Major update after body found in Nepean River at Menangle, south of Sydney

A man has been charged over the gruesome cold-case murder of a father, which left NSW Police stumped for more than two decades.

Jason Palmer’s body was found in a river at Menangle, an hour south of Sydney, on February 29, 2004.

He had been reported missing three weeks before the discovery.

The 34-year-old’s body was weighed down with rocks in the murky depths of the Nepean River, but an initial investigation did not identify a suspect.

A 2007 coronial inquest found Palmer was stabbed to death in Lakemba, in Western Sydney.

Authorities restarted an investigation in 2022.

On Monday, a 52-year-old Queensland man was arrested in southwest Sydney and later charged with murder.

Only persistence and focus from detectives allowed them to track down the alleged offender, Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said.

“It’s been 20 years since Mr Palmer, who was originally from the UK, is alleged to have been murdered ... he was a husband and father, and police had always remained hopeful of an arrest,” he said.

“This arrest once again demonstrates that investigators will not rest until there’s a resolution for unsolved matters, and to provide answers to families.”

The accused was refused bail and is scheduled to appear before Campbelltown local court on Tuesday.

It is alleged he was known to Palmer.

Detectives think there are members of the public that know something about the case and are urging them to make contact.