Queensland man Gofal Baziad charged in gruesome Menangle cold case murder of Jason Palmer that had baffled cops for two decades

Jason Palmer's stabbed body found in February 29, 2004Gofal Baziad, 52, has been charged with Mr Palmer's murderREAD MORE: Bombshell development after woman is accused of fatally running over her sister Anong Luk and driving off following a bitter roadside argument

A man has been charged over the brutal cold-case murder of a father that baffled police for more than two decades.

Jason Palmer's stabbed body was found in a river at Menangle south of Sydney on February 29, 2004, three weeks after he was reported missing.

Mr Palmer's corpse was weighed down with rocks at the bottom of the Nepean river, but an initial investigation did not identify a suspect over the 34-year-old's death.

A 2007 coronial inquest found he was stabbed to death in the western Sydney suburb of Lakemba.

Authorities restarted an investigation in 2022 that led to the arrest of 52-year-old Queensland man Gofal Baziad in south-west Sydney on Monday, before he was charged with murder.

Gofal Baziad (pictured in green top) has been charged over the brutal cold-case murder of a father that baffled police for more than two decades

Jason Palmer's (pictured) stabbed body was found weighed down with rocks in a river at Menangle south of Sydney on February 29, 2004, three weeks after he was reported missing

Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty, who runs the NSW Police homicide team, said only the persistence and focus of detectives allowed them to track down the alleged killer.

'It's been 20 years since Mr Palmer, who was originally from the UK, is alleged to have been murdered,' he said.

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'He was a husband and father, and police had always remained hopeful of an arrest.

'This arrest once again demonstrates that investigators will not rest until there's a resolution for unsolved matters, and to provide answers to families.'

Baziad faced the Campbelltown Local Court on Tuesday, did not apply for bail and will remain in custody.

It is alleged he was known to Mr Palmer.

Detectives believe there are members of the public that know more details about the case and have urged them to come forward.