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Trial Begins for Ex‑Husband Accused in Tatjana Stefanski’s Killing

The Crown says forensic evidence and witness testimony will link Vitali Stefanski to the 2024 death and a five‑week jury trial will test that case.

Overview

  • Jury selection began Monday in Kamloops after a judge moved the trial from Vernon so the accused, who is in custody, could access disclosure materials on his laptop.
  • Prosecutors say Tatjana Stefanski’s body was found April 14, 2024 on a forest road and that she suffered multiple stab wounds to her limbs and chest that injured her heart and lungs.
  • The Crown told jurors investigators found a bent, bloodied knife near the scene that forensic testing linked to only two people through DNA profiles.
  • RCMP officers located the accused’s black Audi on a dirt road with blood on several seats and say a shoeless man later emerged from the woods and told officers he had killed the victim.
  • The Crown has begun calling witnesses including the couple’s young son and says it will rely on forensic experts and RCMP testimony over the next two and a half weeks while the defence has not yet presented its case.