Beverly Lynn Smith (HO)

COBOURG, Ont. -- A Cobourg man accused last year of the 1974 murder of his neighbour — only to have his charge withdrawn — is back behind bars, Durham Regional Police announced today.

Alan Smith, now 57, is now accused of premeditated murder in the same 35-year-old homicide.

Smith was originally charged in March 2008 with second-degree murder in the death of Beverly Lynn Smith (not related) who was 22 years old when she was shot in the back of the head in her Raglan farmhouse, north of Oshawa on Dec. 9, 1974.

Alan Smith's arrest came after a very public appeal from Durham Regional Police and Beverly Smith's family for clues that would lead to a break in the cold case.

At the time of the murder, the accused Smith reported finding the victim's body in the home she shared with her husband and their 10-month-old daughter.

The case would become Durham Region's oldest unsolved murder.

Alan Smith was granted $80,000 bail in April 2008, only to have the second-degree murder charge withdrawn three months later.

"The Crown determined that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction after the process had started," police spokesman Dave Selby said today.

When Smith was let go, he told reporters at the courthouse, "I did not murder Beverly Smith. I need to try and get over this ordeal, with my family. I just want to go home."

According to a press release issued today, Smith was arrested yesterday by homicide cops "as part of the ongoing investigation into the murder."

This time, he is charged with first-degree murder, which implies that police believe the killing was planned and deliberate.

He made his first court appearance on the new charge today via video and was remanded into custody, the press release said.