The murder charge has been upgraded to first-degree for a man accused of killing a second woman in a park

Charges were upgraded Friday against a Calgary man accused of murdering a woman in a park, three years after he was released from prison for a similar murder.

Christopher Dunlop, 50, was originally charged with second-degree murder and is now on trial for first-degree murder.

Dunlop is accused of killing 58-year-old Judy Maerz, whose body was found on February 16, 2023, at Foothills Athletic Park on Crowchild Trail NW.

At the time, police said the body was set on fire after the killing, which officials said was an attempt to cover up the murder.

Two weeks later, police charged Dunlop with second-degree murder.

The murder occurred three years after Dunlop was released from prison after serving a 13-year sentence for the murder of 38-year-old Laura Furlan.

In 2009, Furlan was found strangled in Fish Creek Park.

Dunlop confessed to choking Furlan after he had sex with her.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2015. At that time, Dunlop was given 6½ years credit for the time he had already served.

When Dunlop was arrested in connection with Maerz's death, police said there were “many similarities” in the two murder investigations.

First-degree murder charges are filed when police and prosecutors believe they can prove that the killing was planned, occurred during a person's involuntary commitment or during a sexual assault.

Dunlop is scheduled to stand trial next June.