A Melbourne man has formally denied murdering a Sydney woman whose battered and strangled body was found three decades ago.
The not guilty plea was entered on behalf of Martin Dukagjini, 63, after he was arrested in Melbourne on Friday.
"Mr Dukagjini wishes to make that clear," lawyer Bryan Wrench told Sydney's Central Local Court on Monday.
Detectives say 56-year-old Tatiana Sokoloff's body was found on the back veranda of her Haberfield home in early September 1986.
A coroner later determined she died of head injuries and strangulation.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Police say the home appeared to have been burgled and items were stolen.
Cold-case detectives who re-examined items found at the scene allegedly found a DNA profile and then asked Victorian police to arrest Dukagjini.
He was extradited to Sydney on Friday, a day after being taken into custody in a car park near his home in the Melbourne suburb of Kealba.
Dukagjini, who did not appear before the court during Monday's brief hearing, made no application for bail.
He was remanded in custody ahead of an 11 February court mention.
With AAP...
