A Sydney woman was allegedly murdered on her birthday by a man she met through an online dating app, NSW Police have revealed.
Nicole Cartwright was found wrapped in a bedsheet and dumped near a children's playground in Buffalo Creek Reserve at Hunters Hill two years ago.
After a series of public appeals, detectives on Wednesday arrested 51-year-old Dennis Pietrobon at Parramatta Police Station and charged him with murder.
"Police will allege Nicole and the 51-year-old man met through the dating applications and social media sites … and police will allege this man was the last person to meet with Nicole," Homicide Commander Danny Doherty said.
Ms Cartwright's badly decomposed body was found by a council worker two days after her 32nd birthday — the day she was allegedly killed.
"So it's a very sad and tragic event … it will be alleged that this man took her from an address to the reserve and unfortunately dumped the body like some unwanted piece of refuse," Detective Superintendent Doherty said.
"It was a cold-hearted act … a callous and heinous criminal act and a tragedy for the family. It's been a distressing time for them."
Drag marks of up to 30 metres were discovered near her body.
At the time, police said her hands were bound and her body was badly bruised.
At the time of her death, then NSW Police homicide squad commander Scott Cook said Ms Cartwright was "murdered in an outrageous way".
The Lansvale woman was last seen alive on September 30, where CCTV footage captured her leaving Museum Station in Sydney's CBD.
Ms Cartwright was reported missing by her parents on October 4, the day after her body was discovered.
"She was well liked, she was a free spirit, she certainly travelled around a lot on the Sydney trains system," Commander Cook said.
Her family released a statement following the arrest.
"It's hard to express in words what our family has been through since Nicole's death," said Ms Cartwright's brother, Ben.
"Nicole was very much loved as a sister and daughter; a cherished member of our family.
"We grieve daily for Nicole and the life she never got to live, and we are still struggling to comprehend that she will never be coming home."
