Toronto

Toronto neurosurgeon charged with killing physician wife to stand trial next year

A Toronto neurosurgeon accused of killing his physician wife will go to trial April 1, 2019.

Dr. Mohammed Shamji will go to trial April 1, 2019

Dr. Mohammed Shamji is set to stand trial next April in connection with his wife's murder. (Pam Davies/CBC)

A Toronto neurosurgeon accused of killing his physician wife will go to trial on April 1, 2019.

Dr. Mohammed Shamji is charged with first-degree murder and committing an indignity to human remains in the death of Dr. Elana Fric-Shamji, the mother of his three children.

Fric-Shamji's body was found, beaten in a suitcase by the side of a road north of Toronto in December 2016. Shamji, her husband of 12 years, was arrested the following day.   

Police have said an investigation revealed Fric-Shamji died of strangulation and blunt force trauma.

She was a family doctor at Scarborough and Rouge Hospital. Prior to his arrest Shamji worked at Toronto Western Hospital and was a faculty member at the University of Toronto.  

The pair met during Fric-Shamji's medical school days at the University of Ottawa while he was there for a neurosurgery residency.

Shamji is scheduled to be back in court May 30, when the court will address procedural motions related to his case.