?
LE will always say and hope that a person is alive u less there is evidence to prove that they are deceased. This is an example of what that would look like (blood evidence, confession, missing gone a very long time, etc:
( Longmont police believe Rita Gutierrez-Garcia is dead, have ID'd 'person of interest' )
I need to see this case you reference because no way someone’s going to pursue murder charges without evidence.
It's not possible to charge without it because CPS must outline the actus reus of the crime of murder in the information.
So specifically
1. Evidence that the person is dead
2. Evidence that the person died as a result of an unlawful act or omission
In some rare cases, it has been possible to infer guilt without a body and without knowing exactly how the victim died.
See for example Ben Smart and Olivia Hope who were allegedly dumped at sea.
Murder in the Sounds: what really happened to Ben Smart and Olivia Hope?