Police have today confirmed that skeletal remains found north-east of Alice Springs are human.

A police forensic team from Darwin flew to Alice Springs yesterday after what appeared to be a burial site was found by members of the Territory Response Section off the Plenty Highway approximately 90 kilometres north-east of town.

Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Pollock said the remains were found in the area being searched by police for the body of Peter Wayne Murphy. Mr Murphy went missing from Alice Springs in August 2008.

"We can confirm the remains are human, and the forensic officers will remain on site for the next couple of days to retrieve the body.," Det Sen Sgt Pollock said.

"The remains will then be sent to Darwin for examination by the Forensic Pathologist with a view to positively identifying them and establishing a likely cause of death."

A man charged with the murder of Mr Murphy will appear in the Alice Springs Magistrates Court again on June 22. Thirty-one-year-old Adam Filippone has been in custody since being extradited from Queensland to the Northern Territory last month.



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