UPDATED: A 72-year-old man has been returned from interstate under police guard after allegedly evading an arrest warrant for 18 months over his partner’s death almost 30 years ago.
Keith Lees was taken into Brisbane Watch House in the back of a police vehicle on Thursday before a court appearance on Friday charged with murdering his partner, whose body was found at the base of a cliff in 1997.
Lees was flown from NSW to Queensland in the company of detectives after a Sydney court granted his extradition on Thursday.
He was arrested on January 2 for the alleged murder of 25-year-old Meaghan Louise Rose, nearly three decades earlier.
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.
Lees had been facing charges in NSW of identity fraud and assault, after allegedly biting a police officer, but these were withdrawn to allow the extradition to go ahead.
The court was told a flight had been arranged to take Lees directly to Queensland where he is expected to face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.
Ms Rose’s body was discovered at the base of Point Cartwright Cliffs on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
She had moved from Victoria to Queensland with Mr Lees, who was more than 20 years older than her.
The death was initially ruled a suicide, but investigators reopened the case in 2009 and a $500,000 reward for information was announced in June 2023.
At the time, Queensland detectives travelled to Victoria and spoke to Lees, before his car was found abandoned the following day prompting a major land and air search.
He allegedly gave a false name to other officers at Port Fairy, before being picked up on CCTV buying new clothes in Geelong and was last sighted at Shepparton train station.
In charges dropped by prosecutors on Thursday, NSW Police alleged Lees spent about 18 months evading an arrest warrant by using a fake identity.
He was alleged to have used fake documentation including a driver’s licence, pensioner concession card, bank card and bank accounts.
Lees was allegedly receiving government welfare payments and subsidised housing under the alias, court documents revealed.
Following the issue of an arrest warrant in his name, relatives of Lees publicly appealed for him to stop running and turn himself in.
Months after he disappeared, Lees’ adult child Wren Dawnsong said they hoped Ms Rose’s family would get closure.
“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 “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.
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