A Toronto neurosurgeon accused of killing his physician wife will go to trial April 1, 2019.

Dr. Mohammed Shamji is charged with first-degree murder and committing an indignity to human remains in the death of Dr. Elana Fric-Shamji, originally of Tecumseh, who is the mother of his three children.

Fric-Shamji's beaten body was found in a suitcase by the side of a road north of Toronto in December 2016.

Shamji, her husband of 12 years, was arrested the following day.

Prior to his arrest Shamji worked at Toronto Western Hospital and was a faculty member at the University of Toronto.

Fric-Shamji grew up in Tecumseh and attended the University of Windsor before moving to Toronto, where she worked and raised her family.

Police have said an investigation revealed Fric-Shamji, a family doctor at Scarborough hospital, died of strangulation and blunt force trauma.

Shamji is scheduled to return to court May 30, when the court will address procedural motions related to his case.

With files from CTV Windsor.