Australia captivated by Falconio case

By Phil Mercer BBC correspondent in Sydney

Mr Falconio (left) disappeared in the Outback in 2001

The disappearance of Peter Falconio is one of Australia's most enduring mysteries, and the case has now taken an important step forward.

A magistrate in Darwin has decided there is enough evidence for 45-year-old Bradley Murdoch to stand trial for the murder of the British backpacker.

Australian police have said that Falconio, a 28-year-old university graduate from West Yorkshire, was killed during an ambush north of Alice Springs in July 2001.

His girlfriend, Joanne Lees, has described how a man driving a white truck tricked them into stopping as they travelled in their camper van near the township of Barrow Creek, where Mr Falconio was allegedly shot dead.

His body has never been found. Ms Lees said she was tied up and beaten by the gunman but managed to escape into the scrub, hiding for hours before being rescued by two lorry drivers.

The case has brought the worlds of so many disparate people crashing together.

People think that they could've been driving down a deserted road and something like that could've happened to them Sue Williams, crime author

The defendant, a tall, gruff mechanic from the frontier town of Broome in Western Australia, has denied the allegations made against him.

The prosecution's star witness, Joanne Lees, is a former travel agent from Brighton on the south coast of England.

The list of witnesses has included a former barmaid at a Hell's Angels club, and others who claim they saw Peter Falconio alive a week after he disappeared.

Such extraordinary revelations and diverse characters read like a crime novel - and for around half a dozen writers that is exactly what the Falconio case has become.

Author Sue Williams said that the mystery surrounding the missing Briton symbolised the dark side of Australia's unforgiving interior.

Two young people came (to Australia) and something terrible happened to them. We don't quite know what it was or whom it involved Sue Williams

"People think that they could've been driving down a deserted road, and something like that could've happened to them," she told the BBC in Darwin.

Then there is the link with the most notorious of Outback mysteries - the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain at Ayers Rock (now called Uluru) more than 20 years ago.

The child's mother, Lindy, was jailed for murder after she claimed that baby Azaria had been taken by a dingo. Her conviction was later overturned.

Joy Kuhl, a forensic expert involved in both the Chamberlain and Falconio investigations, is likely to play a part in the trial of Bradley Murdoch.

To many observers, the case hinges on Joanne Lees, who will again be required to give evidence.

"How she conducts herself in front of a jury is going to be very important," said crime writer Sue Williams.

Confronting the man accused of her boyfriend's murder for a second time in court will, according to Ms Williams, be another tough test for the Englishwoman.

"During the committal process she was very, very nervous but by (the time of) the trial maybe she'll be more calm," the author added.

Media interest

The Falconio case is never far from the headlines here in Australia.

Sue Williams told News Online that the mystery had captivated the country.

"Two young people came (to Australia) and something terrible happened to them. We don't quite know what it was or whom it involved.

"We've got the mystery of the huge Australian Outback, we've got so few witnesses and we really don't know what happened. That's why it's captured the imagination of an entire nation," Ms Williams said.

The trial of Bradley Murdoch is expected to be heard at the Supreme Court in Darwin in April or May next year.