Man charged over Qld cold case murder

A man has been charged with murdering a stranger he drank with and then allegedly left to die in a Brisbane hotel room in 1976.

Detectives believe Rex Kable Keen met his killer at the Carlton Crest Hotel on the night of August 13 during a visit to the city for a medical appointment.

He had travelled from Bowen a few days earlier.

Now, on Monday, his family are finally closer to learning why he never made it home.

The pair left the hotel where they'd shared a drink and went to Mr Keen's room at the Lennon's Plaza, ordering room service about 10.30pm.

Detective Inspector Damien Hansen said staff told police they saw two men in the room when they delivered their order.

He said occupants of other rooms recalled that it was soon after that they heard a disturbance.

Mr Keen's body was found by cleaners the next day. A post-mortem examination showed he died from a fractured skull and head injuries.

Police spent 18-months reviewing the case and speaking to witnesses who revealed more now than they did back then.

They now believe the 69-year-old Bundaberg man they arrested on Monday is the man who was drinking with Mr Keen at the hotel decades ago.

He wasn't questioned at the time because he couldn't be found.

He will appear in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with one count of murder.