Bradley Murdoch, the Australian man convicted in the 2001 murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio, has died.
Murdoch, 67, was serving a life sentence at a correctional facility in Alice Springs, located in Australia’s Northern Territory.
He had been receiving treatment at Alice Springs Hospital in recent weeks, reportedly for terminal cancer.
The Northern Territory Department of Corrections confirmed to the BBC that Murdoch died on July 15 at the hospital’s palliative care unit.
Authorities have indicated that the death will be subject to investigation by the Northern Territory Coroner.
Murdoch was convicted in 2005 of the murder of Mr. Falconio, but never disclosed the location of his remains.
Mr. Falconio was fatally shot along a remote highway near the Northern Territory town of Barrow Creek, approximately 300km (186 miles) north of Alice Springs, in July 2001.
At the time of the incident, the 28-year-old was traveling around Australia with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, also from the UK.
Murdoch was also found guilty of the attempted kidnapping and assault of Ms. Lees, who managed to escape by concealing herself in the outback scrub for several hours before successfully signaling for help.
Murdoch was 43 years old when he committed the crimes.
The ordeal served as partial inspiration for the 2001 horror film “Wolf Creek.”
Last month, Australian police announced a new reward of up to A$500,000 (£240,000) for information leading to the discovery of the remains of the murdered British backpacker.
Acting Commander Mark Grieve of Northern Territory Police stated at a press conference in late June: “Police still hold out hope that someone might be able to provide some vital information to assist in this search.”
“We recognize the passage of time that has transpired, but it is never too late to reach out and start that conversation with police,” Grieve added.
He noted during the press conference that police had “made numerous approaches” to Murdoch, including in June, but said that “unfortunately… on all occasions he has chosen not to engage with police”.
Acting Commander Grieve expressed his desire to “try and at least bring some sliver of resolution to Peter’s family by bringing home his remains” and confirmed that they had discussed the reward with the family.
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