Man charged with murder after body found in search for Karen Rae in Melbourne
A man has been charged with murder after detectives investigating the disappearance of Karen Rae found a body at Frankston North.
Langwarrin man Tony John Smith, 49, appeared briefly in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Sunday charged with murdering Ms Rae on April 15 last year.
The body was found in bushland beside the Frankston Freeway, in Frankston North on Saturday, in Melbourne's south-east, a Victoria Police statement said.
Crews searched the bushland area on Friday and returned on Saturday.
Missing Person Squad detectives arrested Smith as part of their investigation into Ms Rae's disappearance.
The 48-year-old mother-of-four was was last seen leaving her Adib Court home in Frankston North, in April last year.
A lawyer acting for Smith on Sunday told the magistrates court the accused had spent the past two nights in the Royal Melbourne Hospital being treated for a heart condition.
If Smith hadn't actually had a heart attack he'd suffered "something similar", the lawyer told Magistrate Bob Kumar.
The court heard Smith was on a host of medications for his condition.
There was no application for bail and the magistrate told the accused man he'd be seen by the custody nurse.
Asked if he understood, Smith replied: "Thank you".
The man was remanded to reappear in court on Friday.
News break – December 11
