More than two years after the body of Tatjana Stefanski was discovered in a wooded area in the North Okanagan, the murder trial for the man accused in her death is now underway at B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops.
“We’ve been waiting the last two years for this day,” said family friend Jen de Bourcier.
Jury selection began Monday morning in the trial of Vitali Stefanski, who pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the death of his former wife.
Tatjana Stefanski, a 44-year-old mother of two, was last seen on April 13, 2024 at a Lumby property.
Her body was discovered the following day.
Vitali Stefanski was charged the next month.
Since her death, members of the tight-knit Lumby community have rallied around the former couple’s two children and Tatjana’s partner at the time, Jason Gaudreault.
“I’m really hopeful that it does give them a starting point for getting on with their lives, rebuilding their lives as it is without Tatjana,” de Bourcier said.
De Bourcier, who plans to attend parts of the proceeding, hopes the trial provides a sense of closure but knows it comes with a heavy emotional toll.
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“They need the trial, but they also know … it’s a gauntlet, right,” she said. “It’s the eye of the needle, like reliving all of that.”
According to Gaudreault, both children are expected to testify at the trial, which was moved from Vernon to Kamloops late last year to ensure fairness for the accused, who’s in custody at the Kamloops Correctional Centre.
Defence successfully argued Stefanski would not have access to his laptop to review daily evidence if the trial was in Vernon and he was being held in local RCMP cells.
The change of venue angered Tatjana’s loved ones.
“They could go back and forth for an hour and say, OK, we’re going to be be adjourned for the day and so I could do a three-hour round-trip for 20 mins,” Gaudreault told Global News on Dec. 9.
Court adjourned after jury selection Monday and is set to resume Tuesday.
“The justice system is what we have, so I’m very hopeful that, as you know, in the ways that the courts can bring justice, I’m very hopeful that it will,” de Bourcier said.
The trial is expected to last five weeks.
De Bourcier has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help ease some of the burden during the trial and the months ahead.
She said the funds will go towards travel expenses, lost wages, emotional support and to help Gaudreault continue providing stability and care for the children.
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