Keith Lees charged over alleged murder of Meaghan Louise Rose in 1997
A 72-year-old man has been charged over the 1997 murder of his then-partner, Meaghan Louise Rose, on the Sunshine Coast.
Keith Lees has been extradited to Queensland after allegedly hiding from police for 18 months.
He was arrested in Sydney last week and covered his face from waiting cameras after arriving in Brisbane in the company of detectives.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Police believe this man has been living in the Northern Territory and most recently in Dural (in Sydney) under an assumed identity,” Queensland Police Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said.
“He has received assistance from a number of organisations including religious groups during this time.”
Lees has been charged with murder and will appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.
His neighbours told 7NEWS he had introduced himself as “David”, and said he told them he was from Perth and that he worked for the church. He had a NSW licence and pensioner card and was living in subsidised housing.
Lees wore jeans and covered his face with a black polo shirt as he was driven into the watch house while handcuffed and seated between two detectives wearing suits and sunglasses.
He appeared bald and with a white beard in contrast to previous published images of him clean-shaven with receding hair.
Rose’s body was found at the bottom of the Point Cartwright cliffs in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland about 7am on July 18, 1997.
The 25-year-old resided at a unit in Marcoola with her de facto partner Lees, then 45, and his young child.
Rose’s death was ruled a suicide until an investigation by Channel 7.
Police were tipped off to Lees’ location after the listener of a podcast about the case saw him and called authorities.
“I just went numb, I could not believe the words that she said to me, ‘that we had him in custody’ because it’s been such a long wait,” Rose’s sister Fiona Ratcliffe told 7NEWS.
Police continue to appeal for information about the case, with a $500,000 reward still on offer for details that lead to a conviction.
“In addition to the reward, an appropriate indemnity from prosecution will be recommended for any accomplice, not being the person who actually committed the crime, who first gives such information,” Queensland Police said.
- With AAP
Originally published on 7NEWS
