The ex-partner of a woman whose body was found at the foot of a cliff in 1997 will be extradited to Brisbane, where he is expected to be charged.
Keith Lees, 72, will be flown from New South Wales to Queensland in the company of detectives after a Sydney court granted his extradition on Thursday.
He was arrested on January 2 in connection with the death of his ex-partner, Meaghan Louise Rose, a 25-year-old nursing assistant for the disabled and elderly.
Lees had been facing charges in New South Wales for identity fraud and assault, after allegedly biting a police officer, but they were dropped to allow extradition to go ahead.
The 72-year-old spent approximately 18 months evading an arrest warrant after being questioned by police under an alleged false identity.
The court was told a flight had been arranged to take Lees to Queensland, where he is expected to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.
Ms Rose’s body was discovered at the base of the Point Cartwright cliffs on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on July 18, 1997.
While the death was initially ruled a suicide, investigators reopened the case in 2009 and a $500,000 reward for information was announced in June 2023.
Keith Lees (pictured) will be flown from New South Wales to Queensland in the company of detectives after a Sydney court granted his extradition on Thursday.
Ms Rose’s body was discovered at the base of Point Cartwright Cliffs (pictured) on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on July 18, 1997.
At the time, Queensland detectives traveled to Victoria and spoke to Lees, before his car was found abandoned the next day in Portland, in the state’s southwest.
He allegedly gave a false name to other officers in Port Fairy, before being caught on CCTV shopping for new clothes in Geelong, and was last seen at Shepparton train station.
Lees’ family members publicly called for him to stop fleeing the interstate arrest warrant.
One of her adult children, Wren Dawnsong, who was living with Lees when Ms Rose was allegedly killed, told Daily Mail Australia the arrest was a huge relief.
“I am stunned and relieved that he has finally been found and I am very grateful to the public who provided the right information at the right time,” they said.
“It’s been really stressful.”
Wren wasn’t surprised to learn her father had ended up in Sydney.
‘I could have literally been anywhere in the country. My only real surprise is that he was on the run for a year and a half. I didn’t think I had it in me!’ they said.
He was arrested on January 2 in connection with the death of his ex-partner, Meaghan Louise Rose, 25 (pictured).
“But he’s a tough bastard and I’m glad they found him.”
Wren has spoken out about Lees’ disappearance in the past, telling reporters that in 2023 he should “man up” and turn himself in.
They believe an episode of the Australian True Crime podcast released last week led a member of the public to share new information with police.
The podcast included interviews with Wren and Ms. Rose’s sister Christine.
“To get a result almost immediately is incredibly surprising,” Wren said.
Wren was just 11 and living with Lees when Mrs Rose died.
Lees previously served 18 years in jail for the 2001 murder of Barry Waters, whose decapitated body was dumped in bushland in Reefton, Victoria.
He had been a friend of Mr. Waters and began a romantic affair with his wife.