The preliminary hearing for a man charged with the murder of a 21-year-old City woman last year is set to begin in Red Deer provincial court today.

Bashir Gaashaan is charged with first-degree murder, unlawful confinement and interfering with a dead body in connection to the death of Jenna Cartwright. The charges allegedly stem from March 30, 2011.

A preliminary hearing will be held Nov. 7-9, 13-14 in Red Deer.

Cartwright, 21, of Red Deer was found in a ditch near Olds in May 2011. She was last seen in Red Deer on March 29, 2011.

Gaashaan is also charged with trafficking cocaine, assault, assault with a weapon, theft, possession of a weapon, evading police and failing to attend court. These charges are unrelated to the alleged murder. These charges will be spoken to at the beginning of the preliminary hearing.

Meanwhile, Gaashaan was arrested on June 13, 2011 in Thunder Bay after what RCMP describe as an exhaustive investigation involving about 30 police investigators and over 4,000 hours. An arrest team of three police officers flew to the Ontario city where Gaashaan was arrested on the warrant and escorted back to Red Deer to answer to the charges.

Cartwright’s body was discovered at about 7 p.m. on May 3, 2011. The RCMP in Olds were advised about the discovery of a body in a rural location about 4 kms northeast of the town. The discovery had been made by a resident of the area who had been driving at the time. The body was seen lying adjacent to a roadway.

The scene was examined by the RCMP Forensic Identification Section and the Calgary Major Crimes Unit was called in to assist in this investigation. The remains were removed to the Calgary Medical Examiner’s Officer who conducted an autopsy.

The results of the autopsy concluded that the death should be considered as a murder, but the actual cause of death is not being released.

efawcett@reddeerexpress.com