Australian man's remains found in Royal National Park 10 years after he went missing

Human remains of a man, who went missing nearly 10 years ago, were found in dense Australian bush, police have said.

The police, who were scouring a section of the Royal National Park at Waterfall, found skeletal remains beneath a cabbage tree palm about 2.30pm local time on Wednesday (31 May). The area had been scoured three times since November.

Following Wednesday's finding, the remains were taken by forensic investigators for DNA testing. For about three days, an excavator and industrial-sized sifter was used to gather evidence.

On Sunday, the police said DNA tests confirmed that the remains were of Matthew Leveson.

Leveson, then 20, was last seen in 2007 leaving a nightclub in Sydney with his then boyfriend, Michael Atkins.

In 2009, Atkins was acquitted of Leveson's murder. Atkins later struck a deal with the attorney-general for immunity from perjury and contempt of court and led police to the burial site last year.

Leveson's parents visited the park several times with the police while searching for their son.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin from New South Wales Police said, "Every time we were down there, they were down there."

Faye and Mark Leveson, the victim's parents laid flowers at the site last week.

His mother told BBC reporters that, "We have had to fight for nine-and-a-half years to get to this day to bring our son home."

Former NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery told the Australian Broadcasting Corp that the remains do not constitute as evidence alone.

Reasons for Leveson's death remain unclear.

His family took to Facebook to thank loved ones who supported their search for their 20-year-old son.