A BRINSMEAD man has been charged with his missing wife's murder just one week after making an impassioned plea to the Far Northern community for information on her whereabouts. 

Police are now concentrating on the "fine, minute details" of the case after Klaus Andres, 68, faced Cairns Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with the murder of 42-year-old Li Ping Cao and was remanded in custody.

About the same time, Cairns Regional Council crews were working with a circular saw to cut into bitumen surrounding a drain near Mr Andres’ home on Chapel Close, where a crime scene has been established.

Far Northern regional crime co-ordinator Det Insp Bruno Asnicar would not reveal whether Ms Cao’s body had been found, but said police were "satisfied that the victim is deceased" and investigations were
continuing.

"We’re going into very fine, minute details in the investigation now," he said.

"It’s as a result of that line of investigation we have progressed to where we are now.

"The investigation is … far from over."

Plea for Cairns residents to help find missing woman | Concerns held for missing Cairns woman Li Ping Cao

Det Insp Asnicar said the case has focused "greatly on forensics", with scientific officers from Brisbane being flown in to assist with the investigation.

He said Ms Cao’s family in China had been contacted, and it was believed they would be arriving in Cairns over the coming days.

The Chinese Consulate has also been informed.

It is believed Mr Andres met Ms Cao during a holiday in China, and they have been married for five years.

She was last seen alive on October 31.

On November 14, Mr Andres fronted a media conference at Cairns police station to make a public plea for any information that may reveal his wife’s whereabouts.

Det Insp Asnicar said police wanted to talk to anyone in the business community – such as shop assistants or newsagents – who had contact with Ms Cao or Mr Andres.

"We’ve still got a lot of gaps in the timeline," he said.

Mr Andres’ defence solicitor, Stephen O’Reilly, told Cairns Magistrates’ Court he believed more charges were pending.

He asked for the case to be adjourned to November 29.

"Hopefully, by that stage we’ll know exactly what we’re dealing with," he said.

Outside court, Mr O’Reilly said Mr Andres intended to apply for bail at a later date.

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