The husband and brother of Jill Meagher faced her accused killer in a Melbourne court today.

The body of the 29-year-old woman was found early this morning.

A 41-year-old man has been charged with her rape and murder.

Kate Leonard-Jones reports.

TRANSCRIPT

The six day search for missing ABC employee Jill Meagher came to an end early this morning when police found her body in a shallow grave off a dirt road about 40 minutes drive from Brunswick, where she was last seen.

The man who has been charged with Ms Meagher’s murder led police to the grave site.

Jorma Kolstinen, Local Resident: “When you think of Brunswick or whatever, so removed from out here, it’s pretty awful.”

41-year-old Adrian Ernest Bayley was arrested at his Coburg home and taken to the St Kilda police station where he was charged with rape and murder at an out-of-session hearing in the early hours of this morning.

Bayley was remanded in custody and today faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a file hearing.

Ms Meagher’s husband and brother were in the court and prosecutors briefed them on the court’s proceedings.

Jill’s uncle spoke on behalf of the family.

Michael McKeon, Jill’s Uncle: “Both McKeon and Meagher family will have to plan now to grieve for Gillian. Our aunties, uncles and cousins are paralysed to describe their loss.”

Police launched an investigation after Ms Meagher failed to return home after a night out with workmates at a Brunswick bar in the early hours of last Saturday morning.

Bayley has been denied bail and will reappear in court for a committal hearing on January 18 next year.

Kate Leonard-Jones, QUT News.