The family of a murdered New Glasgow woman is upset the man accused in her death didn’t appear in court on Tuesday.

Nicole Campbell, 33, was found dead in her New Glasgow apartment on Dec. 30.

Robert Jason MacKenzie, 36, was arrested the next day, and later charged with second-degree murder.

MacKenzie was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, but instead appeared through a video link from the Northeast Nova Scotia Correctional Facility.

Sources say it was due to a security concern, but Campbell’s friends and family are upset.

“I think it’s not right. He should be here to face us and face a picture of Nikki that we have on our t-shirts,” said Campbell’s aunt, Edna Lyons.

The case has left Campbell’s family in shock and disbelief.

“Many tears and lots of anger bottled up,” said Campbell’s Aunt Judy Fraser, “but you don’t want revenge. I do not want revenge against anybody, but I want justice.”

Along with t-shirts, members of Campbell’s family wore a black and red ribbon to honour victims of murder.

“She was a mother of three, she was a wonderful person. She might have had her ups and downs like any normal person but she was loved,” said Lyons.

According to court documents, MacKenzie’s next court appearance is set for May 5, and will also be through video conferencing. He’s expected to enter a plea and have a date set for a preliminary hearing.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Dan MacIntosh