BRADLEY JOHN MURDOCH

'Bradley John Murdoch' (born 1958) is serving life imprisonment for the July 2001 murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio in Australia. He will be 74 when eligible for parole. Murdoch is being held in Alice Springs Correctional Centre^[1] in Alice Springs. He has lodged two appeals against his conviction; both were unsuccessful. The High Court refused special leave to appeal on 21 June 2007.

Contents

Early life

Previous convictions

Peter Falconio murder

Appeal

Location of Peter Falconio's Body

See also

References

Early life

Murdoch had previously lived in Broome, Western Australia and worked as a truck driver and mechanic.

Previous convictions

★ In 1980, aged 21, Murdoch received a suspended sentence after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving. [1]

★ In 1995 Murdoch served 15 months imprisonment for shooting at people who were celebrating at a football match in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. [2]

Peter Falconio murder

In December 2005, Murdoch was convicted by the Supreme Court in Darwin for the murder of Falconio on a remote stretch of road in outback Northern Territory on July 14 2001. He was also convicted of other assault-related charges on Falconio's girlfriend, Joanne Lees. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 28 years.
Murdoch has maintained his innocence. During his trial, defence lawyers claimed that police procedures were not followed correctly, that Joanne Lees's testimony was inconsistent, and that it was impossible for him to have committed the crime. Since his conviction, Joanne Lees has called upon him to reveal the location of Falconio's body. In April 2006, a report in ''The Bulletin'' cast considerable doubt on part of Murdoch's testimony; while he claimed to have bought chicken at the same Red Rooster restaurant as Falconio and Lees (suggesting an innocent explanation for how his blood might have ended up on Lees's shirt), ''The Bulletin'' reported that Murdoch was allergic to chicken.[3]

Appeal

On December 12, 2006 Murdoch appealed against his life sentence in the Supreme Court where his lawyers lodged eight grounds of appeal. Murdoch claims the evidence of Lees was tainted because she had seen a photograph of Murdoch on the internet before she was interviewed by police, and an article linking Murdoch to the murder. Murdoch also claims Lees incorrectly identified the breed of Murdoch's dog. ^[2]
The appeal was dismissed on January 10, 2007.^[3] An appeal to the High Court of Australia was unsuccessful.

Location of Peter Falconio's Body

The location of Peter Falconio's body remains a mystery. However, in mid August 2007, some sections of the Australian Media speculated that Murdoch may soon reveal the whereabouts of Falconio's remains. Specifically, the Australian press mentioned that he does not enjoy the conditions of the Berrimah Prison, on the outskirts of Darwin, Australia and may reveal the location of Falconio's body in exchange for a transfer to a prison in Western Australia, now that all avenues of appeal for Murdoch have been exhausted.^[4]

See also

★ Claremont serial killer

References

1. Falconio murderer moved to Alice Springs Australian Broadcasting Commission, August 25, 2007
2. Evidence questioned in Murdoch appeal Australian Broadcasting Commission, December 12, 2006
3. Falconio killer loses appeal, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, January 10, 2007.
4. [4]



★ The Queen v Murdoch 2005 NTSC 80 (15 December 2005)

★ The Queen v Murdoch 2005 NTSC 79 (15 December 2005)

★ The Queen v Murdoch 2005 NTSC 78 (15 December 2005)

★ The Queen v Murdoch 2005 NTSC 77 (15 December 2005)

★ The Queen v Murdoch 2005 NTSC 76 (15 December 2005)

★ The Queen v Murdoch 2005 NTSC 75 (15 December 2005)

★ Wolf Creek banned in Northern Territory