Police have charged the estranged husband of a woman from Newfoundland鈥檚 Great Northern Peninsula with first-degree murder in a case that stretches back seven years.

Jennifer Hillier-Penney disappeared on Nov. 30, 2016, in St. Anthony, N.L., and the RCMP said Saturday they are still searching for her remains.

However, RCMP Insp. Tracy Edwards said that investigators have collected enough evidence to lay charges against Dean Penney, in what she alleged to be a case of gender-based violence.

鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly difficult news to learn that Jennifer鈥檚 estranged husband is charged with her murder,鈥� the inspector said. 鈥淪adly, our investigation determined that Jennifer鈥檚 murder is yet another death due to intimate partner violence in our province.鈥�

The report into the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia concluded earlier this year that gender-based, intimate partner and family violence is an 鈥渆pidemic鈥� in Canada, and it called for improved funding of agencies devoted to intervention and prevention.

鈥淲e acknowledge that seven years is a very long time to go without answers,鈥� Edwards said during the news conference in St. John鈥檚. 鈥淭hese investigations take time, cannot be rushed and must be pursued with diligence and commitment to investigative excellence.鈥�

She told reporters that the 50-year-old accused was arrested in Deer Lake, N.L., on Friday in the middle of the day. He was expected to make a brief appearance in provincial court Saturday, with further trial dates to be set for Corner Brook provincial court, she said.

Jennifer鈥檚 brother, Glen Hillier, said his younger sister had left work at a local hospital on the evening of her disappearance. She was staying at her estranged husband鈥檚 home to be with her younger daughter, while Dean Penney was away duck hunting at his cabin, Hillier said.

He said his 38-year-old sister had separated from Penney, and she usually lived with her father in the nearby town of Saint Lunaire-Griquet.

Hillier-Penney鈥檚 two daughters and six siblings have waited a long time to hear the news of the charges, he said.

鈥淚鈥檓 happy someone has been charged 鈥� It鈥檚 been hard to be patient,鈥� Hillier said in a telephone interview.

鈥淲ith Jennifer missing, we didn鈥檛 have anything. We didn鈥檛 know where she was, what happened,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a roller coaster of emotions. One day I鈥檇 be driving somewhere and I鈥檇 break down and cry, and my girlfriend would say, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 wrong?鈥� and I鈥檇 say, 鈥楯ennifer just crossed my mind.鈥欌��

The 49-year-old said his greatest hope is that police will find his sister鈥檚 body.

鈥淭hat would be the best Christmas gift I ever received. Without her body, we don鈥檛 have closure,鈥� he said.

Michael Tutton in Halifax, The Canadian Press