Police in Australia's Northern Territory released previously unseen photographs from the Peter Falconio murder investigation on 14 July 2026, the 25th anniversary of the crime The Guardian. The release came six days after they had also shared body-worn camera footage from an interrogation with the killer.

In 2001, Peter Falconio, a 28-year-old British backpacker, was murdered on the Stuart Highway. His girlfriend, Joanne Lees, was attacked the same night but escaped. She flagged down a passing truck on the darkened road and survived. Bradley John Murdoch was later convicted of the murder. He died in July 2025, aged 67, without ever saying where he left Falconio's body The Guardian.

The new photographs include a picture of Lees taken within 24 hours of the attack, showing her distressed; a police photograph of Murdoch; pictures of the couple's orange Kombi van; and images of the cuts and scrapes Lees received during her struggle The Guardian. The police department released these as part of the 25th-anniversary remembrance, published in a statement at 6:00am on 14 July 2026 NT PFES.

The photographs followed footage released earlier that month showing police officers trying to get Murdoch to reveal where Falconio's remains were. In the footage from officers' body cameras, Murdoch denied knowing where the body was ABC News BBC. This interview was one of the last times police directly asked him about the case's biggest unsolved question.

Police Commissioner Martin Dole said the investigation will stay open until Falconio's remains are found The Guardian. A reward of A$500,000 remains available for information that leads to finding the body. Police believe Murdoch may have told a family member or friend where he left Falconio, even though he never publicly admitted it. This is why police keep asking the public for help, even though Murdoch is dead.

Murdoch was convicted based partly on DNA evidence from a cable tie found on Lees's wrists. That evidence held up through court appeals. Because no body has been found, the case is still technically open under Northern Territory law, even though Murdoch was convicted and sentenced. That is why police still call it an active investigation 25 years later.

Police often release information around anniversaries to remind the public and try to get new tips. Pictures and video tend to get more attention than written appeals alone. This timing matters: Murdoch died just one day after the anniversary date of the crime, so releasing these materials now connects back to both events.

It is unclear whether these new photographs or the footage will lead to finding Falconio's body. Murdoch's death means police cannot try to make a deal with him—a method that has worked to solve other cold cases. Instead, investigators must rely on what others might know: people who were close to Murdoch, or anyone who may have heard something since 2001 and only now understand its importance. The police have kept the reward the same rather than raising it, suggesting they still think the current amount is enough to encourage someone to come forward.

For Lees, who is now 25 years away from that night on the Stuart Highway, this renewed attention brings back a chapter she has tried to move past. For Falconio's family, the goal remains the same as in 2001: to find his remains so they can give him a proper burial. The case will stay open for as long as his body remains unfound.