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A North Okanagan murder suspect has seen another delay in the courts, with his case pushed back two weeks Thursday morning.
Vitali Stefanski and his lawyer appeared by video at the Vernon Law Courts Aug. 15. The case was adjourned to provide more time for Stefanski's lawyer to receive and review disclosure, the BC Prosecution Service confirmed.
Stefanski will next appear in court on Aug. 29.
Stefanski is accused of second-degree murder in relation to the death of his ex-wife Tatjana Stefanski, a Lumby mother whose body was found in a rural area near the community on April 14, one day after she was allegedly abducted.
There have already been three delays in Stefanski's court proceedings. He made his first court appearance on July 25, but after some confusion as to who his lawyer would be, the hearing was adjourned. Then on Aug. 1, Stefanski again had his hearing adjourned to give his lawyer more time to review information.
Tatjana's partner, Jason Gaudreault, launched a 'Justice for Tatjana' movement in the wake of her death, calling for reforms to the justice system, including how victims like his family 害羞草研究所� who went into hiding while Stefanski was out of custody 害羞草研究所� are handled.
Gaudrealt has said he believes first-degree murder is more appropriate than second-degree in this case.
The lead-up to Tatjana's death has been put under scrutiny, with Gaudreault saying he and Tatjana went to police to report death threats against her in December, months before her alleged abduction and subsequent death. BC's police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), is probing how the RCMP handled the reports in December, to determine "whether police action or inaction may have played a role in the woman's death."
Stefanski has been in custody since he was charged with second-degree murder on May 31.
