A manhunt spanning the country has ended in a significant breakthrough in a near 30-year murder mystery.

Keith Lees taken into custody the prime suspect in the 1997 death of Queensland woman Megan Rose,

whose death was initially ruled a suicide.

Josh Bavis leads us off.

Keith Lease has been evading authorities since 23, but the 72-year-old's time on the run

has come to a dramatic end at a property northwest of Sydney.

Lees is the prime suspect in the murder of 25-year-old Megan Rose, whose body was found at

the base of Point Cartwright Cliffs on the Sunshine Coast in 1997.

Her death was originally considered to be a suicide, but in 2022, cold case detectives

launched a fresh investigation into her death, believing she had likely been killed,

and later announced a $500,000 reward for any information that would lead to a conviction.

Keith Lees, her former partner, was interviewed by police at the time, but vanished a day later

and has since been on the run. There had been several sightings of him over the years,

including in regional Victoria. The family of Megan Rose have spoken today of their

determination to find justice.

I would just hope that everyone would remember as that caring, fun, loving girl.

We've also spoken to Keith Lee's estranged daughter who's been calling for her father to hand himself in.

And my heart just goes out to Megan's family because they lost somebody that was

brilliantly alive and yeah, we're taken way before her time.

Keith Lees appeared in the Parramatta Court today on charges of assaulting officers.

Police will now apply for his extradition within days to Queensland where he's set to face

one charge of murder.

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