Man who murdered Martin Meffert and showed off his skull to an acquaintance is sentenced to life with 20-year non-parole period

For years, Martin Meffert’s killer repeatedly dug up and reburied his remains while siphoning his money – but a judge wanted to give him less than the minimum sentence.

Police searching for the remains of murder victim Martin Meffert in Terowie.

A murderer who killed for money, hid his crime for years and showed off his victim’s bones would be serving less than 20 years’ jail if not for the restrictions of state law, a judge says.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered Martin Meffert’s killer serve the minimum 20-year non-parole period for his long-unsolved 2005 crime.

Justice David Peek said the killer – who was then a teenager – had not only committed a premeditated murder but shown a “persistent” lack of contrition in the years after.

However, he said the man’s early guilty plea, assistance in helping police find Mr Meffert’s body and efforts to rehabilitate in prison warranted consideration in sentencing.

“I consider (those factors) would, but for the legislation (setting a 20-year minimum), lead to fixing a non-parole period only a little under 20 years,” he said.

Outside court, Mr Meffert’s sister, Natasha, said she was “not pleased” with the sentence but felt it was “fair”.

“Nothing would bring Martin back … it wouldn’t matter if (the murderer) had been given 100 years, it doesn’t change that,” she said.

“Martin isn’t here anymore, and nothing can fix that.”

Martin Meffert. Picture: Supplied by SA Police.

The man, 32, pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Meffert, 23, and had already been sentenced to life in prison.

Mr Meffert was last seen alive on February 8, 2005, when he returned to his Terowie home after a hospital stay.

He trusted his murderer with his PIN and bank card, asking him to buy him an iced coffee from a nearby deli.

Realising he now had a way of funding his methylamphetamine and cannabis habit, the teen murdered Mr Meffert – then siphoned $136,483 from his account over eight years.

He repeatedly dug up and reburied Mr Meffert’s remains as he moved to new houses, and also conducted “a show and tell” of a human skull with one witness, saying “look what I’ve got”.

In October 2013, up to 40 per cent of Mr Meffert’s remains were found by police – the man directed officers to the rest of his body after his arrest.

On Tuesday, Justice Peek said the man had since admitted being in a “silly, cunning and sneaky” mood on the day of the murder.

“You shot him for the purpose of financial gain (and) on each of the multiple occasions (you moved the body) you made a fresh decision to conceal the murder,” he said.

“(Taking the money demonstrates) a long, continuous period of lack of contrition … you persisted in taking advantage of his death.”

He said the man’s prospects for rehabilitation were “somewhat encouraging” given his abstinence from drugs and good work ethic in his prison job.

“Your expressions of remorse come long after the murder and I treat them with some caution … they may be genuine, and I hope they are,” he said.

He said that, if not for the man’s pleas and co-operation, he would have jailed him for 24 ½ years.