A man suspected of murdering Brighton graduate Peter Falconio has been sent to northern Australia, where he is expected to face formal charges.

Mechanic Bradley John Murdoch, 45, appeared at Adelaide Magistrates' Court for a hearing today after being arrested earlier this week.

He is suspected of killing Mr Falconio after abducting him and his girlfriend Joanne Lees, on July 14, 2001, on a desert highway in central Australia.

Police believe the suspect shot Mr Falconio, 28, and tied up Hove travel agent Ms Lees in the back of his pick-up vehicle.

Ms Lees later escaped and alerted police, explaining how she hid in bushes for six hours before the attacker drove off.

Her clothes provided the DNA evidence which sparked a major manhunt for Murdoch, who was arrested on Monday after being cleared of rape and abduction in a separate case.

Chief magistrate Kelvyn Prescott ordered Murdoch to appear in court in the northern port city of Darwin tomorrow in relation to Mr Falconio's murder.

He was expected to be flown to the Northern Territory under tight police guard.

Handcuffed and flanked by prison officers and court staff, Murdoch showed no expression as Mr Prescott issued the order.

Murdoch's lawyer, Grant Algie, argued the arrest on Monday was illegal because it happened while the suspect was being detained in basement cells in the Adelaide District Court.

The magistrate dismissed the argument.

Despite police and Aboriginal trackers scouring an area in central Australia the size of France, Mr Falconio's body has never been found.