04-21-2011, 01:28 PM
ctvtoronto.ca
A Toronto man accused of killing a student last seen alive in a struggle on a webcam made his first court appearance Thursday morning.
Brian Dickson was arrested and charged with first degree murder on Wednesday.
Wearing a white shirt and jeans during his brief appearance in court on Thursday, the 29-year-old was remanded in custody until April 26.
Dickson's court appearance was almost a week after 23-year-old Qian Liu was found dead in her basement apartment, naked from the waist down at 27 Aldwinckle Hts., near York University.
Following the court appearance, police retracted a previous request to not publish a photo of the man they charged in Liu's death.
Dave Perry, a former Toronto police homicide detective, told CTV's Canada AM that police may have made the request to not publish the image because it could have compromised the case.
Perry said that although he didn't want to speculate on the investigation, a first-degree murder charge means that police believe there was forethought.
In an exclusive interview CTV News conducted in China earlier this week, Liu's boyfriend, who asked to keep his identity concealed, said he witnessed somebody walk into her room and ask for a hug via webcam hours before Li's death.
![[Image: 470_brian_dickson.jpg,430,241]](http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ImageShrinker?http://www.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20110421/470_brian_dickson.jpg,430,241)
her father
![[Image: 60_liu_dad_110420.jpg]](http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20110420/60_liu_dad_110420.jpg)
her boyfriend, who witness attack from China.
![[Image: article-1379355-0BB05F5D00000578-141_468x430.jpg]](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/04/21/article-1379355-0BB05F5D00000578-141_468x430.jpg)
A Toronto man accused of killing a student last seen alive in a struggle on a webcam made his first court appearance Thursday morning.
Brian Dickson was arrested and charged with first degree murder on Wednesday.
Wearing a white shirt and jeans during his brief appearance in court on Thursday, the 29-year-old was remanded in custody until April 26.
Dickson's court appearance was almost a week after 23-year-old Qian Liu was found dead in her basement apartment, naked from the waist down at 27 Aldwinckle Hts., near York University.
Following the court appearance, police retracted a previous request to not publish a photo of the man they charged in Liu's death.
Dave Perry, a former Toronto police homicide detective, told CTV's Canada AM that police may have made the request to not publish the image because it could have compromised the case.
Perry said that although he didn't want to speculate on the investigation, a first-degree murder charge means that police believe there was forethought.
In an exclusive interview CTV News conducted in China earlier this week, Liu's boyfriend, who asked to keep his identity concealed, said he witnessed somebody walk into her room and ask for a hug via webcam hours before Li's death.
her father
her boyfriend, who witness attack from China.