WINNIPEG --  Raymond Cormier, the man accused of murdering Tina Fontaine is expected to make an appearance in court Friday morning.

The 53-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder, but his lawyer said he plans to fight the charge.

READ MORE: Raymond Cormier will fight Tina Fontaine murder charge: lawyer

Tina Fontaine's body was recovered from the Red River on August 17, 2014. The high profile case went unsolved without any major developments, until Cormier was arrested in the Vancouver area on Dec. 8 by members of the Winnipeg Police's homicide unit.

READ MORE: 53-year-old man arrested in Tina Fontaine murder case

He was originally from New Brunswick but resided in Winnipeg for some time.

It's believed Cormier and Fontaine had several previous encounters, and police said they believe he killed her on their last encounter.