Northern Territory
The Barrow Creek Incident 
| Page 1 | Page 2 |Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7

PRESS RELEASE: Sunday 15 July 2001 7.45 am
A woman and her boyfriend were driving in their orange Kombi van, South Australian registration,  WOI-597, when they were pulled over by a 4WD vehicle. 
The driver of the 4WD, who is armed and dangerous, attempted to take the woman but she managed  to escape.  Her male companion has not been seen since and grave fears are held for his safety.

---

Northern Territory Police are appealing to the public for help regarding an incident which occurred on the Stuart Highway on the evening of Saturday 14 July 2001.

A vehicle, an orange Kombi Van South Australian registration WOI-597, was being driven by two English tourists, Peter Falconio and Joanna Lees, not long after sunset when they were pulled over by a man driving a 4WD vehicle who parked behind them.

He indicated there was something wrong with the exhaust of their vehicle. Mr Falconio went to the rear of his vehicle to have a look and has not been seen since. Police hold grave fears for his safety. Ms Lees believes she may have heard a gunshot. Shortly afterwards, she was forced from their vehicle at gunpoint by an offender. Her wrists and legs were bound and she was also gagged. Ms Lees struggled with the offender who punched her and she was put into the Ute. The offender was momentarily distracted and she managed to escape into nearby bushland. 

While she hid behind bushes, the offender searched for her with a torch and his dog, which may have been a red heeler. Ms Lees found her way back to the road at about 2 am where a passer by picked her up and took her to Barrow Creek. The orange Kombi Van has been found a couple of kilometres north of Barrow Creek where it appears the alleged offender may have driven it off the highway into the bushland.

 

The two tourists were travelling around the world after leaving England last November. They travelled through Asia and arrived in Australia in January 2001. They bought their van in Sydney in May and travelled to Canberra, Victoria and South Australia in June. They then went to Ayers Rock, Kings Canyon and arrived in Alice Springs on July 10. They left Alice Springs at about 4pm on July 14 and headed north to Ti Tree where they refuelled at about sunset. They were pulled up by the man in the 4WD vehicle not long after dark, a few kilometres north of Barrow Creek.

Police set up road blocks on all major highways in the Territory as far north as Katherine, as far south as Kulgera on the South Australian border, as far east as Avon Downs near the Queensland border and as far west as Top Springs, 175 km south of the Victoria Highway on the road to Wave Hill. Police have had several alleged sightings of the offender in his vehicle in different locations across the Territory and each sighting is being followed up.

 

Police believe the offender is armed and dangerous and should not be approached. He is described as Caucasian, 40-45 years old with dark, straight should length hair with grey streaks, long thin face, droopy, grey moustache, medium build and an Australian accent. He is wearing a black baseball cap, with a motif on the front, long-sleeved dark t-shirt and heavy jeans or canvas-like pants. The vehicle he is driving is believed to be a white, four-wheel drive utility with bucket seats and canvas on the back. 

 

Police are encouraging members of the public, particularly anyone who travelled on the road between Ti Tree and Barrow Creek between 5 pm and 3 am on Saturday 14 July 2001, to contact them with any information about the incident.  Contact can be made via the Crime Stoppers toll free phone number listed below or e-mail.  If you wish your e-mail to remain anonymous, click on the feedback button on the bottom of this page.
Phone: 1800 333 000
Email: pfes.media@pfes.nt.gov.au

---

REWARD 
The Minister for Police has approved a reward of $250,000 offered for information which leads to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the abduction of Peter Marco Falconio.

INDEMNITY FROM PROSECUTION 
In addition, an appropriate indemnity from prosecution will be recommended to the Director of Public Prosecutions for any accomplice, not being the person who actually committed the crime, who first gives such information. The grant of any such indemnity is at the sole discretion of the Director. The allocation of the $250,000 reward will be at the sole discretion of the Commissioner of Police.

BACKGROUND 
Peter Marco Falconio disappeared soon after sunset on Saturday 14 July 2001 on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek, Northern Territory. He had walked to the rear of his orange Volkswagen Kombi campervan with a male person who had stopped him by indicating there was a problem with the vehicle. After hearing what sounded like a gunshot, Mr Falconio’s girlfriend was confronted by the man, who was armed with a gun. She later escaped and raised the alarm. Mr Falconio’s blood was located at the scene. Mr Falconio has not been seen since.

CONTACT 
Any person with information is asked to phone: 
Free call 1800 015 432 which is available nationally 24 hours a day or to contact their nearest Police Station