The key suspect in the brutal death of a woman whose naked body was found at the King's Domain parklands in Melbourne has been arrested.

Scott Allen Miller, a 42-year-old from Western Australia, was arrested in Eden at 3.30pm this afternoon. He is currently assisting police with their enquiries 

The battered remains of a 32-year-old Chinese woman was found about 8.45am on Saturday in parkland near the intersection of St Kilda Road and Linlithgow Avenue.

Police had on Sunday launched a public appeal for the whereabouts of Mr Miller, a homeless man who was believed to have travelled to Melbourne about six weeks ago.

Shortly before confirming the arrest police released images of Mr Miller walking with a second man towards the Carlton Hotel on Bourke Street in the centre of Melbourne about 1.50am on Saturday.

It is understood Mr Miller spent several hours drinking with the man before being ejected from the pub at about 5am. The second man is not a suspect, but police would like to speak with him. 

Mr Miller was later seen walking south along St Kilda Road on his own, the Homicide Squad’s Detective Inspector John Potter said.

The victim, who is yet to be officially identified, was seen walking north near the Melburnian apartment building in Southbank shortly before 5.30am. Witnesses say they then saw her being chased by a man.

“She’s seen to have been chased by a man crossing St Kilda Road and disappearing in the vicinity of the Police Memorial,” Detective Inspector Potter said.

He said the woman had been sexually and physically assaulted.

“This was a particularly violent crime on this woman walking to work,” Detective Inspector Potter said.

"The material we've found does link us to Mr Miller," he said. "This is a particularly violent assault on this woman, she has been sexually assaulted and she has been physically assaulted."

Source: The Age newspaper