TORONTO — The woman accused in the fatal stabbing at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Toronto’s financial district is now facing an upgraded charge of first-degree murder.
Rohinie Bisesar, 40, had been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 28-year-old Rosemarie Junor, but that charge was upgraded Wednesday in an afternoon court hearing.
A police spokeswoman declined to say why the change was made.
READ MORE: Woman accused in unprovoked fatal stabbing remanded into custody
Bisesar’s lawyer Calvin Barry said the case is in the “embryonic stages right now” and that he is awaiting disclosure of more material from police.
“She’s presumed innocent. It’s early stages. It’s an allegation. We’ll have to see how it unfolds,” he said.
Bisesar remains in custody at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, Ont., and is next due in court Feb. 29, Barry said.
Police allege Bisesar stabbed Junor at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Toronto’s popular underground PATH network of shops and restaurants on Dec. 11.
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Security images taken at the time showed a well-dressed, long-haired woman making a hasty retreat from the drugstore.
Junor, a newlywed medical technician who worked nearby, was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries and died five days after the attack.
Barry said in December his client was like a “deer in headlights” and “very upset” over the situation.
Bisesar was the subject of a manhunt for several days before her arrest.
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