True Crime With Caledonian Kitty

As I write this post (in 2026) this month of July marks 25 years since the young attractive British couple, Peter Falconio (28) and his girlfriend Joanne Lees (27) saw their dream trip turn into a horrendous nightmare. A nightmare that would leave Joanne returning home heartbroken, traumatized.....and alone. This was no couple's break-up, she was alone because in the dead of night, somebody murdered Peter, with plans to abduct her. She heard her boyfriend's death and heard his body being dragged around but she couldn't see what was happening or if he had indeed been murdered. All she knew was that a gun shot rang in the air and Peter was later nowhere to be found.

In January 2001 the loved-up Peter and Joanne who were both originally from West Yorkshire, England, but had been living together in Brighton (England), made the decision to go on the trip of a lifetime. They had various locations in mind but Australia was the main focus. Their parents, family and friends, who adored them both as a couple, were very nervous about them desiring to tour Australia after the horror stories they had been hearing on the news about backpackers going missing or being murdered. 

The horror stories they were hearing didn't deter Peter and Joanne in the slightest, they were confident that nothing like that was going to happen to them. they'd travelled before and there had been no issues, they also made it clear that they had no plans to hitchhike. They saved money, gave up their jobs, their apartment and had everything planned and filled in all of the necessary paperwork. They were confident they would be 100% safe.

Peter and Joanne who were a bright couple, (Joanne had previously worked as a travel agent and longed to see more of the world. Peter was a Brighton University graduate who had studied and worked in building construction management) reassured their parents, family and friends that they had everything organized and would be constantly in touch. They were both excited and had traveled around other places such as Singapore beforehand. As well as Singapore, they visited Malaysia, Nepal, Cambodia and Thailand. They did run in to some trouble when some of their money and documents were stolen. There was a moment when they both considered just going back to England but they managed to get this sorted out before they officially arrived in Sydney on the 16th of January 2001.

They fell in love with Sydney and had taken up jobs there as well as making a lot of friends. Peter managed to find work in a office furniture store and Joanne went around jobhunting on foot with her resume asking the managers if they had any available positions. She enquired at a bookstore and at first the manager informed her that he had no jobs available but a member of staff encouraged him to give her a chance. Joanne had beautiful glossy black hair which was cut into a bob, she also had piercing blue eyes. With her striking appearance, pretty smile and her English accent, Joanne was easy to remember and she soon got a call asking if she would like to come in for a proper interview. She started working at the bookshop and all of the staff loved her. 

Peter and Joanne enjoyed the nightlife and everything that Sydney had to offer. They would do a lot of things together but also things apart. Joanne would hit some of the clubs and bars with her friends and being the beautiful girl that she was, it was no surprise that she gained a lot of male attention. The trouble is, that she actually met another man and as the saying goes....one thing led to another. She had an affair with this man who was reportedly a bit of a playboy and he didn't plan to be in Sydney for long as he had to be elsewhere. He had been seeing other women at the same time that he'd been seeing Joanne. Joanne soon found herself torn between Peter and this other man. When Peter announced that it was time to leave Sydney, he managed to get all of the money together to buy a Kombi van, Joanne wasn't too excited at the thought of leaving. She didn't want to leave the life she had built up in Sydney. 

On the 25th of June 2001, Joanne decided that she had to make a choice and she knew that she truly loved Peter and wanted to be with him, she wanted to marry him. The affair with the other man had been just a bit of fun for her as well as the other man so she didn't take it too seriously. In the Kombi van they toured Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and other locations until they reached Alice Springs. They regularly contacted their parents to keep them updated on where they were and how everything was going. Peter and Joanne loved sightseeing and loved how handy the Kombi van was, the van became Peter's pride and joy. 

As well as the sights and beautiful scenery on the roads. Peter and Joanne would enjoy soaking up the local traditions of whatever town they stopped in. On the 14th of July 2001, they stopped off at a cafe in the morning to have some breakfast before attending a local event in Alice Springs called 'The Camel Cup' or often referred to as 'The Melbourne Cup of the Desert' which involves racing camels, it's a lighthearted novelty event which began in 1970 and is also a charity event. Joanne and Peter thought it was hilarious and the locals welcomed them in as they did with all visitors. Whilst at this event, Joanne wasn't aware that she was being watched by various men. When she went to the bar to collect some drinks for herself and Peter, there was a group of men who sitting watching her and making some inappropriate comments. Joanne heard what they were saying but chose to ignore it. 

This group of unsavoury characters were not the only ones who were staring at Joanne, another dishevelled looking man was fixated on her. That man's name was Bradley John Murdoch. Bradley was a strange and intimidating character and depending on who you were, he was either a nice guy who liked to have a drink and a laugh or he was an absolute weirdo who was a loner. From his childhood right up until that moment he was often described as a 'thug and a bully'. 

Bradley was always troubled and had previous run-ins with the law. He was prone to violent outbursts and had spent time in jail. He was a nightmare to deal with, had a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp and had connections with white supremacist groups. He also drank heavily, took drugs and loved guns. You may remember my posts about Ivan Milat?. If you are a new reader to my blog or have not had the chance to read these previous posts, you can find them here (The Ivan Milat Story) and the post I had written about his nephew, Matthew here (Like Uncle, Like Nephew). Ivan Milat was a horrific Serial Killer who abducted and murdered numerous backpackers and buried them in Belanglo State Forest in New South Wales. Bradley may remind you a lot of Ivan, in fact, this horrific case was another inspiration alongside the Ivan Milat murders, for the horror movies and TV series 'Wolf Creek'. 

Peter and Joanne were too busy enjoying themselves at the Camel event that they realised they would have to get a move on. They got back into the Kombi van and stopped off to get some food and drinks before carrying on their journey. Unknown to them, Bradley John Murdoch had been following them on the Stuart Highway, it was dark and Joanne had been driving whilst Peter was having a rest. The pair would often take turns with who was going to be behind the wheel. Bradley was close behind the Kombi van in his White Toyota Landcruiser ute which was configured with a green canopy in the back. In his vehicle he had a rape kit as well as a gun. His plan was to kidnap Joanne, who he thought was alone. He drove up to the side of the Kombi until he reached the front of the van and tried to get Joanne's attention, he was shocked and a little disappointed to see that Joanne was not alone. This wasn't part of his plan as he thought kidnapping her would be easy but now he had to try and get rid of Peter. 

He used the crafty tactic of telling the young couple to stop the van and check the back of the vehicle, he tried to tell them that there was sparks flying out of their exhaust. Joanne didn't feel comfortable to stop but Peter insisted it would be alright. As the van stopped, Bradley pulled up alongside them and got out of the ute. Peter smiled at Joanne and told her it would be alright and got out of the van whilst she remained inside. She heard the two men talking and at one point, Peter came back to Joanne to ask her to rev the engine. Peter thanked Bradley for stopping and alerting them to the problem. Peter couldn't see anything wrong with the vehicle, he did comment also that it was getting cold. As Peter was busy looking at the back of the van, Joanne tried to glimpse back and see if she could see Peter but she noticed Bradley stood next to him, staring right at her with this transfixed look on his face. At first she thought she was wrong for doubting this man as he seemed so nice offering to help them but there was something just not right here. The next minute there was a huge bang that rang out in the cold, dark night air and then total silence! 

The next minute Joanne looked to the side of her and there was Bradley John Murdoch. Peter was nowhere to be seen, she couldn't even hear Peter. Sudden panic set in and with a gun in his hand, Bradley made it clear what was going to to happen. He grabbed hold of her and told her to put her hands behind her back. She started screaming ''Where's Pete, what have you done with Pete?''. Bradley coldly shouted at her to ''Shut up'' He forced her hands behind her back and looped two black cable ties together to create makeshift handcuffs. He attempted to tie her ankles together and put tape over her mouth but she kept struggling and trying to fight back. He ended up giving up and thought that she wouldn't be able to escape with her hands tied behind her back. 

He put a sack or a hood over her head and dragged her to the back of his ute. His dog, who was also in the vehicle, was pretty much quiet. Whilst Joanne had her hands tied and the hood over her head she was understandably in a complete panic. Bradley realised that he had to move the Kombi van as well as Peter's body because, although they were pretty much in the middle of nowhere, tourists and other members of the public did travel through that road from time to time and somebody might grow suspicious and stop to check everything out, thinking someone might have broken down and needed help.

Joanne could hear Bradley moving about and the sound of what she would later describe as a dragging sound. She believed that Bradley murdered Peter and that she was going to be next she had to escape somehow. She managed to shake the hood off and slide out of the vehicle. The whole time she was paranoid that he would hear her because it was so dark, cold and there was only the two of them there. She managed to get up, hands still behind her back and ran as fast as she could, into the darkness, not being able to see clearly what was in front of her. She found some bushes and she tried to hide herself the best that she could.

Bradley was still pondering about, making dragging noises, she then heard the sound of the Kombi. Joanne was terrified he would find her. He soon walked over to his ute and discovered she was missing. He tried to look around for her, using the lights but to her surprise, he eventually gave up and drove off. Joanne stayed cramped, curled up and freezing in those bushes for about 4 hours. She was terrified to move in case he was out there somewhere watching. Eventually she plucked up the courage and ran as fast as she could. She ran on to the highway where she managed to flag down a road train truck. The two men from this truck did their best to help her. They cut off the cable ties and took her to a local hotel where she was supported by the kind staff and regulars. She stayed their overnight whilst waiting for the police to arrive. The police arrived the next day and Joanne was taken to the hospital and was interviewed about everything that happened. 

Other investigators went back to the exact location that Joanne had described to them and they did find the Kombi. Bradley had driven it off the road and tried to conceal it in amongst bushes. They also found a lot of blood which indicated to them that something horrific must have happened. They also found the lid to Joanne's lip balm under one of the bushes as well as indentations in the ground that showed that Joanne had been hiding in that exact location. 

The Kombi was thoroughly examined by forensics who took swabs of everything as well as Peter's inhaler so they could get a sample of his DNA. The two kind road truck drivers were smart in their thinking and actions with cutting off the cable ties and handing them over to the police. These cable ties would prove to be a crucial piece of evidence. 

Joanne was interviewed for hours and both the families of Peter and Joanne sadly found out the truth of what had happened through the news on TV. The horrifying story went worldwide very quickly. Australia had been under the spotlight previously for the number of backpacker murders and tourists suddenly going missing. Joanne was able to give the police an e-fit. 

Bradley did his best to change his appearance, people around him were shocked to see him clean-shaven all of a sudden. He'd had also given his ute a bit of a makeover. He thought he'd gotten away with it but the police had him in their sights. At this point there was a number of suspects that the police had in mind and he was one of the main ones. 

The case shocked Australia, Britain and anyone who came across it. Every reporter in Australia and Britain wanted to interview Joanne Lees. It was quite an incredible (as well as heartbreaking and terrifying) story. Joanne, however became the target of malicious gossip, assumptions and cruel judgements. She was always a quiet person anyway until she had gotten to know people. She tried to keep her distance from the press and tried to put a brave face on things, but she was painted as not being the innocent woman she claimed to be. 

Nasty people decided that she must have done something to Peter and that this was all just a big performance where she killed him and hid his body. The harassment that Joanne endured was likened to that of the Lindy Chamberlain case which I also previously wrote about. Lindy and her husband Michael were put through hell in the media and were wrongfully convicted of the murder of their baby. The infamous 'Dingo Took My Baby' case shocked Australia and the world. Lindy was particularly blasted for her calm, collected and hard demeanor, some people saw this as a sign of guilt. Eventually the pair were found completely innocent backed up by evidence and exonerated. 

Everything Joanne said, did or wore was put under the microscope. At a public appeal for information she wore a tight baby pink shirt that said 'Cheeky Monkey' on it and some people found this to be distasteful as well as her perceived lack of emotion. The police had noted that some of the things she said in her original statements didn't add up or she would later recall certain aspects of events in a different manner.

She was under a cloud of suspicion until Bradley John Murdoch was arrested in 2002 for a sexual assault on a woman and her daughter. Investigators were able to obtain his DNA and they found a match with the DNA that was found on Joanne's clothing and the black cable ties. He was then officially arrested for the murder of Peter Falconio and the attempted abduction of Joanne Lees. 

Bradley John Murdoch's trial began in October of 2005 and ran for eight weeks. He was found guilty of of all charges relating to the murder of Peter and attempted abduction of Joanne. He never displayed an ounce of remorse and claimed that he was innocent and just a drug runner. The evidence proved otherwise. His DNA was found at the crime scene, on the cable ties, on Joanne's clothing and one of her hair accessories was found amongst his belongings when the police did a search. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

There is currently still an ongoing reward for anyone who has any information about where Peter Falconio's remains are. The reward is reportedly $500,000/£260,000. If anyone has any information at all, no matter how small, they are advised to contact (and this can be anonymous) Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 (inside Australia). If outside of Australia, anyone with information is to contact their local police department. 

It's actually crazy to add that Bradley John Murdoch passed away after a battle with cancer on the 15th of July 2025. Literally a day after the 24th anniversary of when he murdered Peter. On his death bed, Peter's parents begged him to give up information about what he did with their sons body. The grieving parents who spent 24 years never knowing what happened to their beloved son, recorded a video that the police tried to pass on to Bradley. As heartless as ever, he wasn't interested and shouted at the police to ''Get Out', Don't beat around the bush because I'm just going to cut you short every time ok, I know nothing.'' 

It's interesting that he used the word 'bush', it could just be that he was using a common expression or could it be that he put Peter's body under one of those bushes in that location or near it? That's just me thinking out loud and I'm sure these areas have been thoroughly searched. He may have taken Peter's body away in the back of his ute. 

He was 67 years old at the time of his death and he was a cold-hearted monster right up to the very end. It was also revealed that he had made a previous attempt at an abduction before he targeted Peter and Joanne but he managed to get away with that due to lack of evidence. It makes you wonder what else he got away with?, what other sadistic and evil things this creature did in the past, we may never know. He's certainly cut from the same cloth as Ivan Milat.

After Bradley was found guilty and the public were aware of all the evidence presented, Joanne Lees was finally shown some respect by the press and by those in the public who had doubted her. After this nightmare ordeal she tried to live her life as normal as she could in England. She is reportedly employed as a social worker, She wrote a book about her experience titled No Turning Back 

A TV movie based on Joanne's experience, Murder in the Outback starring Joanne Froggatt, was released in 2007. 

Joanne spends a lot of time in Australia, especially Sydney. She is still looking for information about what happened to Peter. She discovered in 2017 that she had a half-sister who lived in Sydney and visits her regularly. 

Bradley John Murdoch's family and friends held a private funeral ceremony for this monster, describing him as a 'devoted family man'. He was cremated and his ashes scattered in a undisclosed location. Well I don't think someone who is a 'devoted family man' would sit back and watch the parents of his innocent victim agonize and suffer for over two decades about what happened to their son. 

Everyone who met Peter, studied with him, worked with him, all said he was a great guy. He worked so hard for everything he had including that Kombi van, he worked for months trying to save up the money to buy that van. His kindness, his trust in people, his ability to makes friends wherever he went ended up with him being murdered and it's not fair. He had the rest of his life in front of him. I'm going to be honest and say that I wasn't happy when I found out during my research that Joanne had been cheating on him whilst they were on a damn holiday together...what the hell? All he did was treat her like a Queen and when details of the affair were made public, it further added to the rumours and speculations about what really happened that night. 

At the end of the day, neither Peter or Joanne deserved what happened to them at the hands of the evil and sadistic Bradley John Murdoch. This story has always been heartbreaking and the fact that Peter's family are still nowhere near finding out where Peter is, is just devastating. 

RIP Peter, you will never be forgotten.

Further Reading & Sources:

- And Then the Darkness | Book by Sue Wiliams

- Where's Peter? | Book by Roger Maynard

- Australia Outback | Wikipedia

- Joanne Lees: Article | The Daily Telegraph

- Bradley John Murdoch: Article | SBS

- Murder of Peter Falconio | Wikipedia

- Peter Falconio | Reddit Discussion Thread

- Bradley John Murdoch: Article | BBC News

- Peter Falconio & Joanne Lees: Article | The Guardian

- Peter Falconio: Article | ABC New Australia

Thank you as always if you have made it this far in the post. We can but hope that one day Peter's family will get the answers they need. It's important to never lose hope. I hope you will join me in my next post. In the meantime, you can find me on my Socials.

Take care, stay safe.....until next time x