The man accused of killing Victoria Head will be absent from his own preliminary hearing after a judge ruled he does not have to appear.
Steve Bragg, through his lawyer Bob Buckingham, filed a successful application to excuse him from attending the seven-day hearing where the facts of the case will be heard for the first time.
The reasons for his application are covered under a pre-trial publication ban.
The family of Head — a 36-year-old mother of one — said they are remaining as strong as possible throughout the process.
"We are trusting that the courts are making the right decisions," said Darlene Dinn, Head's sister-in-law. "We believe that justice will be served and right now he may not have to appear."
Each court appearance to date has come with a growing contingent of Head's family and friends showing up in support.
They have not seen Bragg since his first and only appearance, when he sat a few metres from the family in an emotional and tense courtroom.
That appearance ended with Dinn shouting at Bragg, "I hope you see her face every time you blink your eyes."
Head's body was found near O'Brien Farm Road in St. John's on Nov. 11, 2017. Bragg was listed as a missing person the same weekend.
Her death led to police issuing a warning for sex workers and people who live in the downtown area to be extra vigilant.
On Dec. 23, Bragg was charged with second-degree murder. That charge was upgraded to first-degree murder in February.
Bragg's preliminary inquiry is set to begin on Tuesday, with seven full days of court time scheduled.