A court has dismissed an appeal by Brett Peter Cowan, Daniel Morcombe's convicted murderer.
Queensland's Court of Appeal upheld a jury's guilty verdict in a decision on Thursday.
A bid by the attorney-general to extend Cowan's 20-year non-parole period was also rejected.
The 45-year-old remains in prison where he is serving a life sentence for Daniel's 2003 abduction and murder.
Cowan's lawyer Tim Meehan said he would be seeking further instructions from his client.
A special leave application to the High Court would now be pursued, Mr Meehan said.
He told reporters outside court Cowan was expecting the decision.
"He has been quite realistic at every step in relation to what his prospects in the court of appeal were," Mr Meehan said.
"He will be very happy that we actually have a decision."
Daniel's father Bruce said he hoped Cowan would be locked up for the rest of his life.
"We hope it is the entirety of his life," he said outside the court.
He said he had "mixed emotions" about the day's events but would never forgot what happened to his son.
"We hope Mr Cowan doesn't forget his actions resulting in him spending a minimum 20 years in jail and we hope they're tough," he said.
"It came so swiftly and it is a relief but it may not be the end."
He said he was "never fearful" the appeal would be upheld and always had faith in the police and justice system.
Cowan's lawyers appealed on the grounds that he had been unfairly tricked into a video-recorded confession and the evidence was inadmissible.
They also argued the judge had made an error in her directions to the jury.
In written reasons, Court of Appeal president Margaret McMurdo found the judge had used sound discretion in allowing the confession into evidence and that there had been no miscarriage of justice.
Justice McMurdo also found the judge had not misdirected the jury and had fairly explained the defence case.
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