A man has been charged with murder, 20 years after a father’s body was found weighed down with rocks in a Western Sydney river.
Police allege Jason Palmer, 34, who was originally from the UK, was murdered by a 52-year-old man who had been in a relationship with his wife, from whom he was separated.
Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty, said police alleged the motive was to continue on a relationship with that person.
“We will allege in court that he was very jealous of her and very possessive and obsessed with her and to the point we believe, and we will show the facts, this had led him to commit what we will say was a very violent crime.
“Mr Palmer had been stabbed numerous times.
“We believe it was a pure crime of passion… however it’s a horrendous murder.”
Palmer was reported missing by his wife on February 8, 2004.
He was last seen two days before leaving her home on Baltimore Street in Belfield near Lakemba.
His body was found weighed down with rocks and submerged in the Nepean River at Menangle by a group of children three weeks later.
After an inquest in 2007, the NSW coroner determined Palmer had been stabbed to death at his unit on Barremma Road in Lakemba.
The case was referred to the Unsolved Homicide Team for re-investigation, NSW Police said.
Police say the relationship between Palmer’s wife and the accused continued after his alleged murder.
They said the man who has been charged moved to Indonesia shortly after the death with Palmer’s wife, before returning to Queensland.
That relationship later ended.
Analysis of telecommunications and reinterviewing of witnesses led detectives to arrest a 52-year-old Queensland man who they said was in Sydney looking for work.
He was held following a vehicle stop on Benson Road in Ingleburn, in the city’s south-west, just before 2pm yesterday.
He was taken to Campbelltown Police Station and charged with murder.
Palmer’s sister, who lives in the UK, was “relieved” and “ecstatic” at the charge, police said.
Officers believe it would have taken more than one person to carry out the alleged murder and dispose of the body in the river.
There is no suggestion Palmer’s wife was involved or had any knowledge of the alleged murder.
People from the Indonesian community in NSW, Queensland and Victoria are being asked to contact police if they have any information.
The arrested man was refused bail at Campbelltown Local Court and will return to court on August 14.
