The murder trial of a man accused of killing Lumby, B.C., mother of two Tatjana Stefanski is now underway, bringing a fresh wave of emotions for her family.
“It’s been hard,” said Jason Gaudreault, Stefanski’s partner. “Tatjana was a beautiful person.”
Stefanski was found dead in a forested area near Lumby in April 2024. Her ex-husband, Vitali Stefanski, is on trial for second-degree murder.
For Gaudreault, the court proceedings are reopening wounds.
“Definitely in the thick of it, coping the best I can,” he said.
The trial was originally scheduled to take place in Vernon but was moved to Kamloops after a judge granted a change of venue request from defence lawyers.
Defence counsel successfully argued that because the accused is being held at the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre and has access to a laptop there, he can review disclosure and evidence throughout the proceedings.
That access would not be available if he were housed in RCMP cells in Vernon during the trial.
The proceedings now require a three-hour round trip from the North Okanagan, a burden Gaudreault says is difficult to manage while rebuilding his life and business following the tragedy.
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“We might only be in there for a couple hours, might be in there for an hour and get adjourned and have to drive all the way back again,” he said.
Gaudreault said the demands of attending court have added pressure to a business he says he lost after Stefanski’s death.
“It’s tough, very tough, having to line up work schedules with my guys at my shop and my business that I just reopened, trying to manage that,” Gaudreault said.
“I don’t want to lose my business for a second time now.”
Community members have rallied around the family.
Jen de Bourcier recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to help offset expenses, and a former colleague of Stefanski’s has pledged to match donations up to $10,000.
“It was very touching and also not surprising,” de Bourcier said. “Tatjana, by all accounts, was a very kind person who touched a lot of people.”
De Bourcier said supporters hope the matching campaign will encourage more people to contribute.
Since Stefanski’s death, Gaudreault has become the legal guardian of her two children, a responsibility he says motivates him to keep moving forward despite the challenges ahead.
“Tatjana’s children only have me in Canada,” he said. “I just want to provide the best life I can because her children deserve it.”
The trial, which has wrapped up its second week, is scheduled for five weeks.
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