ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada -- Police in Grenada have charged a 26-year-old man with non-capital murder in the death of a New Brunswick woman who disappeared more than a week ago on the small Caribbean island.

Assistant Supt. Sylvan McIntyre of the Royal Grenada Police Force said Akim Frank appeared in court Monday in the island's capital of St. George's to face the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The 26-year-old Frank turned himself in Friday after being wanted in connection with the disappearance of Linnea Veinotte, a mother of two young boys who was last seen jogging with her dog.

McIntyre said the non-capital murder charge is laid in cases where the victim is not involved in civic or national duties.

"Police have to first believe that the death . . . was intentional to be charged for a murder, or in such a case non-capital murder," said McIntyre.

He said the court could determine a lesser sentence.

Police released a statement Monday afternoon saying Frank had been remanded and was due back in court Dec. 30. A date of Jan. 19 had also been set for the start of his trial.

Police said Frank led investigators to Veinotte's body in a wooded area outside of St. George's.

McIntyre said Veinotte's cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the chest and lower limbs as a result of being struck by a vehicle.

Police had said earlier that her dog had been hit by a car, and McIntyre said the autopsy results and physical evidence found at the scene confirmed that Veinotte had also been hit.

He said the physical evidence included pieces of glass from a vehicle's headlamp along with a bandana and a pair of sunglasses "associated" with Veinotte.

"They were identified as her belongings," McIntyre said.

Last week, police recovered a dark grey SUV about 10 to 16 kilometres from where Veinotte was last seen.

A Facebook page says Veinotte was born in New Denmark, N.B., and has a home in Nova Scotia.

The 36-year-old recently moved to the island with her family and was working as a learning specialist at St. George's University.