Qld: Men arrested over cold case murder after wire sting: court
By Christine Flatley23 Jan 2009 4:22 PM
EDS: Changes keyword from Wong
BRISBANE, Jan 23 AAP - Two men were arrested over a 20-year-old murder after one of them confessed to a friend who was wearing a police wire, a court has been told.
Rodney Stewart DeFilippis, 52, was caught in the sting after his friend told police they had both been involved in the death of Gold Coast businessman Jeffrey Wong in 1989, the Brisbane Magistrates Court was told on Friday.
During a bail application for DeFilippis, police prosecutor Senior Constable Carrie Davidson said the murder had been considered a cold case until August last year when DeFilippis' friend, who was not identified, was re-interviewed.
Snr Const Davidson said the friend later agreed to wear a wire when meeting with DeFilippis, who was allegedly caught on tape making a number of self-incriminating statements.
The crown is alleging DeFilippis, of Currumbin Waters, and the unidentified friend were asked by co-accused Graham Lawrence Anderson, 52, to help dispose of Mr Wong's body.
The court was told Anderson, of Scarborough, had killed Mr Wong during an altercation at a Gold Coast auto repair shop where Anderson worked.
Snr Const Davidson said Anderson, DeFilippis and the friend drove Mr Wong's body across the border and buried it in a bush grave in northern NSW.
Police have not yet found the body.
Anderson and DeFilippis were arrested on Thursday and both appeared in court on Friday.
DeFilippis has been charged with accessary after the fact to murder and misconduct with a corpse by interfering.
He was granted bail on the condition he report twice a week to police and that he surrender his passport.
Anderson made no bail application and will reappear in March.
