Detectives have made a breakthrough in the case of Queensland mother Crystal Beale, charging her former partner with her murder.

Beale, 49, was last seen in West End in February, before her body was discovered in the Brisbane River near the Brisbane Corso in Yeronga in the early hours of February 21.

She had been at a dinner in Sunnybank with her family, police said, and was dropped off by her former partner on Ryan Street in West End about 9.30pm. That was the last known sighting of her, officers said.

Police at the time released footage of Beale on the night, wearing a long, white dress and carrying a brown leather satchel.

Her death was initially ruled as non-suspicious by police because her body had “no obvious injuries”.

On Monday morning, police confirmed they had charged Beale’

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