Arrest made in Qld murder cold case
A man has been arrested in Brisbane for a suspected murder that took place 15 years ago.
Gerhard Bruno Wagner, 61, was last seen on January 7, 1999 leaving his friend's boat workshop at Hemmant, in Brisbane's east, on his motorbike.
A 53-year-old man from Brisbane's northern suburbs was on Wednesday charged with Mr Wagner's murder, interfering with a corpse and stealing a vehicle.
He'll appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court later on Wednesday.
Detective Superintendent Steve Holahan, of the State Crime Command's Homicide Group, said investigators, the public and Mr Wagner's family all helped in the lead up to the arrest.
"While I'm confident the arrest will provide some comfort to Gerhard's family, who joined us in appealing for information earlier this year, we are still committed to bringing closure to the family," Det Supt Holahan said.
"This case highlights the fact police will continue to investigate unsolved crimes regardless of when they were committed."
A $250,000 reward was issued two years ago for information but that did not provide the breakthrough.
In July this year, Mr Wagner's brothers Paul and Peter made a public appeal for new information.
"It is still very raw," Paul Wagner said at the time.
"Not a day goes by that we don't think of him.
"We need to give him a decent burial and start to heal from this terrible tragedy."
