Daughter to testify in Vic murder case

The daughter and stepson of a woman allegedly murdered by her husband are expected to give evidence against their father in an upcoming committal hearing in Melbourne.

Borce Ristevski, 54, is accused of murdering his 47-year-old wife, fashion boutique owner Karen Ristevski, at Avondale Heights on June 29, 2016.

Ms Ristevski's body was found eight months later in bushland at Macedon Regional Park when a bushwalker spotted her remains.

Ristevski appeared for a mention hearing at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The court heard the pair's daughter Sarah was expected to give evidence at a committal hearing in July.

Twenty-eight other witnesses are also expected to testify, including Sarah's stepbrother, Borce Ristevski's biological son Anthony Rickard.

Defence lawyer Sam Norton was granted permission to cross-examine the witnesses, including a pathologist.

He said he would question the pathologist on whether trauma would be evident on the body of a person who had been deceased for that period of time.

An expert witness in vehicle tracking and an engineer will also testify and there will be evidence about phone intercepts planted on Ristevski during the investigation.

The defence withdrew an application to suppress media reporting of the case.

Lawyers had previously asked for the matter to be suppressed after concerns about Ristevski receiving a fair trial following reports that were "deliberately toxic and designed to promote outcry in the community".

"But we maintain concerns about the way the matter is being written about and publicised," Mr Norton said on Wednesday.

"We're imploring the media to be responsible."

The two-week committal hearing, set for July 16, will determine whether Ristevski, who was one of the pallbearers at his wife's funeral, will stand trial for her murder.