A cash-strapped Queensland man on trial for murdering his wealthy uncle was like a son to the missing man, a court has been told.
Robert James Wagner, 57, is accused of murdering his mother's brother, Gerhard Wagner, 61, in the garage at his Brisbane home.
It's alleged Wagner lured his uncle to his home on January 7, 1999, and hit him over the head before "chopping" him up.
Gerhard Wagner has not been seen since. Wagner has denied killing him.
However, a witness, who can't be identified for legal reasons, told the Brisbane Supreme Court this week that Wagner confessed to him that he murdered his uncle over money.
He said Wagner told him he "chopped up" his uncle in the garage before dumping parts into a Brisbane river and at the Glass House Mountains National Park, north of Brisbane.
On Thursday, Gerhard Wagner's sister-in-law said the pair were very close.
"(Robert) seemed to be always around his uncle Gerhard and his uncle treated him like a son," Glenda Wagner said.
The court has heard Wagner owed his uncle $300,000 and was both a beneficiary in his will and an executor.
Despite their close relationship, Wagner and his uncle would often argue about financial matters.
The trial continues on Friday.
Australian Associated Press
