Man who murdered British backpacker Peter Falconio dies

[ad_1] Bradley Murdoch, the Australian man convicted of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001, has died.

Murdoch, 67, was serving a life sentence at a jail in Alice Springs, in Australia's Northern Territory.

He was being handled at Alice Springs Hospital in current weeks, reportedly for terminal most cancers.

The Northern Territory Division of Corrections advised the BBC that Murdoch died on 15 July within the hospital's palliative care unit.

The dying will probably be topic to investigation by the Northern Territory Coroner, officers added.

In 2005, Murdoch was convicted of murdering Mr Falconio, however had by no means revealed the situation of his physique.

Mr Falconio was shot useless on a distant stretch of freeway close to the Northern Territory city of Barrow Creek, about 300km (186 miles) north of Alice Springs in July 2001.

The 28-year-old was travelling round Australia together with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, additionally from the UK, on the time.

Murdoch was additionally convicted of the tried kidnap and assault of Ms Lees, who managed to flee by hiding in outback scrub for a number of hours earlier than she was in a position to sign for assist.

Murdoch was 43 when he dedicated the crimes.

The ordeal partly impressed the 2001 horror movie Wolf Creek.

Final month police in Australia introduced a brand new reward of as much as A$500,000 (£240,000) for data resulting in the invention of the stays of the murdered British backpacker.

Performing Commander Mark Grieve of Northern Territory Police advised a press convention in late June: "Police nonetheless maintain out hope that somebody may be capable of present some very important data to help on this search."

"We recognise the passage of time that has transpired however it's by no means to late to succeed in out and begin that dialog with police," Grieve mentioned.

He mentioned in that press convention police had "made quite a few approaches" to Murdoch, together with in June, however mentioned that "sadly... on all events he has chosen to not have interaction with police".

Performing Commander Grieve mentioned he needed to "attempt to not less than deliver some sliver of decision to Peter's household by bringing residence his stays" - and mentioned that they had spoken to household in regards to the reward.