A four-month-old baby boy has been left without his mother as his father faces a murder charge over the death of 30-year-old Toowoomba woman Jana Armstrong.

Dharminder Singh, 48, appeared by video link in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday after being charged with the alleged domestic violence murder of his former partner.

Singh has also been charged with arson and breaching bail conditions as police continue investigating the events surrounding Armstrong’s disappearance and death.

His solicitor told the court Singh maintained his innocence and intended to defend the allegations.

No plea was entered during Monday’s brief court appearance.

Singh was remanded in custody, with a brief of evidence requested by September 14 and the matter due to return to court on October 1.

The charges are allegations and Singh is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty.

For Armstrong’s devastated family, however, the court process begins as her infant son faces growing up without the mother relatives described as devoted to him.

Jana Armstrong vanished from her Toowoomba home

Armstrong was last seen at her home in Newtown, Toowoomba, on July 7.

The disability support worker’s disappearance immediately alarmed her family because they said she would never voluntarily leave her four-month-old baby.

Her white Hyundai Kona was discovered early the following morning, unlocked and abandoned near the intersection of Jellicoe Street and Gordon Avenue.

The unusual position of the vehicle intensified concerns for Armstrong’s safety.

Her baby was found safe.

Family members, police, emergency crews and members of the community then joined a desperate search for the missing mother.

Homicide detectives became involved as investigators examined the circumstances of her disappearance and attempted to reconstruct her final movements.

For days, Armstrong’s relatives publicly pleaded for information.

They repeatedly stressed that disappearing without her son was completely out of character.

Her sister, Faith Isaacs, described Jana as a caring woman and an intensely devoted new mother.

The family’s fears were confirmed on Saturday night.

Body found in remote bushland near Ravensbourne National Park

Human remains believed to be Armstrong’s were discovered in steep bushland off Esk Hampton Road at Redbank Creek, near Ravensbourne National Park.

The location is about 55 kilometres from Toowoomba.

Members of the public searching the area found the remains and alerted authorities.

Police established a crime scene late on Saturday night.

Investigators said forensic identification processes were continuing, but they believed the remains were those of Armstrong.

Queensland Police allege Armstrong was killed on the night she disappeared.

A major part of the investigation is focused on the movements of her Hyundai Kona and whether the vehicle was allegedly used to transport her body.

Darling Downs Acting Detective Inspector Brian Collins said tracing the car’s movements would form a significant part of the police case.

Detectives have appealed for CCTV and dashcam footage recorded between Toowoomba and Esk, including along Esk Hampton Road and the New England Highway, between 10.30pm on July 7 and 1.30am on July 8.

The request remains important because private cameras and passing motorists may have recorded a vehicle or activity relevant to the investigation.

Singh was initially questioned as police gathered evidence

Singh, the father of Armstrong’s baby, came into contact with investigators early in the search.

Police initially questioned him and he provided information as part of the investigation.

At that stage, investigators continued gathering evidence and reconstructing Armstrong’s disappearance.

Acting Detective Inspector Collins later said police had been “collating evidence the whole time”.

Shortly after 4am on Sunday, detectives executed a search warrant at a property in Harristown.

Singh was arrested and charged with one count of murder, classified as a domestic violence offence.

Further charges of arson and breaching bail conditions were before the court on Monday.

Police allege Singh set fire to a vehicle the day after Armstrong disappeared.

The murder allegation is now before the courts and the prosecution will be required to prove its case.

Singh’s lawyer has indicated the charge will be defended.

Accused says he will fight the allegations

Singh appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court via video link from custody.

His solicitor, Ramli Salehkon, told media his client maintained his innocence and was distressed by the situation.

The defence has requested the prosecution’s brief of evidence.

That material is expected to set out the evidence police and prosecutors intend to rely upon as the case progresses.

The court requested the brief be provided by September 14.

Singh’s case is scheduled to return to court on October 1.

He remains in custody.

Because murder charges in Queensland are dealt with in a higher court, the Magistrates Court proceedings form an early stage of the criminal process.

The case may involve further procedural hearings before any trial.

At this point, the court has not determined Singh’s guilt.

A baby boy now faces life without his mother

At the centre of the tragedy is Armstrong’s four-month-old son.

He was only months into life when his mother disappeared.

Armstrong’s sister is now caring for the baby.

Isaacs has publicly promised that her nephew will grow up knowing who his mother was and how deeply she loved him.

“I promise you, Jana, your beautiful baby boy will always know exactly who his mummy was, how deeply you loved him and just how incredibly special you were,” she wrote after the discovery of her sister’s body.

“I will speak your name, share your stories and keep your memory alive for him every single day.”

“I will never, ever let him forget his beautiful mummy.”

Isaacs described losing her sister as a devastation she could not put into words.

She thanked everyone who shared missing-person posts, searched for Armstrong, sent messages or supported the family during the desperate days after she vanished.

“My beautiful Jana deserved so much more,” Isaacs wrote.

“She was so deeply loved and will be missed beyond words.”

The promise to preserve Armstrong’s memory has become one of the most painful elements of the case.

Her son is too young to form memories of the brief months he spent with his mother.

His understanding of Jana will instead come through the family members who knew and loved her.

Family describes Jana as a devoted mother

Armstrong worked as a disability support worker and was described by relatives as caring, calm and loving.

Her family said she routinely put other people first.

But after the birth of her son, motherhood had become central to her life.

That was why her disappearance immediately appeared so alarming to those closest to her.

Her relatives said she would not simply abandon her baby.

As the search continued, the family feared something terrible had happened.

Isaacs later described Jana as her best friend.

She said the family wanted Armstrong to be laid to rest with their mother and father.

The family has also endured other recent grief, with Isaacs referring to the death of her own baby daughter.

“I know she will be looking after my baby girl who passed away recently, and I am looking after her baby boy,” she said.

The two sisters’ children have become part of the family’s deeply personal account of loss.

Community rallies around Jana’s baby

Armstrong’s death has generated a strong response across Toowoomba.

Flowers have been left in her memory and residents have publicly expressed grief over the death of a young mother.

Community support has also focused on Armstrong’s baby son and the relatives now responsible for his care.

Fundraising efforts for the child have attracted tens of thousands of dollars in donations.

By Monday, donations had reportedly passed $50,000.

The money is intended to support the baby’s future and ease some of the financial pressure facing the family.

The response reflects the way Armstrong’s disappearance gripped Toowoomba during the search.

Local residents shared appeals, joined search efforts and followed police updates.

When the discovery of human remains was announced, the search for a missing person became a homicide investigation.

Acting Detective Inspector Collins acknowledged the impact on the community.

“People in the community would be horrified that a young lady, a 30-year-old with a four-month-old child, has had her life taken — and rightfully so,” he said.

He described the family as tight-knit and said the death would have “ripples throughout a lot of communities”.

Police classify the case as domestic violence-related

Queensland Police have classified the alleged murder as a domestic violence offence.

Police said there were no domestic violence orders in place between Armstrong and Singh.

Investigators have said all relevant interactions with police will be examined as part of a broader review.

Acting Detective Inspector Collins said he did not believe police could have prevented Armstrong’s death.

However, he said a holistic examination would consider the history of police interactions connected with the case.

The classification of the alleged killing as domestic violence-related has again focused attention on violence against women in Queensland.

Armstrong’s family has called for greater action to prevent other families suffering similar losses.

Isaacs attended court as Singh’s case began its first formal stage.

Her focus, she said, remained on her sister and the baby Jana left behind.

The case has also emerged amid wider debate about domestic and family violence prevention funding in Queensland.

Those policy arguments will continue beyond Armstrong’s case.

But any discussion of the alleged circumstances must remain separate from the criminal proceedings now before the court.

Singh has denied the allegations and the prosecution case has not yet been tested at trial.

Police still want dashcam and CCTV footage

Despite the murder charge, the investigation remains active.

Detectives are continuing to reconstruct the period between Armstrong’s disappearance and the discovery of her body.

Police are particularly interested in footage captured along the route between Toowoomba and Esk.

The appeal covers Esk Hampton Road and the New England Highway between 10.30pm on July 7 and 1.30am on July 8.

Investigators want motorists and residents to check dashcams, security cameras and other recording devices.

Footage may appear insignificant to the person who recorded it but could help detectives establish the movement of Armstrong’s vehicle or other events relevant to the investigation.

Police have stressed that the arrest and charge do not mean the investigative work is finished.

The brief of evidence now being prepared will be central to the prosecution process.

For Armstrong’s family, the legal timetable means months of court proceedings may lie ahead.

Jana’s sister promises her son will know his mother

The criminal case will determine whether prosecutors can prove the allegations against Singh.

It cannot restore the four months Armstrong had with her baby.

Her family is now confronting the task of raising a child whose mother died before he was old enough to remember her.

Isaacs has made clear how she intends to face that responsibility.

She will tell him about Jana.

She will share his mother’s stories.

She will make sure he understands how much Armstrong loved him.

“I will speak your name, share your stories and keep your memory alive for him every single day,” she wrote.

Singh remains in custody and is due to return to court on October 1.

The murder, arson and bail allegations remain before the courts.

Meanwhile, the police investigation continues and the Toowoomba community is mourning a 30-year-old support worker and new mother.

Armstrong’s son has been left without his mother at four months old.

Her family has promised he will never be left without her story.