A 21-year-old woman found dead in a shallow grave in South Australia's mid-north may have been taken from her workplace by force, with police also gathering evidence to show she was stalked before being killed.
The body of Jasmeen Kaur was found buried at Moralana Creek, north of Hawker, on Monday after detectives were taken to the site by a man known to her.
That man, a 20-year-old from suburban Adelaide, was subsequently charged with her murder.
He was remanded in custody after a brief appearance in Port Augusta Magistrates Court on Tuesday where his identity was suppressed.
Ms Kaur, a carer and nursing student, was last seen alive when she worked a shift at an Adelaide nursing home on Friday.
Detective Superintendent Des Bray said investigators were satisfied she had not died at her own hands but was the victim of a murder.
He said a post mortem examination had reinforced that view.
"We know exactly how she died, but we can't say," he told reporters on Thursday.
Supt Bray said it was also possible the victim had been taken by force, with her car found in the car park at her work, and police were "gathering evidence" to show she was stalked.
"We believe it to be extremely unlikely that Jasmeen left willingly with anybody," he said.
Police have called for anyone with dashcam footage taken along the main highway north of Adelaide on Friday night to come forward.
He said a vehicle the dead woman was believed to be travelling in was caught on safety cameras a number of times, but several hours between those incidents were unaccounted for.
Police were also trying to find her missing handbag, her black shoes and her work identification tag.
The man charged with Ms Kaur's murder was also charged with failing to notify police of a reportable death.
Court documents allege she was killed between Friday and Monday at Parachilna or other places.
The man was remanded in custody to appear in court again on December 15.
A prosecutor told the court on Tuesday that the lengthy delay in the "complex matter" was necessary to allow for the collection and analysis of DNA and other evidence.
Once that is complete, the Director of Public Prosecutions will consider the material before making a final charge determination.
Supt Bray said the man had denied being involved in any way in Ms Kaur's death.
