A 46-year-old Ballarat man who is accused of murdering Adelaide mother-of-two Suzanne Poll in a stabbing more than a quarter of a century ago has been extradited to South Australia today.
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Matthew Donald Tilley appeared in Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Monday morning, with an extradition request by South Australia police granted.
Poll was stabbed to death while she was working at the Sands & McDougall shop in John Street at Salisbury in 1993 and the case remained unsolved.
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Magistrate Cathy Lamble said extradition to Adelaide Magistrates Court could take place immediately, with four detectives from South Australia seated in the court.
Tilley was flown from the Ballarat airport about 1.20pm on Monday afternoon, before appearing in court in South Australia tomorrow.
His legal representative, Melanie Rudolphus, told the court Tilley had never been in police custody before and was suffering from an unnamed medical issue which would require care.
She confirmed the medical issue was "not urgent".
"Mr Tilley has a diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, he is not currently medicated," Ms Rudolphus told the court.
"He is required to see a nurse or a doctor about some health issues which I will not detail now, but I would ask that a notation be made for medical treatment at the earliest opportunity."
The dark-haired Tilley appeared in the dock wearing a blue jumper with red writing, and had a short black and white beard. He stared straight ahead as his extradition order was signed by Magistrate Lamble.
The magistrate said the man would remain in the "custody centre until measures are in place for your travel", where he would be placed under the remit of South Australian detectives and flown from the Ballarat airfield.
Following the extradition hearing, Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Mceachern from South Australia's major crime branch thanked Victoria Police for their assistance in the case outside the court.
"It's obviously a massive breakthrough in the 27-year old investigation and it's some good news for the Poll family who have been waiting so long for some positive news," he said.
"There is a long investigation ahead of us, I can't really say any more, it would be inappropriate for me to go into any other detail about the case."
Meanwhile, Suzanne Poll's daughter has issued a statement thanking police for their work.
In a hand-written message released by SA Police today, Melissa Poll said she wanted to thank the members of the public for all "the loving messages to myself and family".
She also thanked the police for their efforts.
"Please know that we are all still in great shock and experiencing the grief and pain as if it happened all over again," she wrote in her brief message.
Ms Poll also released a family snapshot of her mother with her and her brother, Adam.
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