A man fatally stabbed in a shopping centre car park lost his life when an attempted drug deal became a robbery, police believe.
The 21-year-old victim arrived on Monday afternoon at the car park in the Gold Coast suburb of Hope Island to supply drugs to another man, police allege.
"We believe he has been robbed, or attempted to be robbed, and stabbed in the process," Detective Inspector Mark Mooney told reporters on Tuesday.
Det Mooney alleged the victim was fatally stabbed with a kitchen carving knife by the 23-year-old man, who has been charged with murder.
The 23-year-old Redbank Plains man appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday, with the matter adjourned until later in March.
Police allege the accused murderer had been carrying the knife on him when he was at a pub before the incident.
The pair had met briefly at the weekend during a music concert at the Spit on the Gold Coast and apart from this they did not know each, Det Insp Mooney said.
Another 23-year-old man had been with the accused before the alleged stabbing, but not afterwards, Det Insp Mooney said.
The man called police and was arrested at his home on Monday, then released without charge.
"I believe he has known the victim as an associate for a number of years and knows the defendant also as an associate for a number of years, however has spent the weekend with the defendant," Det Insp Mooney said.
It was a "devastating" situation for the families of everyone involved.
"We've got two families of young men, both of them whose lives are ruined - one no longer with us and one who possibly will spend a long period of time in prison," he said.
Anyone with information or footage of the incident has been urged to contact police.
