Photo: GoFundMe

Tatjana Stefanski

A peaceful demonstration planned by the Justice for Tatjana movement has been cancelled amid changing court appearances for the man facing second-degree murder charges in her death.

Tatjana Stefanski was found dead in rural Lumby on April 14, 2024, after being reported missing the day before.

Her ex-husband, Vitali Stefanski, was arrested weeks later and charged with second-degree murder. The case has been moving through the court system and a preliminary trial had been scheduled for March 31 this year.

The Justice for Tatjana movement had planned a peaceful demonstration for the same day to keep the case in the public eye.

The Crown is now proceeding by direct indictment — a procedural move that allows prosecutors to send Stefanski straight to trial without a preliminary inquiry. Direct indictment is a special legal power that requires high-level government approval typically reserved for complex cases.

In light of the changes, the demonstration has been cancelled, but organizer Jen De Bourcier said a different rally is in the works.

“We are talking about doing a public awareness rally this summer potentially,” De Bourcier told Castanet in a Facebook message.

“We just want to give folks who planned to attend a heads up in time to change plans. We really appreciate the support of those who were planning to attend and/or are covering the story.”

Stefanski’s next court appearance is April 7.

Updates on the Justice for Tatjana movement can be found online.