A Barrie man accused of killing the mother of his child last fall, has set preliminary hearing dates. For the first time in months Tony Vito Chimienti, 47, appeared before a judge to confirm 10 hearing dates starting in September, accused of murdering his spouse Sacha Charles, 46, last October in Barrie. The accused, wearing a black collared shirt and dress pants, joined by his lawyer David North, stood in the prisoner’s box for the brief court appearance. Chimienti has been behind bars since he was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. RELATED: Barrie man, Antonio Chimienti, accused in murder of partner, Sacha Charles He is accused of killing Charles whose remains were discovered several days after the couple was reported missing along with a U-Haul cube truck that had been previously parked in front of Chimienti’s McVeigh Drive home for the better part of a year. The couple shared a daughter and had been together for years. Charles was a mother of two, her family saying her children were her life. She was 46 years old. “We’re going to fight for her,” her sister Sapphira told CTV News in Dec. 2025. “We’re going to fight for the voice that she couldn’t have.” RELATED: Family mourns death of Sacha Charles, common-law spouse faces second-degree murder According to court documents obtained by CTV News, police believe Charles was murdered in Barrie in late October, days before investigators asked for the public’s help finding her, Chimienti, and the missing rental truck. Investigators spent days collecting evidence at Chimienti’s home, towing away a white Mercedes and dumpster from the driveway. Police have not revealed the circumstances of the alleged murder including where and how Charles’ remains were discovered but called her death the result of intimate partner violence. RELATED: Missing duo believed to be operating U-Haul cube truck: Barrie Police Chimienti was arrested about a week later in the Stouffville area. He was also charged with being in possession of cocaine. His lawyer did not wish to offer comment at this time. A publication ban prevents any evidence heard in court from being revealed. Chimienti returns to a Barrie courtroom in September. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.
