Man pleads guilty to cold-case murder of disabled Terowie pensioner Martin Meffert
A 30-year-old man charged with the cold case murder of Martin Meffert — whose bones were found in a fireplace in the Mid North — has pleaded guilty to the crime.
A 30-year-old man charged with the cold-case murder of Martin Meffert — whose bones were found in a fireplace in the Mid North — has pleaded guilty to the crime.
The man, who cannot be identified because he was a minor at the time Mr Meffert disappeared, admitted his guilt in the Port Augusta Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Mr Meffert’s partial skeletal remains were found in a bag inside a plastic tub in the fireplace of a dilapidated house in Terowie in October 2013, eight years after he was last seen boarding a bus from Adelaide to Terowie when he was 23.
The disabled pensioner had been returning to Terowie following medical treatment.
He was never reported missing.
During the eight years after his death, more than $136,000 in disability payments were siphoned from Mr Meffert’s account.
At the time of the man’s arrest, Superintendent Des Bray said Mr Meffert’s bank account was “systematically milked on a fortnightly basis”.
Between $570 and $700 was taken each time.
“The last transaction was three days before Martin’s remains were found and after that the offenders stopped stealing money from that account,” Supt Bray said at the time.
Police believe the charged man murdered Mr Meffert between February 8, 2005 and October 31, 2005.
Local police found Mr Meffert’s partial remains in the fireplace during a routine firearms investigation involving a neighbouring property.
It is believed the remains had previously been buried at another location before being exhumed for an unknown reason.
At the time of the man’s arrest, Mr Meffert’s father paid tribute to police over the development in the case.
“Martin was a dearly loved and missed son and brother and though I am relieved that a person has been arrested for his murder, I will not find more relief until the person is behind bars for the rest of his life,’’ Mr Meffert Sr said.
The charged man will appear in the Supreme Court in October. He faces a mandatory life sentence with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years.
