Edwin Hinrichsen and a 25-year-old man pleaded not guilty to murdering Michael Purse

Two of the men accused of murdering Michael Purse have pleaded not guilty, while three years on his family remain waiting for answers as to where his body is.

Two of the men accused of murdering Michael Purse have denied luring him to a western suburbs unit where he was killed.

Edwin James Hinrichsen, 37, and a 25-year-old man – whose identity has been suppressed – pleaded not guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday to murder.

The third accused, David Graham Young, 40, did not enter a plea and had his charge adjourned until later this month.

Michael Jeffrey Purse was last seen on February 6, 2019 in Adelaide. Picture: Australian Federal Police

Michael Purse was last seen in February 2019, and reported a missing person on April 24 of that year.

A homicide investigation was launched and police alleged Michael was murdered by three men at a Kilburn address, before his body was placed in a car and dumped somewhere in the Adelaide Plains.

Young, of Adelaide Plains, Hinrichsen, of Kilburn, and the third man, of no fixed address, were arrested and charged over Mr Purse’s murder in April, last year.

They have remained in custody since.

Michael’s father, Jeffrey Purse previously said the arrests were a positive development and would hopefully lead to the discovery of his 32-year-old son’s body.

“To not have Michael with us and to have him basically lost or cast away out there is just tragic,” Mr Purse said.

“At least we can end one part of this if we can get him back.”

Michael Purse’s mother, Donna Ipers, his brother Andrew Purse, and father Jeffrey Purse during a police press conference in 2019. Picture: Mark Brake

Mr Purse said life without his son was sad.

“(There is) quite a feeling of emptiness and loneliness unfortunately, and it changes your life substantially. You think about it all the time, you think about it day and night,” he said.

“It’s a very unfortunate club to belong to.”

Michael Jeffrey Purse was confirmed murdered in 2019.

Michael grew up in New South Wales and moved to Adelaide to work in computing and IT.

But his vast knowledge in the industry was part of his undoing, after he was found guilty of defrauding the taxation office in 2014 and was sentenced to two years behind bars.

Mr Purse said despite his son’s trouble with the law, he was kind and generous.

“He did do some bad things, but none of that deserves him to be murdered,” he said.

“Even though he was mixed up in crime and such and the wrong people … he did actually help people out, he always looked out for his friends and his colleagues, he was kind to them.

“He made sure if someone was down on their luck, he gave them somewhere to stay, gave them a meal. He was generous in that way.”

In the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Magistrate Karim Soetratma adjourned Young’s charge until later this month.

The other two men were committed to the Supreme Court for arraignment in May.