A Murray Bridge man charged over an alleged murder at a "cannabis grow house" in Adelaide's north was linked to the crime by DNA found on a discarded cigarette butt, a court has heard.
Aaron Donald Carver, 35, was extradited from Queensland on Saturday and charged with the murder of a man at Para Vista earlier this month.
The body of a 46-year-old foreign national was found in a house on Carousel Street on October 12.
Police believe he was killed between midnight and 1:00am on October 9.
Police allege the home was being used as a cannabis grow house and that up to seven men were seen transferring cannabis plants from the victim's car into a white Holden Commodore and another dark-coloured car.
On Monday, the accused man made no application for bail in the Adelaide Magistrates Court and was remanded in custody.
Police prosecutor Adam Kuchel said CCTV from a nearby house captured the accused and other "darkly dressed" men approaching the victim's home.
"One of the group is seen to discard a cigarette butt, that is how the defendant's DNA is matched to this incident," he said.
He said the accused was also suspected of driving a white car which was seen on other surveillance footage travelling along a nearby street.
Mr Kuchel asked for the matter to be adjourned for 14 months and said while preliminary testing of the cigarette butt produced a positive match to Mr Carver's DNA, there were "hundreds" of other items that needed to be assessed before they could progress with the case.
He said it would take 12 months for the Forensic Science Centre to analyse DNA found at scene and in the victim's car.
"My instructions are that DNA for homicide matters takes 12 months," he said.
"There are numerous exhibits still to be tested… in the avenue of hundreds."
Magistrate Simon Smart described the lengthy adjournment as "extraordinary" and questioned why the DNA testing could not be done faster.
"I won't be putting the matter off for 14 months given the likelihood that this man may remain in custody," he said.
"Is it the position that the Forensic Science Centre can't perform tests on matters for 14 months… are they so under-resourced or overstressed that they can't produce an outcome for 14 months?"
Magistrate Smart said he found the delay difficult to accept and adjourned the case for six months.
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