Police will allege a love triangle was the motive for the killing of a man in Sydney more than two decades ago after charging a Gold Coast man with murder.
Jason Palmer was reported missing on February 8, 2004, after he was last seen leaving his Belfield home two days prior.
Three weeks later, the 34-year-old’s body was found weighed down with rocks and submerged in the Nepean River at Menangle.
A post-mortem examination determined Mr Palmer died as a result of multiple stab wounds.
A 2007 inquest found Mr Palmer’s death was caused by stab wounds inflicted by a person at a unit on Barremma Rd, Lakemba, and the case was referred to the Unsolved Homicide Team for reinvestigation.
Following extensive inquiries, detectives arrested Gofal Baziad following a vehicle stop in Ingleburn just before 2pm on Monday.
The 52-year-old from Mudgeeraba was taken to Campbelltown Police Station and charged with one count of murder.
Police will allege in court that the two men were known to each other and that Mr Baziad had been in a relationship with the victim’s wife.
“The motive was obviously to continue on a relationship with that person,” Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said.
“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.
“We believe it was a pure crime of passion … however it’s a horrendous murder.”
Mr Baziad did not apply for bail when the matter was mentioned in Campbelltown Local Court on Tuesday.
The matter was adjourned and will be mentioned in Burwood Local Court on August 18.
Detective Superintendent Doherty paid tribute to the persistence and focus of detectives in what he described as a “complex investigation”.
“It’s been 20 years since Mr Palmer, who was originally from the UK, is alleged to have been murdered,” he said.
“He was a husband and father, and police had always remained hopeful of an arrest.
“This arrest once again demonstrates that investigators will not rest until there’s a resolution for unsolved matters, and to provide answers to families”.
