Police examining the disappearance of a British tourist believed to have been shot dead in an ambush in the Australian outback confirmed today blood found at the scene was his.
Mr Peter Falconio (28) has not been seen since he and his girlfriend, Ms Joanne Lees ( 27), were held up by a gunman as they travelled in their camper van on a remote desert highway 175 miles north of Alice Springs.
Following DNA tests on Mr Falconio's father, Luciano, and brother Paul, Northern Territory police said they believed blood found on the remote highway belonged to the Briton.
Police commander Mr Max Pope told a press conference: "The Falconio family have been told of this. Of course they didn't want to hear the news but I think they have accepted this."
Police also said they were investigating the possibility that he was killed by someone stalking Ms Lees. They were questioning friends of Ms Lees about the type of people the couple had met on their travels.
"`It is a last resort, but we are trying every avenue we can," said a police spokesman.
On Saturday night, moments after stopping on the Stuart Highway in the desolate area of the NorthernTerritory, where they had been flagged down by the man, Ms Lees heard what she thought was a gunshot.
She was then tied up by the man and thrown into the back of a van but managed to escape into the bush where she spent several hours hiding from the gunman before raising the alarm.
PA