Half a million dollars for a secret: Australia searches for the body of a British tourist after more than 20 years

Australian Police Announces Record Reward for Information About the Burial Site of a British Tourist Missing in the Desert

As reported by TUT.AZ with reference to The Guardian, Australian authorities are ready to pay half a million dollars for information about the burial site of Peter Falconio, who disappeared more than two decades ago. This case has gone down in history as one of the most shocking crimes in modern Australia.

The sinister drama unfolded in 2001 in the desolate expanses of the Australian Outback. Two young Britons — 28-year-old Peter Falconio and his 27-year-old companion Joanne Lees — were traveling across the continent in a rented van, unaware of the approaching danger.

The fateful encounter occurred on the deserted Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory. A white Toyota Land Cruiser with a green roof caught their attention — the driver was persistently signaling, demanding they stop. Despite Joanne's intuitive objections, Peter made the decision to pull over.

The stranger approached their vehicle with an alarming message: sparks were allegedly flying from their van's exhaust pipe, threatening to cause a fire. Concerned, Peter asked Joanne to start the engine to check the exhaust.

This moment was the last time Joanne saw her beloved alive. As soon as she started the engine, there was a loud bang.

Events took a rapid turn — the stranger suddenly pulled out a weapon, attacked Joanne, forced her to lie on the cabin floor, and bound her with plastic ties. Despite her desperate resistance, he dragged the young woman into his vehicle and tried to wrap her head with duct tape. At some point, Joanne heard sounds that, as she later suggested, could have been related to the movement of Peter's body.

Showing incredible courage, she managed to free her hands and, seizing a moment when the kidnapper was distracted, escape into the roadside bushes. She spent several agonizing hours paralyzed with fear while the man methodically combed through the shrubs with a flashlight.

When the pursuer finally left, Joanne, fearing she would freeze in the cold desert night, decided to venture onto the road. On July 15, 2001, around midnight, she managed to flag down a passing truck. The drivers took her to the nearest roadside establishment, Barrow Creek Roadhouse.

Police arrived at the scene only in the early morning, at 4:20, and the search for Peter and the van began only at 7 am. Due to the critical delay, many vehicles had driven through the crime scene, destroying important evidence.

During the investigation, police discovered the abandoned van