Unseen photographs of Peter Falconio investigation are released on 25th anniversary, showing shocked Joanne Lees hours after her escape and footprint clue

By SABRINA PENTY, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:38, 14 July 2026 | Updated: 12:38, 14 July 2026 Police in Australia have marked the 25th anniversary of the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio by releasing new images from their investigation, in the hope it 'could lead police to Peter's remains'. Bradley John Murdoch was convicted in 2005 of murdering Mr Falconio, 28, and assaulting his girlfriend Joanne Lees at gunpoint on a remote stretch of road near Barrow Creek in Australia's Northern Territory on July 14 2001. Mr Falconio and Ms Lees, both from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, were travelling across the country in a camper van when they were ambushed by Murdoch on the isolated Stuart Highway. The killer was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019 and moved to palliative care from Alice Springs Correctional Centre before dying in July last year. Murdoch is thought to have disposed of Mr Falconio's body somewhere in the remote desert between Alice Springs and Broome, covering more than 1,200 miles. But despite repeated searches of the area, Mr Falconio's body has never been found - and may never be after Murdoch took the secret of where it was buried to his grave. Now, police have released never-before-seen images in the hopes of discovering Mr Falconio's remains.  Images show the injuries sustained by Ms Lees, including marks and grazes on her elbow and wrists, sustained in the attempted abduction.  A supplied image obtained on Monday, July 13, 2026, of Joanne Lees less than 24 hours after her boyfriend Peter Falconio was murdered and she escaped her own attempted abduction. New images released by police on the 25th anniversary of Peter Falconio's murder This newly released image shows the grazes on the arm of Joanne Lees following her attempted abduction by Bradley Murdoch A supplied image obtained on Monday, July 13, 2026, of Joanne Lees less than 24 hours after her boyfriend Peter Falconio was murdered and she escaped her own attempted abduction. New images released by police on the 25th anniversary of Peter Falconio's murder Another image shows the orange Volkswagen Kombi camper van that Mr Falconio and Ms Lees were travelling in at the time of the violent crime. A separate picture shows a footprint in the sand.  There is also a photo of Murdoch staring straight at a camera, which the police took as part of their investigation.  Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole has said the investigation into Mr Falconio's murder would stay open until his remains were found. 'It is deeply regrettable that Murdoch died without, as far as we know, ever disclosing the location of Peter's remains. His cowardly silence has denied his family, friends and loved ones the closure they deserve,' he said. 'Twenty-five years is a significant milestone, and the Northern Territory Police Force remains committed to bringing this investigation to its fullest conclusion and will continue to pursue every avenue available. 'For many investigators, this case has spanned decades of their policing careers. Their commitment to finding Peter and delivering answers to his family has never wavered.' Ruthless Murdoch shot Mr Falconio in the head on the night of July 14, 2001, after tricking the couple as they drove between Alice Springs and Darwin in their VW Kombi campervan. After shooting Mr Falconio, Murdoch threatened Ms Lees before he bound her hands behind her back with cable tie restraints and bundled her into the back of his ute. But while Murdoch disposed of Mr Falconio's body, Ms Lees managed to escape, running barefoot through the bush where she hid while Murdoch hunted for her with his dog. Pictured: A footprint in the sand making up part of the investigation into Peter Falconio's murder Image shows the hands of Joanne Lees following her attempted abduction by Bradley Murdoch Picture shows evidence collected on the orange Kombi van Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees were travelling in Pictured: The orange Volkswagen Kombi van driven by Joanne Lees and Peter Falconi Image shows the injuries sustained by Joanne Lees  Five hours after her boyfriend's murder, Ms Lees eventually flagged down a truck and raised the alarm. The road trip-turned-outback nightmare has been the subject of multiple books, TV programs and documentaries as well as wild theories about where Falconio's body lies, and the fruitless searches for it. The only trace of Mr Falconio was a small blood stain on the tarmac of the highway where the shooting took place. Murdoch always denied being the killer, and protested his innocence throughout a murder trial which saw him convicted in December 2005, and sentenced to life imprisonment. The former mechanic, who drove road trains and trucks across the Outback lodged two unsuccessful appeals and was refused special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia in 2007.