UPDATE: THE man accused of stabbing Victorian woman Sarah Cafferkey to death has until March to decide how he will plead.

Steven James Hunter, 47, stared at the floor, showed no emotion and did not speak during a brief filing hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court today.

Flanked by two prison guards and wearing an olive short-sleeved shirt, the tall, well-built, blond-haired Hunter was appearing after a night in custody following his arrest yesterday.

An out-of-sessions hearing at the St Kilda Road police complex late yesterday was told Hunter, from Bacchus Marsh, had made admissions to police over Ms Cafferkey's murder.

Detective Sen-Constable Damien O'Mahoney, of the Homicide Squad, told the hearing Ms Cafferkey had been stabbed "multiple times" on November 10 at a flat in Simpson St, Bacchus Marsh, before her body was taken to the Point Cook house where police found it during a raid in the early hours of Sunday.

"Her body was moved from Bacchus Marsh to Fongeo Drive, Point Cook, and placed in a wheelie bin," Sen-Constable O'Mahoney said.

Hunter appeared barefoot and dressed in a white forensic jumpsuit for last night's three-minute hearing; his clothing having been seized for forensic testing.

In court today, prosecutor Luke Exell said a brief of evidence would be finalised and submitted to the court by February 13.

Magistrate Donna Bakos remanded Hunter in custody until a committal mention on March 27, at which he must enter a plea to the charge of murder.

Hunter's Victoria Legal Aid lawyer, Vince Caltabiano, told the court there were no issues with the terms of his client's custody.

Ms Cafferkey, who lived in Bacchus Marsh, was last seen by her family on November 9.

Homicide police took over the investigation into her disappearance after her car was found in a suburban Maribyrnong street.

Hunter was arrested at a block of units in Hawthorn yesterday afternoon by heavily armed special operations group police and undercover officers.

More than a dozen officers surrounded the units and called on the 47-year-old to give himself up.

Witnesses say he quickly emerged without incident, looking dishevelled in shorts, an ACT Brumbies rugby shirt and no shoes.

Hunter and Ms Cafferkey had exchanged messages on Facebook, with Hunter suggesting the pair catch up five days before she was reported missing.