A man is behind bars and will likely face extradition after his arrest over a woman’s suspected murder more than two decades ago.
Keith Lees, 72, remains in custody after spending about 18 months allegedly evading an arrest warrant over the death of his former partner, 25-year-old Meaghan Louise Rose, who was discovered at the base of Point Cartwright Cliffs on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in 1997.
The warrant was issued in July 2023 in relation to the suspected murder.
Lees was refused bail in a Sydney court on Friday and will remain in custody to face court again on Thursday.
Ms Rose’s death was initially ruled a suicide but the investigation was reopened in 2009 and a $500,000 reward for information was announced in June 2023.
Queensland detectives travelled to Victoria and spoke to her former partner that month, before his car was found abandoned the next day at Portland in the state’s southwest.
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He allegedly gave a false name to other officers at Port Fairy, but was spotted again on CCTV at Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre in Geelong, where he purchased new clothes, before the last sighting of him at Shepparton train station.
Relatives previously urged Lees to stop running from the interstate arrest warrant.
Months after he disappeared, his adult child Wren Dawnsong urged him to surrender and bring closure for Ms Rose’s family.
“My heart breaks for them daily, justice needs to be done,” they said.
Ms Rose’s older sister Christine Richards urged anyone helping Lees to avoid the warrant to “think about who you are dealing with”.
“Help us to bring justice for Meaghan after all this time, please help us let her rest in peace,” she said.
Lees was arrested at Dural in Sydney’s northwest on Thursday morning.
In addition to his apprehension on the warrant, he has been charged with assaulting police, dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offence, and possessing identity information to commit an indictable offence.
He tried to bite an officer while he was in custody, NSW Police alleged.
Queensland Police have applied for Lees’ extradition.
