Joanne Lees has returned to Australia – and now wants to call it home – fifteen years after her boyfriend Peter Falconio was murdered in the Northern Territory outback.
Speaking to 60 Minutes, the Brit revealed it’s because she’s amazingly discovered she has a long-lost Australian sister.
Joanne only found out last year that her estranged Australian father has another daughter, Jess.
Speaking to Liz Hayes on 60 Minutes, Joanne says: “I feel less alone in the world. When wonderful things happen in the world I want to share them with Jess.”
Bradley Murdoch was convicted of murdering Mr Falconio, 28, and assaulting Ms Lees, then 27, on a remote stretch of highway near Barrow Creek, north of Alice Springs, in 2001.
Peter Falconio’s body has never been found.
Joanne returned to Australia to try to find his body and finally find peace.
Joanne and Peter on their travels.
Liz Hayes told News Corp Australia, “Joanne was like the English version of Lindy Chamberlain,” even after Murdoch was charged and convicted over Falconio’s killing.
“There were people on the police force who didn’t believe her and that made her upset. She has been formally diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD). She can’t sleep at night until she feels she has done everything she can to try and find Peter’s body.
Incredibly, Joanne’s sister Jess didn’t know anything about the tragic story until she Googled Joanne after she mentioned she’d been involved in a serious crime.
Talking about finding her sister, Joanne said: “It’s so neat when someone says ‘oh you can tell you’re sisters’ – to us the novelty definitely hasn’t worn off. We’re still in celebration mode of finding each other.”
Joanne is now in the process of applying for her Australian citizenship.
