A CARDIFF South man accused of the cold case murder of his missing fiancee in Victoria more than 40 years ago has had the charge against him dropped.
Peter John Wetzler, 66, an Australian Taxation Office worker and former RAAF member, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday afternoon where prosecutors applied to have the murder charge withdrawn.
Criminal lawyer Manny Conditsis, who said in October that the case against Mr Wetzler was "foredoomed to fail", promptly applied for costs, which he said were in the vicinity of $130,000.
Her body has never been found and a coronial inquest in 1998 found Ms Campbell was likely deceased, but the circumstances of her death could not be determined.
The Newcastle Herald reported in April last year that detectives searched a Cardiff South home in relation to Ms Campbell's "suspicious disappearance".
In August, a Victorian magistrate issued a warrant for Mr Wetzler's arrest for murder and he was arrested at home on September 6.
He was released on bail in Belmont Local Court and travelled to Melbourne where he was remanded in custody.
Mr Wetzler had no prior criminal convictions or a history of violence and vehemently denied murdering Ms Campbell, the court heard.
The court heard that the 21-year-old Ms Campbell went missing in February, 1984 after a disagreement with Mr Wetzler about Ms Campbell's employment with the RAAF.
"She had been unhappy in her role for some time and wanted to resign, but the applicant wanted her to stay so they could save money for their wedding," a Supreme Court judge said last year.
Mr Wetzler said he later left the house in his car, drove around for a few hours and when he returned home Ms Campbell was gone.
Mr Conditsis said during the bail application last year that his client had told "anybody and everybody" over the years he last saw the 21-year-old after an argument about her being unhappy working for the RAAF on February 25.
Ms Campbell was reported missing by her mother on March 2 and initial investigations focused on whether she had gone AWOL.
The case was referred to the homicide squad the following year but no trace of her has ever been found.
Missing Persons Squad detectives reopened the case in 2022 and Mr Wetzler was charged last year.
The court heard on Wednesday the prosecutors did not oppose Mr Wetzler being granted costs after the murder charge was withdrawn, but the amount was disputed and would need to be determined either privately or at a future hearing.
