Police believe the body of a missing Gold Coast woman has been found just hours after her son was denied bail over charges related to her disappearance.
The body believed to be that of Wendy Sleeman was found in a car in a hired garage in a property in Windsor, Brisbane.
Det Supt Brendan Smith told reporters on Thursday evening that police conducted electronic searches that led them to the location.
“Tragically, the body of a woman we believe to be Wendy was found inside the vehicle. This is a devastating outcome for her loved ones and our thoughts remain with them,” Smith said.
Sleeman disappeared on Tuesday after she had called police about a forced entry and some damage at her home in Elanora on the Gold Coast. When police arrived 30 minutes after her call, the 61-year-old was missing.
Queensland police launched an extensive search for Sleeman across the Gold Coast, Logan and Brisbane, searching for a blue Honda Jazz hatchback with no registration plates.
A crime scene was declared at the Elanora home earlier in the week after a large amount of blood was found at the property.
On Thursday morning, her son, Slade Murdok, appeared in Brisbane magistrates court facing multiple domestic violence charges over the disappearance of his mother.
The 30-year-old was on bail for unrelated offences when he was charged.
Murdok’s lawyer, Rodney Keyte, said the case against his client was weak despite the seriousness of the charges, which included domestic violence-related counts of kidnapping, assault, stalking and attempted arson.
Based on the circumstantial evidence, Keyte said he highly doubted the case would make it past the committal stage and questioned what tied his client to the scene.
In opposing bail, police prosecutors argued they had a “very strong and very powerful” case against Murdok.
Officers found a pool of blood on the bathroom floor and drag marks along the floor, indicating the victim was bleeding heavily and unconscious, prosecutors said.
He was denied bail and the case was adjourned for mention on 14 February.
