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There's still no trial date for a man accused of murdering his former wife near Lumby more than a year ago.
Vitali Stefanski, accused of killing his ex-wife Tatjana in the Lumby area in April 2024, appeared in B.C. Supreme Court in Vernon Monday, June 23 to fix a trial date.
The matter was put over until July 21.
Stefanski has yet to enter a plea since he was arrested on May 31, 2024, and accused of second-degree murder in relation to the death of Tatjana, whose body was found in a rural Lumby area on April 14, one day after she was allegedly abducted.
The RCMP had asked the public for assistance in locating Tatjana, 44, on April 13. Her family had filed a police report fearing she may have been abducted by Vitali. The RCMP told the public that witnesses saw Tatjana speaking with Vitali before she departed with him unexpectedly in a black Audi.
When Tatjana's body was found the next day, Vitali was tracked down and arrested by police. He was later released under conditions before being arrested again May 31. He's been in custody since that second arrest.
In March, Crown counsel announced it would be proceeding by direct indictment, which moved the case to the BC Supreme Court and skipped past the usual preliminary inquiry.
Calls for change have been made in the aftermath of Tatjana's death. Her partner, Jason Gaudreault, launched a 'Justice for Tatjana' movement calling for reforms to the justice system.
The movement name has since been changed to Tatjana Martin Foundation of Hope.
B.C.'s police watchdog agency, the Independent Investigation's Office of B.C. (IIO), probed the lead-up to Tatjana's death, investigating how the RCMP handled reports in December to determine whether police action or inaction played a role in her death. It concluded that the RCMP did not commit any offence.
