Accused Lumby killer still in custody, awaiting April court ...

Accused Lumby killer still in custody, awaiting April court date

Vitali Stefanski, the Lumby man accused of killing his ex-wife, was back briefly in court on Oct. 31 for a case management conference, and will stand trial next spring. Stefanski has been charged with second degree murder in the death of his ex-wife, Tatjana Stefanski. She was reported missing from her Lumby home on Apr. 13, 2024, and her body was found the next day. Stefanski has been in custody since June 1, 2024 and has not sought a bail hearing in supreme court, according to the BC Prosecution Service. He will next appear in court on April 13, 2026 for a pretrial application (voir dire) that is estimated to continue for three weeks. After electing to be tried before a judge and jury nearly a year ago, Stefanski's trial will begin on May 25, 2026, nearly two years to the day of his initial arrest. The trial is expected to last five weeks. Long Process The case has drawn scrutiny after B.C.’s police watchdog launched an investigation into how RCMP handled alleged threats made against Tatjana months before her death. According to Jason Gaudreault, Tatjana's boyfriend at the time, the couple went to police about "extreme" threats sent to Stefanski's father in Germany, threatening to "chop her up" and "send her back in a body bag." Tatjana was first reported as abducted from her home in Lumby on April 13. Mounties said she was believed to be with her ex-husband and told the public to keep an eye out for his vehicle. Her body was found the next day, April 14, in a rural location and a man believed to be involved in her death was arrested in the general vicinity. The man was later released from police custody with conditions. It took until May 31 for Stefanski to be arrested. Staff Sgt. Jason Smart with the RCMP acknowledged the many challenges of the case. "The recent charges brought against Mr. Stefanski are the result of the tireless investigative work done by the members of the Southeast District Major Crimes Unit and Vernon RCMP Detachment," Smart said. Since Tatjana's death, the Tatjana Martin Foundation of Hope was been set up on Facebook, where a board of directors made up of "seven diversely skilled and experienced individuals" have been busy developing plans and goals for the first year of the foundation's work.

Vitali Stefanski, the Lumby man accused of killing his ex-wife, was back briefly in court on Oct. 31 for a case management conference, and will stand trial next spring.

Stefanski has been charged with second degree murder in the death of his ex-wife, Tatjana Stefanski. She was reported missing from her Lumby home on Apr. 13, 2024, and her body was found the next day.

Stefanski has been in custody since June 1, 2024 and has not sought a bail hearing in supreme court, according to the BC Prosecution Service.

He will next appear in court on April 13, 2026 for a pretrial application (voir dire) that is estimated to continue for three weeks.

After electing to be tried before a judge and jury nearly a year ago, Stefanski's trial will begin on May 25, 2026, nearly two years to the day of his initial arrest.

The trial is expected to last five weeks.

Long Process

The case has drawn scrutiny after B.C.’s police watchdog launched an investigation into how RCMP handled alleged threats made against Tatjana months before her death.

According to Jason Gaudreault, Tatjana's boyfriend at the time, the couple went to police about "extreme" threats sent to Stefanski's father in Germany, threatening to "chop her up" and "send her back in a body bag."

Tatjana was first reported as abducted from her home in Lumby on April 13. Mounties said she was believed to be with her ex-husband and told the public to keep an eye out for his vehicle.

Her body was found the next day, April 14, in a rural location and a man believed to be involved in her death was arrested in the general vicinity. The man was later released from police custody with conditions.

It took until May 31 for Stefanski to be arrested. Staff Sgt. Jason Smart with the RCMP acknowledged the many challenges of the case.

"The recent charges brought against Mr. Stefanski are the result of the tireless investigative work done by the members of the Southeast District Major Crimes Unit and Vernon RCMP Detachment," Smart said.

Since Tatjana's death, the Tatjana Martin Foundation of Hope was been set up on Facebook, where a board of directors made up of "seven diversely skilled and experienced individuals" have been busy developing plans and goals for the first year of the foundation's work.