AN AUSTRALIAN MAN who murdered British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001 has died in hospital, without disclosing where he buried the 28-year-old’s remains.

Bradley Murdoch was convicted and jailed for killing Falconio in 2005 and assaulting his girlfriend Joanne Lees at gunpoint in the Australian outback in July 2001. Despite extensive searches, Falconio’s body has never been found.

Police in Australia’s Northern Territory confirmed the death of Murdoch and said its thoughts are with Falconio’s family.

Murdoch was released from prison last month to receive palliative care for terminal cancer. In a statement, police said: “His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved.”

It added: “The Northern Territory Police Force remains committed to [resolve] this final piece of the investigation.

“We continue to appeal to anyone who may have information that could lead us to Peter Falconio’s remains to come forward, no matter how small the detail may seem.”

A fresh appeal was launched in 2021, two decades after the murder, in a renewed push to gather information around the location of Falconio’s remains.

Police today offered AU$500,000 (€280,800) to anyone with details which would lead to the discovery of his bpdy.