A Toronto neurosurgeon who is facing first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of his family-physician wife on Saturday appeared in court, where he was remanded in custody.

On Friday night, Mohammed Shamji, 40, was arrested and charged at a coffee shop in Mississauga, Ont., a day after the body of Elana Fric Shamji was found by a roadway north of Toronto, police said.

Elana Fric Shamji, a 40-year-old family physician, died of strangulation and blunt force trauma before her body was stuffed into a suitcase, according to police. She was reported missing by her mother on Wednesday.

Police say the couple was married for more than 10 years and had three children together. Multiple sources say Elana filed for divorce earlier this week.

Neighbour Cynthia Ettenson said the North York, Ont. enclave where the Shamjis lived has been shaken by Elana’s death.

“We’re devastated. It’s a very, very sad day today,” she told CTV Toronto. “I don’t imagine a lot of people got a lot of sleep last night.”

Pictures posted to social media show an upbeat globe-trotting couple. One photo of a smiling Elana taken after a recent jiu jitsu practice was uploaded to Instagram with the caption “This is what happiness looks like.”

Elana was raised in Windsor, Ont. She attended Duke University in North Carolina and the University of Ottawa before beginning a successful career in medicine.

According to a LinkedIn profile, Elana Shamji was a family physician at The Scarborough Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. She was also a member of the health policy committee at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA).

“She was just one of those people who had desire to do things, to accomplish things,” said Dr. Larry Ellick, who recruited Elana to the hospital earlier this year and described her as a rising star.

OMA president ‘stunned’

In a statement Saturday, Dr. Tom Chan of Scarborough and Rouge Hospital said, “We are shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Dr. Elana Fric Shamji. We send our condolences to her family and friends. We will be working with our team in the Department of Family and Community Medicine to have physicians ready to care for her patients.”

OMA president Dr. Virginia Walley said the organization was “stunned” by the news.

“Ontario's doctors are a close knit community, and we are all stunned by the tragic news of the untimely death of Dr. Elana Fric-Shamji,” Wally said. “At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with her family, her friends, and her colleagues. Elana was a talented family physician who was active in many efforts to improve the health-care system.”

She added that the OMA plans to memorialize their colleague.

According to an online biography, Mohammed Shamji worked at Toronto Western Hospital as a surgeon-scientist and a staff neurosurgeon. He is an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Toronto.

In a statement to CTV News Saturday, University Health Network spokesperson Gillian Howard called the case “shocking and saddening.”

“We will have another neurosurgeon for all of the families and patients affected,” she said.

A Facebook profile with the name Elana Shamji has been flooded with messages of condolences.

“My family and I are in disbelief. We were so lucky to have found an amazing family doctor. RIP Dr. Elana,” wrote one Facebook user.

Another wrote: “You were brilliant and admired from a far for all you've accomplished. May you rest in peace.”

With files from The Canadian Press