A Gold Coast man who allegedly disposed of the gun used to kill Phillip Carlyle 20 years ago has been charged with fresh weapon offences, after a cache was found buried at a hunting property west of Brisbane.
Detectives searching for the gun used in the cold case have uncovered at least 11 handguns, two automatic rifles and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition at two locations on the property, which is about 20 minutes from Stanthorpe.
Mr Carlyle was shot four times in the head at his Robina office in 1997, with a breakthrough in the case finally made in June.
His business partner at the emerging IT company was charged with murder and John Hitchen, 66, with getting rid of the murder weapon, which is believed to have been a .32 handgun.
Hitchen was charged on Monday over the cache of illegal guns.
Detective Sergeant Rod Seaman said he was unaware if a .32 was among the guns found.
"I'd love to say I was confident, but until ballistic testing is undertaken, it is hard to know," he said.
"Whether they are linked to the murder of Mr Philip Carlyle, or other offences, I don't know.
"The particular thing about the murder of Mr Carlyle is the ammunition, the Norma-brand ammunition .32 calibre.
"I can tell you now that some Norma ammunition was found in there, but it was not our .32."
Hitchen was granted bail in the Southport Magistrates Court, with the matter to be heard again in November.
The ammunition and guns were found at the property on August 5.
The guns were stashed in barrels, buckets and tubing and are believed to have been buried five or six years ago.
Detective Seaman said the land where the guns were found was used for hunting and fishing, where a large number of shareholders had an interest.
The day Mr Carlyle died, the marketing manager had been preparing to fly to the United States for a work trip and went to his office to finish some last-minute preparations.
He worked as the marketing manager for emerging internet company, Atnet Pty Ltd.
Mr Carlyle's business partner, Neil Pentland, was charged in June with his murder, and Pentland's wife was charged with providing a misleading statement.
The crown case relied heavily on the credibility of witness Dagma Peyrac, Mr Hitchens' ex-partner, who gave a statement to police 20 years after Mr Carlyle's death.
