The process of obtaining information from the RCMP has delayed the next court appearance for a man charged with murdering a young Red Deer woman by more than a month.
Bashir Gaashaan, 29, of no fixed address, won’t return to Red Deer provincial court until Aug. 31 after his lawyer reserved his plea on numerous charges on Tuesday.
Gaashaan, who appeared on closed circuit TV from the Red Deer Remand Centre, is charged with the first-degree murder of Jenna Cartwright, 21.
Gaashaan, who has started growing a beard and hair since he first appeared clean shaven and bald shortly after his arrest in late June, stood expressionless with his hands behind his back in the remand holding cell while the court dealt with his charges.
Red Deer prisoners sometimes don’t appear in person unless definitive steps are taken in their case or because of security concerns.
He is also charged with unlawful confinement and indecently disposing of a body in connection with the murder charge, which was laid in Red Deer on June 20.
Cartwright, 21, a resident of Red Deer, was reported missing by her family on April 12. She was last seen in Red Deer on March 29. On May 3, Olds RCMP were notified that a body, later identified as Cartwright, was discovered in a ditch about 14 km northeast of Olds.
The murder and related charges were alleged to have occurred on March 30 in or near Red Deer.
Gaashaan is represented by Red Deer lawyer Will Willms.
Willms said later he’s not entertaining a bail bid until he receives the bulk of the information the police have in connection with the murder-related charges.
“No real disclosure has been provided yet,” Willms told Judge David Plosz.
Gaashaan was arrested in Thunder Bay, Ont., on June 17 and flown back to Red Deer.
Crown prosecutor Jason Snider said earlier he would oppose any bail bid, which must be made in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench.
The accused also faces numerous charges on unrelated events, including assaulting another woman in Red Deer on Feb. 2, stealing a computer, possessing a handgun dangerous to the public, threatening violence against a man if he told authorities, assaulting the man and using an imitation firearm in committing an offence.
Gaashaan is also charged with trafficking cocaine between Jan. 1 and April 15.
He’s also alleged on April 3 to have evaded Sylvan Lake RCMP and failed to attend court.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com