Tolley was the victim of an execution-style killing in December 2016 after four people smashed their way into her home, police said.
The Lower Hutt man also faces charges of assaulting with intent to rob, while armed with a shotgun, and a charge of entering Tolley's Ward St flat while armed with intent to commit an imprisonable offence.
At his last appearance in early October, Tolley's loved ones packed the public gallery, wearing T-shirts with her photo printed on them.
Outside the court after that appearance, a family spokesman read out a statement.
"To everyone who is withholding information, we implore you to think about if this was your daughter, granddaughter, niece, aunty, cousin - what would you want? Would you want us to stay silent or to help you?
"Another journey of this heinous crime is now starting."
Family members showed up again today in printed shirts. Some loved ones appeared to begin crying when Justice Robert Dobson said name suppression would continue.
Suppression will be addressed more fully at the case review hearing next year, Justice Dobson said.
He said he had doubts the grounds for name suppression would be strong enough for it to continue past that point.
The man's lawyer said the trial, set down for October next year, was "undoubtedly going to be complex and quite lengthy".
Police actively pursuing suspects
With an arrest made, Inspector Scott Miller earlier said police would be going back to people already spoken to by the investigation team.
Detectives would continue to "actively pursue other suspects".
Aunt Lorraine Duffin (left) and mother Cathrine MacDonald outside the Wellington High Court after an earlier appearance of a man charged with the murder of Lois Tolley. Photo / Emme McKay
Detective Senior Sergeant Glenn Barnett, the officer in charge of the investigation, said his team had been working continuously since Tolley's death nearly three years ago and there had been some planning go into the arrest.
