The husband of missing Townsville woman Julie Hutchinson has been charged with her murder.

The 48-year-old mother and scientist was reported missing by her sister last Thursday, but she hasn’t been seen since early March.

Her 47-year-old husband was arrested at the weekend and had been helping police with their inquiries.

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He was charged with her murder on Monday evening.

He was also charged with interfering with a corpse, and will front Townsville Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

It comes after the couple’s Condon home was declared a crime scene and the man’s car seized for forensic examination.

A team of 10 police also combed a vacant block in Mount Louisa, in Townsville’s north, for clues on Monday afternoon.

They were looking for “an item of property” that could provide a breakthrough for the investigation, Detective Inspector David Nixon said.

He said police couldn’t specify exactly what the item was, or risk undermining the homicide investigation.

It’s understood this search will continue on Tuesday.

Police have repeated their appeal to anyone who might have spotted her car, a silver Mazda 6 sedan, to come forward.