An ex-football player with a criminal history of sexual assault could spend the rest of his life in jail.

Josh Boden, 31, has been charged with second-degree murder in the 2009 killing of former girlfriend Kim Hallgarth at her home on Colborne Avenue in Burnaby.

Boden, a former receiver, played briefly for the B.C. Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2007 and 2008.

Prior to her death, Hallgarth filed a criminal complaint against Boden.

That resulted in Crown counsel laying assault, theft, and mischief charges against him in 2008.

In the wake of this controversy, he was released by the B.C. Lions. Then general manager Wally Buono refused to re-sign him after the charges were dropped.

Hallgarth was found dead less than a year later and Boden was identified as a person of interest in the case.

Boden is expected to appear in Vancouver Provincial Court on Monday (November 5).