Secrecy surrounds alleged Aldinga Beach murderer’s first court appearance

Secrecy has surrounded the first court appearance of the man charged with Krystal Marshall’s murder as new details emerge.

The alleged murder of an Adelaide mother amid an investigation into a house blaze has been declared a major crime as detectives plea for details on her death as new details emerge involving a separate fire.

A man, 48, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in the Christies Beach Magistrates court on Monday charged with the murder of mother of two Krystal Marshall, 38.

He has yet to plead to one count of murder over Ms Marshall’s death after an investigation into a house fire at an Aldinga Beach home.

The Advertiser understands that the accused man’s own house was destroyed in a fire earlier this year.

Krystal Marshall, 38, is the woman police say was found inside a house that caught on fire at Aldinga Beach on Friday.

Prosecution were granted a secrey order on the man’s identity and image due to “ongoing inquiries” from detectives.

“There are people who may have witnessed matters involved with this offending who haven’t been spoken to yet and police are concerned with those investigations,” the prosecutor told the court.

After Stephen Ey, defending, made no application for bail, the man was remanded into custody until February next year.

Outside court, police declared her death a major crime as detectives sought new public information.

The man’s arrest came after Krystal’s body was discovered in her Barracoota Crescent home around 3.25pm on Friday by emergency services.

Police on Monday said the accused was also charged with arson.

Police believe she died up to 24 hours before her body was discovered in the aftermath of the blaze but are still working to establish a definite time frame.

They are seeking information about Marshall’s movements between the afternoon of Wednesday, October 18 and the day of the house fire two days later on Friday afternoon. Major Crime detectives are also appealing to anyone who saw or heard anything in the vicinity of the Barracoota Crescent home between those times, including any dashcam or CCTV footage that may be relevant.

Police arrested the man just after 10pm the following day at the same address.

Mr Ey, leaving the court after the hearing, said his client denied the allegations against him.

“He is an accused man and he needs to get things moving,” he said.

Mr Ey said a seven month adjournment was disappointing.

When asked if his client understood the seriousness of the allegations against him, Mr Ey said “Of course”.

Police spent most of Sunday conducting interviews with neighbours and gathering evidence from inside the property including a burnt, smashed door.

A crime scene investigator arrived on scene with tools to unhook the wooden door from its hinges before taking it away as evidence.

About 2pm police concluded their investigation and Anastasia Marshall entered the home to pack belongings including clothes, pillows and toys.

Police outside a home in Aldinga Beach, where Krystal Marshall was found dead. Picture: Matt Loxton

Neighbours and friends rallied around the women who had been with Krystal for more than 11 years while loved ones visited the scene, dropping off flowers and cards in memory of the 38-year-old.

Krystal has been remembered as an “amazing friend, mother and person”.

Her brother Liam Brown told The Advertiser his sister was “fun” and “always up for a laugh”.

“She was working on making herself better,” he said.

“She was such an amazing mother, she absolutely adored her daughters and they adored her.

“She will be missed and remembered by those that were close to her.”

Their mother Maureen is extremely distraught by her daughter’s death, he said.

Loved ones have rushed to support Krystal’s two daughters – 15-year-old Madison and nine-year-old Skylah.