Police analyse blood in hunt for British tourist
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Australian police searching for the missing British tourist Peter Falconio are analysing blood samples found on an isolated farm in the Outback.
A farmer contacted police after he found what he believed was a dark patch of blood "the size of a dinner plate" on his property. The blood patch was found on the unnamed farmer's land at Renner Springs, about 400 miles north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
A £90,000 reward was offered by the Northern Territory government for information leading to the whereabouts of Mr Falconio, 28, who has not been seen since he and his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, were abducted near Barrow Creek, 175 miles north of Alice Springs, on 14 July.
Mr Falconio, from Hepworth, near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, is feared to have been shot when the couple were ambushed. Ms Lees, from Almondbury, near Huddersfield, was bound and gagged by the attacker, but escaped into the bush. She is now working in a Sydney bookstore and awaiting news of Mr Falconio.
Last week Northern Territory police scaled down the hunt for Mr Falconio, cutting the number of officers working on the case from 35 to 14. A police spokeswoman said the investigation task force would examine existing information.
Police hunting for Mr Falconio have received about 800 calls. They have yet to name a prime suspect although they have eliminated several suspects from their inquiries.
Mr Falconio's disappearance has sparked one of Australia's biggest manhunts, involving police in planes and helicopters, roadblocks and Aboriginal trackers.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments