Overview
- Police told the inquest they twice approached Murdoch in his final weeks, including an attempt to show a private video message from Falconio’s parents, which he refused to watch.
- Officers made a second visit to his palliative care room days before he died, but Murdoch yelled at them to leave after about 30 seconds and offered no information.
- An autopsy found Murdoch died of natural causes from stage-four throat cancer, with his illness diagnosed after a neck lump was identified in late 2024.
- Coroner Elisabeth Armitage concluded Murdoch received high-quality, timely care from NT Corrections and NT Health and issued no recommendations.
- Murdoch, convicted in 2005 of murdering Peter Falconio and assaulting and attempting to kidnap Joanne Lees, never disclosed the body’s location, and a reward of up to $500,000 remains on offer.