The first-degree murder trial for Dean Penney is scheduled to begin today with jury selection in Corner Brook Supreme Court.

The St. Anthony man, now 53, is accused of killing his estranged wife, 38-year-old Jennifer Hillier-Penney, almost 10 years ago in December 2016.

She disappeared without a trace, with seemingly no progress in the investigation until seven years later, in 2023, when Dean Penney was arrested.

Hillier-Penney’s body has never been found, despite the scouring of land and water around St. Anthony.

She was last seen at Dean Penney’s house on Husky Drive on November 30, 2016.

Formal arraignment and jury selection is set to begin at 10 a.m. this morning.

Meanwhile, an application led by the CBC on behalf of other media, including VOCM, will also be considered by Justice Vikas Khaladkar.

It seeks virtual access to the proceedings — which to date has been denied — to accommodate media unable to attend in person.

The trial is expected to run until the end of April.