DARWIN, AUSTRALIA — Victims’ advocates have condemned reports that Bradley John Murdoch, one of Australia’s most infamous murderers, is receiving special privileges as he nears the end of his life in palliative care.
Murdoch, who is serving a life sentence for the 2001 murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio, was convicted in 2005 following a high-profile trial. The crime took place near Barrow Creek in the Northern Territory, where Murdoch ambushed Falconio and his girlfriend Joanne Lees on the remote Stuart Highway.
Now, as reports surface that the convicted killer has been transferred to palliative care due to terminal illness, public concern has grown over claims that Murdoch has been granted escorted outings — including trips into the community and back to the Darwin Correctional Centre to “say goodbye” to fellow inmates.
Northern Territory authorities have not denied these claims, sparking outrage among victims’ rights groups and members of the public.
“It’s Inappropriate,” Say Advocates
Michael O’Connell, a prominent victims’ rights advocate and former Victims of Crime Commissioner in South Australia, criticized any such leniency shown to Murdoch.
“I find it difficult to accept that a person who has murdered someone should be able to be out and about on the street unless it is only for the purpose of treatment,” O’Connell said.
“He shouldn’t be engaged in any other activity other than prison to hospital, hospital to prison.”
The news has reopened emotional wounds for Joanne Lees, who escaped Murdoch’s attempted abduction on the night of the murder. In a 2017 interview, Lees said:
“I love Pete so much, and I want to bring him home — I need to bring him home.”
Murdoch has never revealed the location of Falconio’s remains, continuing to deny any involvement in the crime despite overwhelming forensic evidence presented at trial.
“She has made it quite clear that she’ll never fully be at peace until she finds Peter’s body,” said O’Connell. “There’s an opportunity here now for Bradley Murdoch.”
A Grim Legacy
Peter Falconio’s disappearance sparked an international media frenzy and transformed Murdoch into a household name for all the wrong reasons. After the murder, he went on the run for two years before being arrested in South Australia and extradited to the Northern Territory in 2003.
He was found guilty in 2005 and sentenced to life in prison with a 28-year non-parole period, which would have made him eligible for parole in 2033. However, with his health reportedly in sharp decline, it appears he may not live to serve the full term.
The Northern Territory Department of Corrections has declined to comment further on Murdoch’s medical condition or the specific nature of any permissions granted to him while in palliative care, citing privacy laws.
Still, the silence leaves many — especially Falconio’s loved ones and supporters — questioning whether justice is truly being served.
