Nathalie Fournier disappeared in October 2004. (Sûreté du Québec)

A U.S. trucker who confessed to smuggling the body of a bar worker over the Canadian border has been formally charged with second-degree murder in Quebec.

Adam Morris, 31, was extradited from New York State and appeared in a Longueuil courtroom Monday afternoon to face the charge in connection with the death of Nathalie Fournier.

Fournier, 28, was last seen five years ago in a restaurant south of Montreal near Highway 15 in the company of an English-speaking driver.

Police had few leads in her case until last year, when Morris was arrested in New York State on an unrelated pornography charge.

During interrogation, investigators asked Morris about the Fournier case, which led them to a sandlot near the truck driver's home in Malone.

Fournier's remains were found in a sandlot in Malone, N.Y. (CBC)

Forensic experts found human remains and women's clothing buried in the sandy pit, which were later confirmed as belonging to Fournier. Her purse was also found in Morris's garage.

Morris later admitted to carrying Fournier's body across the U.S. border and pleaded guilty to evidence tampering, said Derek Champagne, Franklin County district attorney.

"Our position was … absolutely he should stand trial as quickly as possible in Quebec so there can be some closure for the family," Champagne said.

Morris will return to court in Longueuil in January.