Man charged with outback murder
An Australian man has been charged with the murder of British tourist Peter Falconio.
Mr Falconio vanished after an ambush on a lonely highway in Australia’s Outback on the night of July 14th, 2001.
Truck driver Bradley John Murdoch, 45, made a brief appearance at Darwin Magistrates Court where he was charged with the 28-year-old backpacker’s murder. Mr Falconio is believed to have been shot dead.
He also faces charges of abducting and assaulting Mr Falconio’s girlfriend Joanne Lees, 29. Ms Lees, from Huddersfield, survived the ambush and is expected to be the key prosecution witness at Murdoch’s trial.
Ms Lees told police she managed to escape the kidnapper and hid in the bush. She later flagged down a passing motorist.
The disappearance of Mr Falconio, from Hepworth, West Yorkshire, became one of Australia’s most notorious unsolved crimes.
Mr Murdoch was arrested after being acquitted of unrelated sex offences. He denies the charges against him and insists that police are trying to frame him. He faces life imprisonment if convicted.
Mr Falconio’s body has never been found, despite a massive police hunt.
However, police say they have DNA evidence linking Mr Murdoch to Mr Falconio’s killing.
