The 37-year-old Dimbulah man remains in custody, charged with murder and misconduct with a corpse after a burning body was discovered at a rural property west of Cairns on March 24.
Police were called to the property for a welfare check and found a fire burning in the yard, where they believed they could see human remains.
"They took immediate action to attempt to recover them and to extinguish that fire," Detective Inspector Jason Chetham said on Wednesday.
"We will be alleging that the two men were known to each other and they were involved in an altercation at the Stock Road property.
"What happened exactly during that altercation and what led to the 70-year-old man's death is still part of an ongoing investigation."
The 37-year-old was taken into custody in Mareeba and charged with one count of murder and one count of misconduct with a corpse by interference, both classified as domestic violence offences.
Police declined to go into detail about the alleged corpse interference, but will allege the victim was burned after being killed.
Detective Inspector Jason Chetham said the two men, who were related by marriage, both lived at the property.
It had been a confronting scene for investigators, he said.
Police are appealing for information from Dimbulah residents, urging anyone who may have seen or heard anything relevant to come forward.
28°C