Palmiro MacDonald went missing in March last year. His remains were later discovered in the Mangahao Dam area of the Tararua Foothills on October 9. Photo/File
A 28-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Palmiro MacDonald.
The man made no plea when he appeared in the Palmerston North District Court this afternoon.
He was granted name suppression and consented to being remanded in custody to April 5.
MacDonald was the subject of a large, year-long investigation after he went missing on March 23 last year.
His remains were later discovered in the Mangahao Dam area of the Tararua Foothills on October 9.
"Today is a significant moment in what has been an extensive and complex inquiry and we are glad to finally be able to hold somebody to account," said Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Baskett.
"We hope that this arrest will bring a sense of relief to Palmiro's whanau and friends," he said.
"I would like to acknowledge our dedicated investigation team who have worked tirelessly over the past year to establish what happened to Palmiro and to find his whanau some of the answers they need.
"We would also like to thank the members of the community who contacted police and provided information which assisted with our inquiry."
Police are still welcoming any further information relating to the case, and would like to hear from anyone with information that may assist.
Please call 0800 OP PALM (0800 677 256), Levin Station on 06 366 0500, or CrimeStoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
The Wellington to Picton ferry had a technical issue and was being towed back to port.