The Hamilton man accused of killing his girlfriend in her Kitchener apartment made his first court appearance in Canada on Monday after being extradited from the United States last week.
Ager Hasan had been in custody in Texas since July after being on the run from police following the death of 22-year-old Melinda Vasilije in April.
READ MORE: Murder suspect Ager Hasan extradited back to Canada from Texas prison: Waterloo police
Waterloo Regional Police had said Hasan crossed the border shortly after her death, but investigators remained in contact with him while he was on the loose.
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Facing a charge of second-degree murder, Hasan sat in the prisoners box of a packed courtroom in Kitchener Monday morning. He was shackled, wore a white t-shirt and brown pants. His appearance has not changed compared to the photos of him circulating online.
He only spoke with his legal representation and briefly addressed the court, but did not look into the gallery where Vasilije’s family and friends sat.
RELATED: Ontario man on the run in killing of girlfriend arrested by Secret Service in Texas
Callie Hummel, who knew Vasilije through a friend, said she got light-headed when she saw Hasan in court.
“I’m still hot, my hands are soaked, I got really dizzy, like almost faint. It was pretty hard,” she said afterwards.
Vasilije’s mother and sister were in court too, but declined to speak with reporters.
“I couldn’t even look at them or I would’ve broke down. I made sure I didn’t look at them. It was very emotional,” Hummel said, who was seated across the aisle from Vasilije’s family.
Hasan remains in custody and will make another court appearance via video link next week.
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