NSW murder suspect faces extradition
A TOWNSVILLE resident will be extradited to NSW where he will be charged with the murder of a man missing for nearly a decade.
The man, 25, who cannot be named for legal reasons, briefly appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court yesterday, where police successfully applied to extradite him to NSW.
The man, who was arrested by detectives on Thursday, sat in the dock wearing a blue singlet while his family supported him from the back of the courtroom.
His mother yelled “stay strong” as he was guided back to the watch-house by police.
She declined to comment outside of court.
New South Wales police yesterday confirmed the Townsville man had been arrested in relation to Strike Force Demetrius.
The strike force was established by detectives from Murray River Police District to investigate the disappearance of William Chaplin.
New South Wales police confirmed the Townsville man would be charged with murder once across the border. Police confirmed there were other persons of interest and more arrests were likely in the coming days.
The man would have been just a teenager at the time of the alleged offence.
The major breakthrough comes days after human remains were found at a Gerogery property, where police were searching for Mr Chaplin.
Last month, it was reported Townsville could hold the key to the near decade-long disappearance of the NSW man.
Sources have told the Townsville Bulletin the Heatley man’s phone had been tapped and evidence gathered led to the arrest.
Mr Chaplin, who would now be aged 34, was last seen in Gerogery, approximately 30km north of Albury, in the Murray River region in early to mid-may 2010.
Earlier this week, human remains were found in a grave at a Gerogery property and have been sent to the department of forensic medicine for an autopsy.
Following the discovery, New South Wales police detective Chief Inspector Winston Woodward said Strike Force Demetrius had now been “converted to a fullblown homicide investigation”.
Mr Chaplin’s been told of remains.
Insp Woodward could not say what led the property to be searched.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the current owners were co-operative and were not involved.
The man will be extradited to NSW today and will appear before a Sydney court tomorrow. family have the human