.

“The awful thing is our family’s future with Peter was cruelly taken away.

“Today we instead focus on the three children we have left and our grandchildren.”

British backpacker Peter Falconio and his girlfriend Joanne Lees. Photo / Handout, Getty Images

Murdoch was convicted of murdering Falconio on July 14, 2001.

Falconio had been travelling with his girlfriend Joanne Lees in a Kombi van along the Sturt Highway, north of Barrow Creek between Darwin and Alice Springs, when another car stopped alongside them and motioned to them to pull over.

When the Kombi van pulled over, Murdoch shot Falconio in the head.

Murdoch then tried to kidnap Lees, pulling her out of the van and binding her wrists with cable ties before forcing her into the back of his vehicle.

While Murdoch went back to his vehicle, Lees managed to escape and hid in the bushes for several hours before she flagged down another driver.

Murdoch was found guilty of murder in December 2005 and was sentenced to life in jail with a non-parole period of 28 years.

He maintained his innocence throughout the trial and twice tried to overturn the convictions, but both attempts were unsuccessful.

Murdoch would have been eligible for parole in 2032, but the Northern Territory’s introduction of “no body, no parole” laws in 2016 meant he would only have been released if he revealed the location of Falconio’s body.

In a statement released after his death, the NT Police Force said it remained committed to “resolving this final piece of the investigation”.

“It is deeply regrettable that Murdoch has died without, as far as we are aware, ever disclosing the location of Peter Falconio’s remains,” the statement read.

“His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved.

“We continue to appeal to anyone who may have information that could lead us to Peter Falconio’s remains to come forward, no matter how small the detail may seem.”