Man Arrested for 1997 Alleged Murder Following Nationwide Manhunt

Keith Lees, 72, was apprehended in Sydney and charged with the alleged murder of Meaghan Rose, whose death was initially ruled a suicide nearly three decades ago.

• Keith Lees, 72, was arrested in Dural, Sydney, following a nationwide search for his connection to the 1997 death of Meaghan Louise Rose in Queensland.
• Meaghan Rose, a 25-year-old disability and aged care worker, was found dead at the base of Point Cartwright cliffs, with her death initially treated as a suicide.
• The case was reopened as a potential homicide in 2009, and an arrest warrant for Lees was issued in 2023, alongside a $500,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
• Lees allegedly fled after being questioned by police in 2023, providing a false name before disappearing, and was later spotted in several locations before his arrest.
• Lees has been charged with Rose's murder, identity offences, and assaulting a police officer, and is set to appear in Parramatta Local Court as Queensland Police seek his extradition.

5 Articles

The Guardian 9News The Age The Sydney Morning Herald Australian Broadcasting Corporation