Police are confident a man accused of killing his mother was being genuine when identifying possible burial sites, despite a two-day search failing to find any remains.
The hunt for the body of missing woman Linda Sidon in a remote stretch of the Gold Coast hinterland was called off on Friday afternoon without any trace of the 46-year-old.
This was despite Ms Sidon's son and accused killer Daniel Heazlewood identifying several possible burial sites at the Numinbah Valley location on Wednesday.
Detective Inspector David Hutchinson admitted the search would be hampered given the length of time since the disappearance in 2009.
"We are confident that the information provided by Mr Heazlewood is genuine," Det Insp Hutchinson told AAP.
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"We acknowledge however that these events occurred over six years ago and memories may not be clear and the terrain may have changed."
Friday's dig site was approximately 200m from where two large holes were dug on Thursday.
It's the second time a search for Ms Sidon's body in the Numinbah Valley has failed to find any trace of the part-time cleaner.
A ground search of the area in August also came up fruitless. Heazlewood, 28, faced Southport Magistrates Court last week charged with his New Zealand-born mother's murder.
It's been reported the pair had a troubled relationship.
Police initially believed the then 46-year-old Ms Sidon's disappearance was a likely suicide when her father reported her missing almost 18 months after she was last seen in June 2009.
Ms Sidon had a history of anorexia, depression and anxiety.
New information given to police earlier this year heightened their suspicion that she had been murdered and her son was arrested after a two day search of the government housing unit he and his mother had shared before her disappearance.
Heazlewood's barrister Chris Rosser said after last week's court appearance that his client would be seeking Supreme Court bail and strenuously denied the allegations.
Heazlewood is due back in court on November 19.
