Viewers have been left divided over Joanne Lees behaviour following the murder of her boyfriend British backpacker Peter Falconio 19 years ago after police interviews resurfaced in a new Channel 4 series last night.
Murder in the Outback: The Falconio and Lees Mystery looks back at the Australian police case, after Peter went missing on a Northern Territory roadside in 2001 while on holiday with his girlfriend Joanne.
The backpacker disappeared and was never seen again after travelling on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek in the outback, while Joanne claims he was shot and she escaped abduction when rescued by a lorry driver.
During the documentary, viewers discovered that Joanne admitted to having an affair during her ‘once in a lifetime’ trip when her initial witness statement was questioned by police.
Taking to Twitter, people were quick to slam Joanne as emotionless – while others claimed it was ‘sexist’ to insist she should’ve been more emotional.
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 been left divided over Joanne Lees behaviour following the murder of her boyfriend British backpacker Peter Falconio (pictured together) 19 years ago after police interviews resurfaced in a new Channel 4 series last night
Murder in the Outback: The Falconio and Lees Mystery looks back at the Australian’s police case after Peter went missing on a Northern Territory roadside in 2001 while on holiday with his girlfriend Joanne (pictured during a police interview)
During the documentary, viewers discover that the girlfriend admitted to having an affair during her ‘once in a lifetime’ trip when her initial witness statement was questioned by police. It left viewers (above) criticising Joanne’s attitude
During the second episode of the four-part documentary, social media users were left shocked when Joanne confessed that she didn’t initially tell police about her affair, and the ‘secret emails’ the lovers exchanged, because she didn’t feel it was ‘relevant’ to the case.
One viewer said: ‘Wow, Joanne Lees’ body language in police interview absolutely stinks. Arrogant, bored, bad tempered, stroppy as f***. Not really the kind of attitude you’d display when being interviewed about your boyfriend’s murder is it?’
Another added: ‘Is there a particular reason why Joanne Lees has the most stinking attitude while giving evidence in her boyfriend’s murder case?’
A third wrote: ‘It’s not sexist to wonder why she is showing no emotion. I would expect any person, male or female to show some emotion and not look bored as f***, if their partner was missing, most likely dead.’
Other viewers questioned why Joanne didn’t think her affair was relevant in the first place, with one person writing: ‘Not really for Ms Lees to decide what was relevant or not. Pretty arrogant telling the coppers how to do their job.’
Reaction: Taking to Twitter, social media users were quick to slam Joanne as emotionless
During the second episode of the four-part documentary, social media users (above) were left shocked when Joanne confessed that she didn’t initially tell police about her affair
Speaking to police in an interview, Joanne explained: ‘I had an affair with someone called Nick and it lasted a month. Pete didn’t know about it.’
When asked if the two lovers had made any plans, Joanne said: ‘We just said, if like, if we felt anything after, in the six months or whatever when we got back from England, we’d review it.’
‘In the pre-trial hearing, there was an unmistakable gasp in the courtroom when this sudden piece of surprise evidence emerged. It was a real bombshell, no one expected it,’ a journalist explained in the documentary.
But while some critics were shocked by the news and slammed Joanne’s stoney expressions during the police interviews – others insisted it was ‘sexist’ to accuse the girlfriend of being emotionless and didn’t prove anything.
One person wrote on Twitter: ‘Just because someone doesn’t cry and wail in public, it doesn’t mean they’re “dodgy”.
Yet other social media users (above) claimed it was ‘sexist’ to accuse the girlfriend of being emotionless and didn’t prove anything
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. Pictured: Joanne and Peter together
‘People react to things in different ways. Hating the sexist undertones here – how dare she not conform to what some people expect a grieving girlfriend to behave like.’
Another said: ‘Cheating on your boyfriend and maybe falling out of love with him is very different to murdering him.’
A third added: ‘Joanne Lees is not typically soft and she distrusts the press. She comes across as p***** off at answering the same s*** and having to defend herself constantly when she’s been through hell.’
Murdoch, 61, was convicted of the execution-style murder of Peter and also found guilty of assaulting Joanne in 2005.
Murdoch pleaded not guilty to the murder 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.
Australia’s infamous ‘backpacker killer’ Bradley John Murdoch, 61, is surrounded by police as he arrives at Darwin airport following his arrest in 2003
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.