Viewers were left shocked by a ‘sensational’ claim that murdered British backpacker Peter Falconio ‘faked his own death’ to commit insurance fraud in last night’s episode of Channel 4’s Murder in the Outback. 

The documentary series looks back at Peter’s disappearance on a Northern Territory roadside in 2001 while on holiday in Australia with his girlfriend Joanne Lees. 

The 28-year-old – whose body was never found – was shot after travelling on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek in the outback, while his partner, then 27, escaped abduction when rescued by a lorry driver.

In last night’s episode, a former defence lawyer revealed a shocking claim from one of Peter’s friends who said the backpacker was ‘capable of faking his own death and committing life insurance fraud’ – leaving some viewers wondering if he was still alive.

However, others were left disgusted by the ‘sensational nonsense’ and ‘shoddy’, ‘awful’ portrayal of the murdered tourist, and quickly shared their best wishes to his family.

Australian police discounted suggestions that Peter faked his own death. Bradley John Murdoch, 61, was convicted of the execution-style murder of Peter and sentenced to life behind bars in 2005, following a DNA match found on Joanne’s T-shirt.

 Viewers have suggested murdered British backpacker Peter Falconio (pictured right) ‘faked his own death after taking out a life insurance policy’, after witnesses claim they spotted him just days after he went missing

Channel 4’s Murder in the Outback: The Falconio and Lees Mystery looks back at Peter’s disappearance on a Northern Territory roadside in 2001 while on holiday in Australia with his girlfriend Joanne Lees. Pictured: Robert Brown, who claims to have seen Peter shortly after he went missing

In last night’s episode, a former defence lawyer said a friend of Peter’s claimed the backpacker was ‘capable of faking his own death and committing life insurance fraud’. Pictured: A statement from the anonymous friend

Some viewers (above) were left disgusted by the ‘sensational nonesene’ and ‘shoddy’, ‘awful’ portrayal of the murdered tourist

Following the claim from Peter’s friend, shocked viewers took to Twitter to reveal their ‘disgust’ at the ‘awful’ suggestions.

‘Not sure what’s going on with Channel 4 but #MurderInTheOutback is a new low. Sensationalist nonsense with unfounded allegations,’ one viewer wrote.

MailOnline has contacted Channel 4 for comment. 

Elsewhere, other social media users speculated that Peter could still be alive, since police have never discovered a body.

One person wrote: ‘They need to explore the fact he may still be alive and actually he was in on it,’ while another said: ‘I believe Falconio is still alive… did he take out a life insurance policy?’

A third added: ‘I reckon Falconio faked his own death and he’s alive somewhere… Took out insurance before his own death? Hmmmm.’

During the documentary’s third episode, which aired last night at 9pm, witnesses Robert Brown and his partner Melissa Kendall claimed they saw Peter shortly after he went missing.

They say they spotted the backpacker in the remote town of Bourke in New South Wales, which is more than 1,200 miles from the site where Peter was last seen, days after his death was reported in the newspaper. 

Some social media users (above) were then quick to suggest that Peter Falconio may have ‘faked his own death and that he’s still alive’

Robert told the documentary: ‘I was reading the race results in the paper and I heard the door squeak, and Melissa was on the other side and she’s yelling out to me. 

‘She yelled at me again and then the next minute she turned the paper over and on the front page there was a picture of a gentleman down in the bottom right-hand corner and she tapped it. 

‘I put the paper down and walked around the corner and then bang I am looking straight at this bloke I saw in the paper. I was sort of in shock.’

He added: ‘I didn’t go to the police straight away because it was none of my business. I am 200 per cent it was Peter Falconio, I will go under any lie detector test. I was a metres away from him.’ Melissa added: ‘I personally believe he is alive, where he is I don’t know.’ 

Peter (pictured with his girlfriend) was shot after travelling on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek in the outback, while his partner, then 27, escaped abduction when rescued by a lorry driver

During the documentary’s third episode, which aired last night at 9pm, witnesses Robert Brown (pictured ) and his partner Melissa Kendall claimed they saw Peter shortly after he went missing

Their statement followed former defence lawyer Andrew Fraser’s revelation that a person claiming to be a friend of Peter’s suggested he had committed life insurance fraud.

He told the cameras: ‘One such theory that came to our attention is that Peter Falconio may have faked his own disappearance. 

‘It’s a statement that comes from somebody who describes himself as a mate of Peter’s. And that statement paints a picture of Peter Falconio that many people may find surprising.’

The anonymous friend – who was working three nights a week for an insurance company – told Australian authorities that the backpacker was known as ‘dodgy Pete’ because he was always known for scamming.

He explained that he’d chatted to Peter about how people were taking out life insurance policy cover for a couple of months before going to a foreign country and putting in a false claim. 

Their statement followed former defence lawyer Andrew Fraser’s (pictured) revelation that a person claiming to be a friend of Peter’s suggested he had committed life insurance fraud

In a statement, the person said: ‘There is no doubt in my mind that Peter Falconio is capable of carrying out the scam.

‘I would not be in the least bit surprised if he attempted to defraud a life insurance policy just for the money. Before he went away he told me he had taken out a policy.’

However, Australian police discounted those suggestions, with a former journalist telling the documentary: ‘There’s no way a son could of faked his own death and maintained his absence for so long knowing that his family were so upset.

‘That proves to me that the insurance scam allegation was perhaps unfounded.’

Several social media users were quick to agree with the former correspondent, insisting that Peter didn’t fake his own death. 

One person wrote: ‘If he did fake his own death, where’s he been for the past 20 years?’ as another questioned: ‘If Peter is still alive, how come he hasn’t been spotted more then?’ 

Reaction: Several social media users were quick to insist that Peter didn’t fake his own death

Australia’s infamous ‘backpacker killer’ Bradley John Murdoch, 61, is surrounded by police as he arrives at Darwin airport following his arrest in 2003

Murdoch, 61, was convicted of the execution-style murder of Peter and also found guilty of assaulting Joanne in 2005. He pleaded not guilty and has maintained his innocence ever since.  

A body was never discovered but Murdoch was found guilty largely due to a DNA match on Joanne’s T-shirt.

Last year, he was diagnosed with cancer, triggering a last-ditch attempt from police to elicit a confession in exchange for moving him to a prison closer to his family. 

The murderer is being held in the Darwin Correctional Centre where he spends his days in the kitchen as a pastry chef and has become known for his desserts.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2019, according to the NT News.  

Police hope the ‘backpacker killer’ will reveal where he buried the body in exchange for being transferred from his Northern Territory jail to a Western Australian prison to be closer to his family as he battles cancer. 

Murdoch can apply for parole from 2033 but unless he reveals the location of Mr Falconio’s body, the application will be denied. 

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