1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,679 Speaker 1: Now we know a new reward of up to five 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars has been announced for information that leads 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: to the discovery of Peter Falconio's body. Bradley John Murdoch 4 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: was indeed convicted of mister Falconio's murder in two thousand 5 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: and five and sentenced to life imprisonment. Now it comes 6 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 1: amid reports that mister Murdoch is near well, is in 7 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: his deathbed and has been transferred to Allis Springs Hospital 8 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: for palliative care. Now joining me in the studio is 9 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Police Assistant Commissioner Travis Wursk. Good morning to. 10 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 2: You, morning to your listeners. 11 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: Now, Assistant Commissioner, firstly, remind us what happened in this 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: cold case. 13 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 3: So on the fourteenth of July two thousand and one, 14 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 3: ten kilometers north of Barrow Creek, which is obviously north 15 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 3: of Aler Springs on the Stuart Highway, there was an 16 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 3: incident that occurred where Bradley John Murdoch stopped a vehicle. 17 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 3: That vehicle had Joina Lee's and Peter Falcono in it. 18 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 3: As a consequence of that altercation, Peter Falcone was killed, 19 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 3: Joe and Lee's was an attempt to abduct her, and 20 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 3: she escaped and was later identified by a passer by 21 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 3: and raised the alert at the Barrow Creek Hotel, and 22 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 3: then Northern Territory Police kicked into action and a very long, 23 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 3: protracted investigation ensued that ultimately led to the arrest of 24 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 3: Bradley John Murdoch and his conviction for murder and attempted 25 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,479 Speaker 3: the abduction in December of twenty two thousand and five, 26 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 3: as you rightly said, he was convicted of that murder 27 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 3: and that abduction and later sentenced to life imprisonment with 28 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 3: a non parole period of twenty eight years in the territory. However, 29 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 3: after the investigation and the conviction, we hadn't identified the 30 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,279 Speaker 3: location of or recovered a body of Peter Falcono. Laws 31 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 3: were then passed that meant that if you didn't identify 32 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 3: the body, a person who was on parole would never 33 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 3: be eligible for parole unless that body was identified and located, 34 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 3: and whether that information came from the individual or another, 35 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 3: it didn't matter. And that particular provision is in place 36 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 3: now and as a consequence of that that all the 37 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 3: Territory police have never stopped investigating this matter. So even 38 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 3: though the conviction occurred and there were a number of 39 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 3: appeals and that they're all upheld and the conviction still 40 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 3: stands to this day, we've always been looking for new information, 41 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 3: tracking that information down searching. We've done numerous searches over 42 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 3: the years after the conviction and none of which have 43 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 3: obviously yielded any outcome. We've been working on this again 44 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 3: with a renewed effort since the beginning of this year, 45 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 3: and that culminated in effectively yesterday. It's coincidentally similar timing 46 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 3: to mister Murdock being ill, is that I understand we 47 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 3: were working toward the twenty fourth anniversary of the disappearance, 48 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 3: which is on the fourteenth of July this year. That's 49 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 3: what we were working toward. So what we announced yesterday, 50 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 3: Commander Mark Greeve announced a fresh reward, so not an 51 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 3: increase in the old reward. That the old reward was 52 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 3: in relation to the homicide investigation, in relation to identifying 53 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 3: the body of Peter. So it's a reward for up 54 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 3: to five hundred dollars five hundred thousand dollars to be 55 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 3: paid to someone for information that's verified it could lead 56 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 3: to the identification location and recovery of Peter Falcono's body. 57 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: I would imagine it can be a bit difficult because 58 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 1: I would suspect that sometimes when you announce rewards like this, 59 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: is that you get some you know, some crazy calls, 60 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: people making all sorts of claims. 61 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 2: There's an interesting element to this. 62 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 3: That's why we say verified yes, So we don't expect 63 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 3: all the psychics out there to start their work again 64 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 3: and fire all that information with us. That doesn't really 65 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 3: help us. We're after verified information. So what that means 66 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 3: in this context is we, other than mister Murdock, hope 67 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 3: that someone obviously has been told something, heard something, seeing something. 68 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 3: It's privy to information that's specifically relevant for us identifying 69 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 3: the location of the body. That's what we're after. 70 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: Well, you do wonder, after all of those years in 71 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,119 Speaker 1: prison as well, whether there's been sort of some gloating, 72 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: some talking, some who knows what may have been seen 73 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: at some point to fellow prisoners, to family members, to anybody. 74 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 3: Look absolutely, and that's what we're focused on here. As 75 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 3: I said, it coincides with this reporting that he may 76 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 3: be ill. It might be the case that if someone 77 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 3: does have information, they may not be willing to provide 78 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 3: it right now, but if he were to pass at 79 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 3: some point, that might be the trigger point. So we're 80 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 3: appealing to the public anyone with information, regardless of how 81 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 3: small you think it may be, that relates specifically to 82 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 3: the identification of the body. The investigation has been complete 83 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 3: into the homicide and the abduction. We do not need 84 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 3: information in relation to Thatt. This is specific to the body. 85 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 3: The whole pretense here is for us to be able 86 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 3: to locate the body so we can allow the family 87 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 3: can lay. 88 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 2: Peter to rest. 89 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 1: Have ween spoken to Peter Felconio's family. 90 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 3: Not myself personally, but our team, the team that I've 91 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 3: been working on this throughout the entire journey, have been 92 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 3: in contact with Peter's family, both Luccio and Joanne in 93 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 3: the last twenty for ours and they're well aware of 94 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 3: what we're doing and why we're doing it, and they've 95 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 3: been assisting us as well, because all they want is 96 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 3: this to be closed for them. They're both aging now, 97 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,119 Speaker 3: they've been dealing with this for the last twenty four years, 98 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 3: and all they want is to be able to go 99 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 3: to their graves with the knowledge that Peter's been Later 100 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 3: rest and that's what we're trying to help them with 101 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 3: and we'll continue to do that. So again there's that 102 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 3: call for information. If you do know or you want 103 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 3: to tell us something at a point in time, just 104 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 3: by the time get the information together one three one, 105 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 3: Triple four, Crime Stoppers one eight hundred, Triple three, triple zero, 106 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 3: or contact if you know other police officers. You can 107 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 3: provide that information anyway. Cannot be anonymous if you wish 108 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 3: to be eligible for any reward that might be payable. 109 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: So you have like it can't be anonymous. 110 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 3: Anonymous then we don't know who you are exactly right. 111 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 3: Don't expect to be paid anything. 112 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: Tell me. Has Bradley John Murdock recently been reinterviewed by 113 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Police. 114 00:05:55,240 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 3: We have spoken with him recently and that didn't necessarily 115 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 3: yield the information that we're after anticipated. So we've now 116 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 3: developed this additional plan in relation to how we hope 117 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 3: to get the information that's going to lead us to 118 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:12,720 Speaker 3: finalizing this investigation. 119 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 1: And I mean, despite being charged, convicted, you found to 120 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: be guilty, he's never been forthcoming with information, has he? No? 121 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 3: I'd suggest if you were to speak to him he's 122 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 3: probably still professing his innocence. However, a jury of his 123 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 3: peers suggested otherwise, and all the courts that have heard 124 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 3: appeals have upheld that that conviction stands. He will die 125 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 3: as a murderer, and he knows where this body is 126 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 3: and whether he chooses to tell us, but he may 127 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 3: tell somebody else, and that person, if they were to 128 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 3: provide that information to us, may be eligible for that reward. 129 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, you cannot even like, I cannot even begin to 130 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: imagine this whole ordeal for the family of Peter Falconio, 131 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: and also for joe Ann Lee's and still never being 132 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: able to locate his body and not being able to 133 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: give him that proper resting place. 134 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, that must be really, really difficult. 135 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 3: They've lived with that every day since since this occurred 136 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 3: in two thousand and one. It's closure for that family. 137 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 3: It's also closure for the Northern Charity police and the 138 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 3: Northern Territory community because this has become part of our consciousness, 139 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 3: our psyche over many, many years. Many many police officers 140 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 3: have been involved in this investigation. I worked on it 141 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 3: in two thousand and one myself in our springs. It 142 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 3: will give closure to lots of people, but most particularly 143 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 3: the Falcano family and Joe and Lee's for that matter too. 144 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, you know, and I know you'd touched on 145 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: this before. Obviously his family it's been a long long 146 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: period of time. I would imagine they're aging. You know, 147 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: it's something that you want to make sure that at 148 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: some point you're able, you know, to find out exactly 149 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: where your son is. 150 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 3: And that's why we've gone to this extraordinary step of 151 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 3: going to this reward. It's not to investigate a crime anymore, 152 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 3: but it's investigating the consequence of a crime. And we've 153 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 3: got the approval to announce this. We've got the money 154 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 3: vulnerable as required. If we can verify information that leads 155 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 3: to that discovery, that really important discovery for the family, 156 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 3: then as I said, up to five hundred thousand dollars 157 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 3: someone may be eligible. 158 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: So can you just sort of give us a like 159 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: a bit more info about how that verification would have 160 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: to happen, Like it's not just as simple as passing 161 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: on some information and the Northern Territory like you literally 162 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: have to locate. 163 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 3: Indeed, it actually it can't be just information that sends 164 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 3: us off on a wild goose chase. 165 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 2: We actually have to find. 166 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 3: Evidence of Peter's remains as consquence information provided by an individual, 167 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 3: and that will take some time. It's not something that 168 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 3: you'll get in immediately. We have to then verify it. 169 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 3: So if someone says something to us today with the 170 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 3: due diligence that we would normally do, then it requires 171 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 3: us to go back out into the field wherever that 172 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 3: may be and do what we need to do identify 173 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:50,559 Speaker 3: an individual. We then have to do with the DNA 174 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 3: testing to create the verification, which we're prepared to do. 175 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 3: We're ready to do that if that were to eventuate, 176 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 3: and we really hope that's what comes of this. 177 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 1: All right, Assistant can be just reminds listeners this morning, 178 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: how can people report any information that they might have. 179 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 3: So we're after information that is verifiable that relates specifically 180 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 3: to the identification of the current location of Peter Fowl 181 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 3: Conio's body. If you have any information now or you 182 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:20,079 Speaker 3: come about information in the near future in relation to that, 183 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 3: please contact police on one three one triple four or 184 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 3: on crime Stuff is one eight hundred triple three, triple 185 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 3: zero and provide that information to police. You need to 186 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 3: provide your details and as I said, if it's verified 187 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:36,959 Speaker 3: information that leads to us recovering the remains of Peter, 188 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 3: then you may be eligible for up to five hundred 189 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 3: thousand dollars by way of reward. 190 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: I mean, is this really one last attempt from the 191 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: Northern Territory Police to see if this convicted murderer will 192 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: actually reveal that information to somebody. 193 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 2: It's another attempt and if this we hope that this yields. 194 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 3: What we're after. We haven't been down this path previously. 195 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 3: It is probably you know quite timely that it's happening. 196 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 2: As we speak. 197 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 3: If this is not successful, we'll continue to do more 198 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:12,319 Speaker 3: work on this. But obviously as people get older and 199 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 3: people age, so those in that twenty four year years 200 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 3: ago age bracket are aging as well. So you know, 201 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,839 Speaker 3: if you've got if you're going to pass with something 202 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:23,959 Speaker 3: on your conscience, please tell us before you pass. 203 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 2: It would be really important for the family. 204 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 1: Absolutely well. Northern Territory Police Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst really 205 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: appreciate your time this morning. 206 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:33,559 Speaker 2: Thanks Courtie, Thank you