Scott Paterson, 44, from Hardy Way, Fairfield Park in Stotfold, has been charged with the murder of 74-year-old Annette Smith. He made a brief appearance at Luton Crown Court on Tuesday via video link from Bedford Prison.
Smith, who lived in Fairfield, Stotfold, was last seen in November of last year. The investigation took a critical turn when human remains were discovered in a storage unit in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, on April 30.
Paterson has been remanded in custody and is set to appear for a plea hearing in June.