A 48-year-old man has been charged with murder after police arrested him on a Countrylink train headed for Sydney in connection with the death of an elderly man in Springvale, south of Wagga Wagga.
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Police rushed to Springvale Drive in Springvale shortly after midday on Tuesday after receiving calls that an 83-year-old man had been injured. When they arrived they found the man dead.
The fatal attack on the elderly man took place in the backyard of his home, with other family members, including his wife present.
Police said the man was struck in the back of the head with a weapon described as an "item used for everyday use".
The grisly find sparked a manhunt in the neighbourhood, with police cordoning off Springvale Drive as they searched for a 48-year-old man in connection with the older man's death.
Police pulled the man off a Countrylink train while it was stopped at Cootamundra Railway Station en route from Wagga Wagga to Sydney just before 3pm.
Cootamundra police said they made the arrest without incident.
The man was interviewed at Cootamundra police station and charged with the 83-year-old's murder on Tuesday evening.
Investigators believe the two men were known to each other.
Detective Inspector Darren Cloake, of Wagga Wagga police, said family members present were "obviously distraught" and counselling services had been offered.
"Obviously emotions are very high at the moment, it's very upsetting," he said.
The man will appear in Wagga Wagga Local Court on Thursday.
Earlier on Tuesday, police put out an alert saying that detectives wanted to speak to a man with regard to the investigation. They described him as Caucasian, aged in his late 40s, about 178 centimetres tall, with short grey hair and a receding hairline.
Police established a crime scene at the Springvale home as forensic specialists and detectives scoured it for evidence. A section of Springvale Road, between Plumpton Road and Featherwood Road, was also closed while emergency services carried out inquiries.