A man has been charged with murder after the body of a Queensland mother of two was found dumped in the Brisbane River earlier this year.
Police say 49-year-old Jesse Beale, believed to be the ex-husband of Crystal Beale, was arrested and charged with her murder on Monday, Sept. 22. He is also facing a charge of misconduct with a corpse, according to 7 News and ABC.
Crystal, 49, had dinner with her two children on Feb. 21 before reportedly meeting up with her former partner. Her body was discovered the next morning in the Brisbane River by a member of the public.
Queensland Police confirmed that detectives spent months combing through more than a thousand hours of CCTV footage and pursuing multiple leads before making the arrest. Authorities allege Beale murdered Crystal and then moved her body into the river.
Detectives executed a search warrant at a Maudsland property on Sept. 22 at 5:11 a.m., where Beale was taken into custody. “It is reprehensible what happened to Crystal,” Detective Inspector Wayne Francis said. “Over the past seven months, detectives have been tirelessly investigating every avenue possible to find answers for her family.”
Investigators say Crystal was last seen leaving a Sunnybank restaurant around 8:30 p.m. with a man known to her. The two reportedly traveled to West End, where she was spotted again just before 9:30 p.m.
Police also revealed there was a history of domestic violence between the two, though no active protective order was in place at the time. “As you can appreciate, her children have lost their mother through horrible circumstances,” Francis added. “No matter what happens in court, they can’t get her back.”
Beale was scheduled to appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court on Sept. 22 but was not present when his case was mentioned. His lawyer requested the matter be adjourned to October.
