Lisa Michelle Mitchell's partner appears in court on murder charge

The common-law husband of Lisa Michelle Mitchell, whose remains were discovered in theirCalgary home last week, made his first court appearance this morning.

• Lisa Michelle Mitchell's body kept in home for 2 years, police say
• Lisa Michelle Mitchell disappearance reaches 2-year mark

Allan Shyback,38, is charged with second-degree murder and committing an indignity to a body.

He appeared in court via closed-circuit television from the Calgary Remand Centre. A provincial court judge set his next appearance for Dec.18.

Investigators believe Mitchell's remains had been in the house for two years. The 31-year-old's relatives in the Longview area of southern Alberta had reported her missing in the fall of 2012.

Police say the couples children, aged five and seven, are safe.

Dawn Schneider, Mitchell'slongtime friend, said she feels badly for the children.

I kind of started crying because we didn't know what happened the night before and then we woke up and we're seeing everything all of a sudden hearing her name was like, Oh my God.

Schneider said she met Mitchell in high school.

She was nice to everybody, kind.She was just a very nice and sweet person not mean, not mean at all, [and] nice to everybody.