Two weeks ago, Jayde Kendall got into Brenden Bennetts' car and was never seen again.
Now he's behind bars, accused of murdering the 16-year-old Gatton schoolgirl after her body was found dumped in a paddock.
The 18-year-old was remanded in custody after a brief appearance in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.
Bennetts had been a person of interest in the high-profile search for Jayde given she was last seen getting into his red Toyota Corolla after school on August 14.
But his lawyer, Brendan Ryan, told reporters outside court that speculation about his client was premature and the two teens were friends.
"There is certainly a defence case to be made in this particular matter," he said.
He said Bennetts, also charged with interfering with a corpse, intended to plead not guilty and would eventually apply for bail.
He described the young man - who will now spend his 19th birthday on Monday in custody - as depressed, agitated and withdrawn.
He also felt "significant remorse" for the toll his arrest was taking on his and Jayde's family, Mr Ryan said.
"They are all caught up in an absolute tragedy," he said.
Bennetts smiled briefly at his family and appeared calm as he sat in the dock in his prison-issue browns.
He will be back in court on September 4 when he fronts the Ipswich Magistrates Court.
Meanwhile, the Lockyer District State High School community mourned Jayde's death by placing floral tributes and notes at a makeshift shrine.
The tribute featured purple balloons in a nod to the late schoolgirl's favourite colour.
"She was a popular, well-liked student," education department spokesman Greg Dickman said.
"(She) will be greatly missed by all her friends and teachers."
Jayde's relatives have described her as the "glue" that binds the family together.
Her uncle, Craig Morrissey, said she became a maternal figure to her younger brother after her mother's untimely death to cancer several years ago.
"She held it together way back then and it has always been the same," he said.
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