Keith Lees extradited, charged with murder over Meaghan Louise Rose’s death

The former partner of murder victim Meaghan Louise Rose was helped by religious groups who didn’t know he was one of Australia’s most wanted, the lead investigator has said.

The former partner of murder victim Meaghan Louise Rose was helped by religious groups who didn’t know he was one of Australia’s most wanted, the lead investigator has said.

Keith Lees, 72, has been extradited to Queensland after he was found allegedly living under a fake identity while receiving government payments and subsidised housing in New South Wales.

Lees was flanked by two Queensland detectives upon his arrival in Brisbane on Thursday, following a national manhunt over the death of Ms Rose on the Sunshine Coast in 1997.

Lees, now with a long white beard and bald head, looked significantly different as he walked through Brisbane Airport, compared to his last official sighting 18 months ago where he was cleanly shaven.

He covered his face and refused to answer questions from media as he was taken into a police car and driven to Brisbane Watchhouse.

Keith Lees. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Lees will face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday charged with the murder of Ms Rose, 25, who was found dead at the base of the Point Cartwright cliffs in Mooloolaba on July 18, 1997.

Her death had originally been deemed a suicide before a reinvestigation by the Queensland Police Service homicide squad’s cold case team in 2022.

Lees was arrested by police at a property in Dural, a semi-rural suburb 36km northwest of Sydney’s central business district, after a tip-off from the public.

Court documents allege Lees used the name David Japaljarri on a NSW learner’s licence, pensioner concession card, Commonwealth bank debit card and bank account and his NSW opal pensioner card, also claiming he was 16 years younger than his real age.

Queensland Police Service homicide’s cold case unit Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said police alleged Lees had at times been helped by religious groups while on the run.

“He has received assistance from a number of organisations, including religious groups during this time,” Sen Sgt Kentwell said.

Images used in the search for Keith Lees.

Picture: 9 News Queensland.

“Over the past 18 months he had travelled to a number of states, he had gained assistance from people, from organisations, from groups, and it accumulated in him obtaining accommodation, furniture, and things like that.”

Police will allege Lees also spent time living in the Northern Territory before being arrested in New South Wales under a fake name.

He was living at Link Wentworth Housing, subsidised by Parramatta Council, from November 2023 until his arrest, and was also receiving government payments using this false identity, according to documents.

Lees had been in a relationship with Ms Rose, who he met in Victoria, before they moved to the Sunshine Coast together in 1996.

An earlier image of Keith Lees.

Meaghan Louise Rose.

Cold case officers re-examining her death spoke to Lees in June 2023. He subsequently went missing.

After Lees disappeared following questioning in 2023, police said they believed he may be fruit-picking and launched a national appeal to help find him.

Sen Sgt Kentwell said a person tipped off police to Lees’ whereabouts after listening to a podcast about the cold case.

“A group of people were involved in the identification, it originated from a person listening to a podcast, and it was compared to all the media coverage over the last 18 months for these people to identify him and bring the information to police,” she said.

Keith Lees arrives at Brisbane airport as he is extradited from Sydney to Brisbane to face court in Brisbane in relation to the alleged cold case murder of Meaghan Rose almost 30 years ago. Picture: Dan Peled / NewsWire

The Queensland Police Service had during their investigation released a computerised image of what he could look like with a beard.

Sen Sgt Kentwell said the people had relied on that image when trying to confirm it was him.

She said Lees had changed his appearance, including growing a large beard.

“All along we have considered he does change his looks and his identity ... it was a very good photo for us to share,” she said.

Ms Rose’s family were “thankful and relieved” by the extradition Sen Sgt Kentwell said.

Sen Sgt Kentwell said Meaghan’s mother Audrey, 88, was currently in palliative care for high dependency dementia.

“The family advise that she understands that this man has been apprehended,” she said.

Sen Sgt Kentwell thanked all authorities involved, Ms Rose’s family and the media.