A 36-year-old man has been charged in relation to the disappearance of Shyanne-Lee Tatnell, a 14-year-old girl who was missing for almost three months.
Tasmania Police arrested Christopher Mark Jordan in Launceston, where Tatnell was last seen — 45 minutes away from where human remains were found — last Thursday.
The charge against him, which were filed on Friday, states he is accused of murdering Tatnell on April 30, which was the day of her disappearance.
Jordan did not enter a plea or apply for bail and was remanded in custody. He will appear in court on August 16.
“The remains have since been confirmed as human, and while we are awaiting further forensic results, we believe it is Shyanne-Lee,” a police statement read last week.
The remains have seen been formally identified as the missing teen.
“As I have said previously, we will not rest until we have answers. This latest development is hopefully another step toward having those answers,” Northern District Commander Kate Chambers said.
Tasmania Police and SES personnel launched a massive air and ground search near the rural town of Nabowla on Wednesday.
In a statement later that night, police shared that officers had found suspected human remains.
“It is with a heavy heart that I can confirm that remains were located late this afternoon during our extensive search,” Chambers said.
“While these have not yet been forensically confirmed, they are believed to be human remains.
“We have been in regular contact with Shyanne-Lee’s family throughout the investigative process, and have notified them about this latest development. Our thoughts continue to be with them and Shyanne-Lee’s loved ones during this difficult time.”
Chambers said a crime scene had been declared at separate Scottsdale property as well as the scene near Nabowla, and extensive forensic examinations were being conducted.
Police are still investigating, and no charges have been laid at this time.
Shyanne-Lee Tatnell was last seen on April 30 earlier this year.
Haunting CCTV footage captured the last known sighting of the teen, where she could be spotted walking up a sidewalk alone at night, under the fading light of a street lamp.
Police initially released the footage in a bid to help identify several cars that were seen in the area.
“If you were the driver of a silver vehicle in the area at the time, or you know who was, please come forward,” police said in a statement at the time.
“You may have information that can assist us to locate Shyanne-Lee or determine her movements.”
Tatnell is described as being 160cm tall and was wearing a cream hoodie and black bike shorts when she vanished. She has not been seen or heard from since.
