The body was found about 5.30pm (6.30pm AEDT) today in Brisbane, along with the blue Honda Jazz officers have been looking for as part of an extensive search across the Gold Coast, Logan and Brisbane.
Sleeman's son, 30-year-old Slade Murdok, is accused of kidnapping her. He was arrested on Wednesday night and later charged over her disappearance.
While the body was yet to be formally identified, regional crime coordinator Superintendent Brendan Smith said it was believed to be that of the 61-year-old Elanora woman.
"It certainly appears to be her," he said tonight, outside a unit block in Wilston.
"It's a very sad time for the family. Obviously, they've been advised. "On the other side, I suppose it gives them some closure as to where she is."
Smith said "forensic examination of some electronic devices" led police to the garage, where he believed the car had been since Tuesday afternoon and which is more than an hour's drive from Sleeman's home.
He alleged Murdok had hired the garage where the car was found with "some pre-meditation" and hadn't been "quite truthful about who he was" with the owner.
It was unlikely Murdok would face further charges tonight, the superintendent said.
On Thursday, Murdok had his bail bid knocked back as police alleged there was evidence of planning in the disappearance.
In a wheelchair and with visible marks to his head, Murdok sat quietly for the majority of his bail application in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
The 30-year-old was on bail for unrelated offences when he was arrested, the court heard.
Smith said police were still keen to hear from members of the public who'd seen the blue Honda Jazz without number plates.
Earlier in the week, a crime scene was declared at an Elanora home after a large amount of blood was found at the property.
But Murdok's lawyer, Rodney Keyte, said the case against his client was weak despite the seriousness of the charges, which included various domestic violence-related charges and criminal counts of kidnapping, assault, stalking and attempted arson.
Based on the circumstantial evidence, Keyte said he highly doubted the case would make it past the committal stage and questioned what tied his client to the scene.
In opposing bail, police prosecutors argued they had a "very strong and very powerful" case against Murdok.
Officers found a pool of blood on the bathroom floor and drag marks along the floor, indicating the victim was bleeding heavily and unconscious, prosecutors said in court.
Sleeman feared for her own safety and believed Murdok might try to kill her as recently as January 23, the court heard.
Evidence gathered so far point to the events at the property being planned, Smith claimed to reporters.
Sleeman had called police after discovering a disturbance at her home on Tuesday afternoon.
"She came home from work, and the house had been given some forced entry, and she noticed some damage," Smith said.
By the time police arrived 30 minutes later, Sleeman was missing.
Officers were unable to intercept a vehicle that was leaving the property at speed and went back to the property where they could smell petrol and see smoke, the court was told.
Police claimed that the scene indicated there had been violence involved in the disappearance, while and that there was also evidence of a fire that had started but was extinguished.
- Reported with AAP
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2023-01-26 11:03:23Z
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