Police charge Bundaberg man over 1976 Lennons Plaza murder of Rex Keen
Detectives may have cracked a 43-year-old cold case with a man arrested and charged over the 1976 Lennon’s Plaza murder of Rex Kable Keen.
THE suspect in a decades old murder in a Brisbane hotel room was “confident he could keep his story up” when charged this morning.
Rex Kable Keen was found dead in a Lennons Plaza hotel room on the morning of Saturday August 14 1976.
He had travelled to Brisbane from Bowen for a medical appointment.
Earlier today 69-year-old Bundaberg man Benjamin Jansen was charged with his murder.
Police allege he was earlier seen drinking with Mr Keen then later in his hotel room.
The arrest comes after an 18-month protracted review by members of the Homicide Group’s Cold Case Investigation Team.
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Detective Insp Damien Hansen praised the investigators for their determination in solving the cold case.
“There’s always hope out there,” he said.
“Cases don’t get put on the shelves, never to be reviewed. We’ve got a great team there that continues to look at opportunities on how to advanced cases.”
He said Mr Keen’s family had been waiting a long time for today.
“It’s 43 years later ... They’d be going through a lot of emotion at the moment,” he said.
At the time of the murder police were aware of a man fitting the suspect’s description but were unable to locate him.
Det Insp Hansen said advances in forensic science technology and the reinterviewing of old witnesses bore fruit.
He said the man had been spoken to several times during the reinvestigation.
“I think he was confident that he could keep up his story,” Det Insp Hansen said.
EARLIER: Detectives may have cracked a 43-year-old cold case with an arrest made in the Brisbane Lennons Plaza murder.
Rex Kable Keen was found stabbed to death in his room by cleaners on August 14, 1976.
Mr Keen — a resident of Bowen — was in Brisbane for a medical appointment at the time.
Over the past 18 months, members of Queensland Police Service’s Cold Case Investigation Team have conducted a protracted review of the case.
They spoke with several witnesses and examined new information, QPS said in a statement.
A thorough review of forensic exhibits was also conducted as part of the case.
The 69-year-old man will appear in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court on July 2 charged with one count of murder.
Originally published as Police charge Bundaberg man over 1976 Lennons Plaza murder of Rex Keen