NELSON, B.C. — A woman accused of murdering 12-year-old John Fulton of Grand Forks, B.C., made a brief court appearance Thursday.

Kimberly Noyes, 42, appeared in provincial court in Nelson on Thursday afternoon and was remanded in custody for her next appearance on Sept. 2.

Noyes is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Fulton, the autistic son of a neighbour in the same Grand Forks subsidized housing complex.

The boy vanished from the front steps of his home on Saturday evening, triggering a massive search that ended when his body was discovered in Noyes's empty home Monday night.

Noyes was arrested Tuesday afternoon near Grand Forks Secondary School after a 911 call alerted police to her whereabouts.

Neither the police nor the Crown are revealing any details about what led to a charge of murder.

The police information document filed with the court alleges only that Noyes committed the murder between last Sunday, the day after the boy disappeared, and Monday.

"I can't get into discussing what the specifics of the evidence was other than they were satisfied the available evidence supported the charge of second-degree (murder)," Neil MacKenzie, a spokesman for the Criminal Justice Branch, said from Victoria.

Vancouver defence lawyer Deanne Gaffar, who's representing Noyes, said she expects to have more information by the woman's next court appearance.

"On the 2nd, we're hoping to have some further disclosure of the prosecution's case on this matter," she said.

"We're really in a holding pattern. We really don't know what the case is. She's presumed innocent at this stage. I really think it would be very helpful if people didn't speculate until we know more."

Gaffar said she has spoken to Noyes extensively but declined to discuss her state of mind.

"This is a very difficult and tragic situation for everybody, the Fulton family as well as the Noyes family," she said.

Gaffar also would not say if a psychiatric assessment would be requested.

Police have said Noyes suffers from bipolar disorder and neighbours in The Gables housing complex said she appeared increasingly despondent and withdrawn.

Her ex-husband, Stacy Burnett, who has custody of their two young children told the media on Wednesday that he felt the province's mental health system had failed Noyes.

A cousin of Burnett, who declined to have his name published, said he agreed Noyes was troubled and had difficulty getting the right treatment, "especially around here."

Grand Forks Mayor Brian Taylor said he strongly believes rural communities such as Grand Forks are short changed when it comes to mental health services.

A spokesman for the Interior Health Authority would not talk about Noyes because of privacy rules.

But Karl Hardt said residents of Grand Forks and other Kootenay-Boundary communities can access many services through local mental health offices.

Mental Health Services in Grand Forks, which has a population of about 4,000, include five case managers and three outreach workers, he said.

"When appropriate, a client would be assigned a case manager to follow their care who would assess what other services -- outreach psychiatry, outreach support, mental health and addictions clubhouse -- will benefit the client," he said in an email.

People who require in-patient care can receive it at the Daily Pavilion regional acute centre in Trail, he said.

In serious cases, doctors at emergency departments can consult with a round-the-clock on-call psychiatrist to facilitate admission.

Boundary Hospital in Grand Forks also has an observation room for interim care to mental health and addictions clients pending admittance elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Interior Health has funded an outreach psychiatry service in Grand Forks to pay for a psychiatrist to come to town about three times a month to see patients.