Police are appealing to the public for more information about the final movements of a missing New South Wales man who they allege was murdered on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.
The body of Peter Hillier, 64, was found in a home on Sandham Street in Venus Bay at 11am yesterday.
His travel companion, Adam Troy Bennett, who is also from the Central Coast town of Lake Haven, has been charged with his murder.
The 43-year-old appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court by video link from the Port Lincoln police cells on Tuesday afternoon.
He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody to face court again in November.
Earlier, Detective Superintendent Des Bray said the accused told police Mr Hillier had injured himself after falling out of a moving motorhome while drunk on Sunday.
Superintendent Bray said it was clear Mr Hillier had been dead for some time before his acquaintance rang the police.
"I can say that his injuries are significant and he suffered significant injuries to his body and we do not believe that's consistent with falling from a vehicle," Superintendent Bray said.
"The motive of the murder is not clear at this stage, or the location of his death," he added.
"We recovered Peter's body at Venus Bay but we do not know where he died.
"We're trying to identify any sightings of Peter or the motorhome, specifically since 7am on Sunday so we can map out their movements.
"And, more generally, we want to build a picture of his movements since he left NSW, so anybody who has had contact with Peter, please call Crime Stoppers."
Superintendent Bray said police believed the pair had been staying in various holiday homes in the Venus Bay area for about a month, and urged anyone with information about their movements to come forward.
"Sightings from members of the public, where people have seen them, when they've seen them, where they've conducted transactions, will all be critical in building a picture of what exactly happened."
Police believe they had gone fishing in Streaky Bay earlier on Sunday.
Both men had previously been reported missing.
Mr Hillier had last made a call to his niece in NSW earlier this month, while the accused had been missing since 2020.
Detectives and a forensic pathologist attended the property yesterday, with more police returning today.
