GUILTY Australia - Steven Petersen, 41, found dismembered, Munster, WA, Oct 2004

A MUNSTER man has appeared in court charged with the 2004 murder of an itinerant worker whose body has never been found.

Brett David McDonald, 37, of Munster in Perth's south, appeared today in Perth Magistrates Court charged with the wilful murder of Steven David Petersen, 41.

Police reinvestigating a missing person case allege he killed Mr Petersen between September and October 2004.

They believe both men had only met a few times in a five-six week period.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Fyfe said Mr Petersen was reported missing after his mother died.

"He wasn't located, but it was not considered suspicious at the time," he said.

He said police would do their best to find Mr Petersen's body but were not hopeful.

``I want to, simply for the family's sake, (but) we don't need it to proceed with the charge,'' Sgt Fyfe said.

``I wouldn't have charged anyone with wilful murder if I wasn't (confident he was actually murdered).''

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A Perth man who killed an itinerant worker with an axe and dismembered his body with a chainsaw has been sentenced to life in prison. The 18-year minimum prison sentence was at least some relief to the victim's traumatised family, says a detective.

Brett David McDonald, 39, was convicted on November 30, 2010 of the wilful murder of Steven David Petersen, 41, at his Munster property in October 2004...

Mr Petersen's remains were only found in a quarry in 2010, four years after he was reported missing by his sister.

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