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Man accused of dumping woman's body to stand trial

A man accused of killing a Calgary woman and then dumping her body in trash bin will stand trial after his preliminary hearing wrapped up.

A man accused of killing a Calgary woman and then dumping her body in trash bin will stand trial after his preliminary hearing wrapped up.

Nathan Michael Desharnais, 25, sat in the prisoner’s box listening to the final day of testimony in Red Deer provincial court on Thursday. Seven witnesses were called by the Crown during the three-day hearing, none were called by the defence.

Desharnais is accused of killing Talia Meguinis, 27, in Red Deer. Meguinis’s body was found on Feb. 22, 2012, among the recyclables that came off a truck being unloaded at a city recycling depot.

Desharnais was arrested seven months later and charged with second-degree murder and interfering with human remains.

A court-ordered publication ban prevents the details of the testimony throughout the hearing from being made public.

Desharnais is being represented by Edmonton defence counsel Arnold Piragoff, who asked for the preliminary hearing to test the strength of the Crown’s case.

Desharnais will be back in court on Jan. 13, 2014, to set a trial date. He has elected to be tried by judge alone in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench.