Today is 15 years since the murder of Huddersfield backpacker Peter Falconio.

Mr Falconio, of Hepworth, and his girlfriend Joanne Lees, originally of Almondbury, were kidnapped on the Stuart Highway, near Barrow Creek, in July 2001.

Ms Lees managed to escape — but Mr Falconio's body was never found.

Drug runner Bradley Murdoch is currently serving 28 years in prison for Mr Falconio’s murder, although Murdoch has always protested his innocence.

To mark the 15 year anniversary, we've put together a timeline of events leading up to Peter Falconio's death, and Murdoch's conviction. Meanwhile, the hunt for his body continues in the Outback.

Time Line

Peter Falconio murder: A timeline

  1. November 15, 2000

    Peter Falconio leaves the UK for a round-the-world trip with his girlfriend Joanne Lees. They plan to visit Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, New Zealand, Fiji and the USA

  2. January 16, 2001

    The couple arrive in Australia and head to Sydney to work for money to fund the rest of their travels.

  3. June 25, 2001

    They leave Sydney for Canberra, Melbourne and South Australia in an orange camper van before travelling north.

  4. July 14, 2001 - around 6pm

    Joane drove the couple north from Alice Springs while Peter read in the back of the van. Later that day they stopped for fuel and shared a joint of cannabis as they watched the sun set. Peter then took over the driving, north on the Stuart highway.

  5. July 14, 2001 - 7.30pm

    Around 7.30pm a vehicle draws level with the camper van, indicating a problem with the exhaust of the couple’s van. Joanne is nervous about stopping in the outback but Peter pulls over, gets out and speaks to the other driver. He asks Joanne to rev the engine, then returns to the back of the van.

  6. July 14, 2001 - 8pm

    Joanne hears a bang and the man appears at the driver’s window of the van.

    He threatens her with a gun to her head, ties her hands behind her back and forces her into the back of his vehicle.

    She manages to escape while her attacker is outside and runs into the bush, hiding for more than five hours.

  7. July 15, 2001, around 12.30am

    A man is caught on CCTV at a Shell truck stop in Alice Springs.

  8. July 15, 2001, around 1am

    Joanne jumps out from the scrub and onto the highway, around 20 yards in front of a truck. Driver Vince Millar drives her to the Barrow Creek roadhouse where they call police.

    The police come to care for Joanne and organise a series of roadblocks covering the main routes from Katherine to the South Australia border, to the Queensland to the West Australia border. No trace of Peter Falconio is ever found.

  9. 2003

    Bradley John Murdoch is charged with seven counts of abduction and rape.

  10. October 17, 2015

    Murdoch’s trial begins. He pleads not guilty to murdering Falconio and assaulting and attempting to kidnap Joanne Lees.

    His DNA is found on Joanne's t-shirt.

  11. December 13, 2005

    Murdoch is convicted of Falconio’s murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole term of 28-years. He is also convicted of assault-related charges regarding Joanne.