Trial begins for man charged in ex-wife's murder in B.C.

The trial of Vitali Stefanski, charged with second-degree murder in the death of his ex-wife, is set to begin today in Kamloops, British Columbia. The proceedings are expected to last about five weeks and will be heard by a jury.

Tatjana Stefanski, 44, was last seen on April 13, 2024, at a property in the village of Lumby, approximately 25 kilometres east of Vernon in the B.C. Interior. Mounties reported that she had been abducted, and her body was discovered by officers the following day in a rural area outside town. At the time, police said a man believed to be involved in the death was arrested in the general vicinity but was later released with conditions.

Vitali Stefanski, who had two children with his ex-wife, was charged with second-degree murder on May 31, 2024. The BC Prosecution Service confirmed the trial would begin on May 25, 2026, more than two years after the initial incident.

The case has drawn attention in the small community of Lumby and the surrounding region. Details of the evidence against the accused have not been publicly released, and the court proceedings are expected to provide a fuller account of the events leading to Tatjana Stefanski’s death. The...