Has Peter Falconio’s body finally been found?

Detectives are reportedly investigating whether the remains of British backpacker Peter Falconio have been found near where he was last seen alive.

Bone fragments are said to have been found this week near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, just a few hundred kilometers from where he was shot in 2001.

Drug smuggler Bradley Murdoch has been found guilty of killing Mr Falconio, 28, and attempting to kidnap his girlfriend Joanne Lees, also 27, after he stopped their campervan on a deserted outback road in the middle of the night.

Murdoch dragged her into the back of his ute but he managed to escape and fled into the bush where he hid in the dark until finally giving up and leaving with Mr Falconio’s body.

Since then, no trace of the backpacker has been found.

The remains of backpacker Peter Falconio (pictured with his girlfriend Joanne Lees) may have been discovered near the last place he was seen alive.

Northern Territory Police have searched for the body of the British tourist on numerous occasions over the years and remain hopeful of finding his remains (pictured Mr Falconio and Ms Lees).

The area where the final remains are said to have been discovered matches where authorities have always believed Murdoch’s body was dumped.

Forensic scientists will now reportedly use DNA and dental records to determine if they belong to the backpacker, Nine newspaper reported.

Northern Territory Police said Friday night they could not confirm the details of a new discovery.

Murdoch was sentenced to 28 years in prison for the murder but has always maintained his innocence and refused to tell police where the body was.

Bradley Murdoch (pictured), who was convicted of Mr Falconio’s murder, has maintained his innocence

Police sources are said to believe the age and location of the bones reportedly found this week are very close to where Mr Falconio was found.

They are believed to have been found as police searched for missing Alice Springs woman Angie Fuller, who went missing outside of town in January.

Murdoch admitted he was in Alice Springs on the same day as Mr Falconio and Ms Lees, from Huddersfield, Yorkshire, just hours before the attack, 10km outside the tiny settlement of Barrow Creek.

He admitted that he resembled a suspect caught on CCTV footage filmed at a Shell truck stop in Alice Springs a few hours after the alleged murder.

While on trial in Darwin’s Northern Territory High Court for the murder of Mr Falconio in 2005, Murdoch admitted that even his father and friends had told him he looked like the man in the footage, but he denied that it was him.

Murdoch admitted to smuggling large quantities of drugs from Sedan, South Australia, to Broome, Western Australia, but denied the fatal assault, insisting in court: “No. I wasn’t at the rest area.’

Mr Falconio and Ms Lees were traveling in a camper van down the remote Stuart Highway on the night of July 14, 2001 when they were pulled over by Murdoch.

Murdoch admitted he resembled a suspect captured in CCTV footage (pictured) filmed at a Shell truck stop in Alice Springs, central Australia, a few hours after the alleged murder – but he denied that it was him

Mr Falconio and his girlfriend Joanne Lees were driving in a camper van down the remote Stuart Highway (pictured) on July 14, 2001 when they were pulled over

Ms Lees told detectives as the men were investigating what was going on with the motorhome (pictured) she heard a gunshot

Murdoch drove behind them on the stretch of road between Alice Springs and Darwin and indicated that there was a mechanical problem with their van.

Murdoch claimed sparks came from the exhaust and convinced the pair to pull over.

Ms Lees told detectives her boyfriend got out to investigate at the back of the motor home before suddenly hearing a gunshot.

Murdoch then appeared at her door and pointed a gun at her before tying her hands, duct-taping her ankles and bundling her into the back of his ute, which was covered by a green canvas hood.

She managed to escape and hid in the bush for hours while Murdoch and his dog searched for her until he finally hid their campervan in the nearby bush and drove away in his own ute.

Ms Lees eventually stopped a truck and sounded the alarm – but no trace of her boyfriend’s body was ever found.

Four days after the attack, police brought Ms Lees back to the remote section of the Stuart Highway to reconstruct the horrific events.

In the video, Ms. Lees sits in the orange station wagon while police try to find out important details, e.g. B. how Murdoch held the gun when he threatened her and how she was attacked.

She demonstrated how her hands were tied behind her back, how she had been pushed from the passenger side of the orange station wagon onto the red dirt of the roadside.

Murdoch was found guilty of murder in December 2005 after the DNA on Ms Lee’s T-shirt matched him, and he was sentenced to life in prison with a 28-year sentence without parole.

According to his trial, Murdoch is said to have placed Mr Falconio’s body in his ute before disposing of it during the 2000km journey between Alice Springs and Broome.

Northern Territory Police have searched for the British tourist’s body on numerous occasions over the years and remain hopeful of finding it.

Earlier remains discovered in 2003, 2004 and 2007 were found to be unrelated to the Falconio survey.

“We’ve been down this road before, so let’s not jump to conclusions,” a Northern Territory detective told Nine Media this week.

Ms. Lees and Mr. Falconio had stopped at Ti Tree, a one-horse town between Alice Springs and Barrow Creek, and shared a joint at sunset as they drove north to the Devil’s Marbles

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk