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The former partner of Darwin mother Carlie Sinclair has been arrested on suspicion of her murder, sources have told the ABC.
Danny Deacon was arrested on Friday after being seen close to where a body, thought to be Ms Sinclair's, was found on a property on Wheewall Road near Berry Springs, in Darwin's rural area.
Police Commissioner John McRoberts would not name the man they had arrested, but said he had recently returned from interstate.
"I will say at this stage that he was known to Ms Sinclair and that's as far as I can take it," he said.
"The man that has been arrested left the Northern Territory soon after the disappearance of Ms Sinclair and has only just returned, in fact less than 24 hours ago."
Mr Deacon was the last known person to see Ms Sinclair, when she left a business in the Darwin suburb of Parap.
Mr Deacon told investigators the pair had had an argument while having a drink, and she walked off.
Mr McRoberts said a body, believed to be Ms Sinclair's, had been found at Berry Springs, in Darwin's rural area.
Mr McRoberts described the arrest as a "significant development".
"Earlier today, as a result of a man being seen in the Berry Springs area, he has been arrested and we are now holding him in custody until the results are known of a comprehensive crime scene analysis which is currently underway," Mr McRoberts said.
"Based on the information we have, including comments made by the man, we are very confident that we know where Carlie is, although it will take us some hours, or possibly not even until tomorrow to be able to tell her family that we have, in fact, confirmed her identity and where she is.
Mr McRoberts said he expected there would be more details from the crime scene later in the day.
"Based on all the evidence that has been compiled, based on the fact that we now have a man in custody, based on the fact that we now have what is clearly a gravesite at Berry Springs, we are very confident that we have solved the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Ms Sinclair," he said.
Ms Sinclair, 36, has not been seen since the evening of July 18, 2013, with police mounting a widespread publicity campaign to find her and offering a reward of $250,000 for information.
Mr McRoberts said information from members of the public was significant in helping the piece together their case.
Police said Ms Sinclair was last seen leaving the Parap decorative concrete business she ran.
She was then spotted on CCTV at a BP service station at nearby Fannie Bay.
Police said Ms Sinclair had not been in contact with her son, Alex, since disappearing and had not accessed her bank account or used her mobile phone.
"Her sudden disappearance was completely out of character, and after being advised police immediately held grave concerns for her welfare," Mr McRoberts said.
"It was simply too much to believe that Carlie would leave Alex behind."
In January, the NT Supreme Court granted the Public Trustee management of Ms Sinclair's estate, which included a property in Stuart Park, and several vehicles and bank accounts.
The media are being taken to the suspected gravesite at Berry Springs.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, darwin-0800
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