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Knife Twist: Murder Trial Takes Shocking Turn
10 Jun
Summary
- Accused claims ex-wife held knife to her own abdomen.
- Seven stab wounds found on victim's body.
- Defendant claims he found her barefoot on a road.
Vitali Stefanski is on trial for the murder of his ex-wife, Tatjana Stefanski, which allegedly occurred in 2024. He denies the charge, claiming instead that Tatjana was holding his knife and had pulled it away from her own abdomen while inside his car. Stefanski described watching her twist in the passenger seat before he noticed bleeding from her leg.
The court in Kamloops, B.C., has been presented with evidence that Tatjana's body was discovered down a steep embankment off a forestry road near Lumby, B.C. Her body showed seven stab wounds to the chest and numerous sharp-force injuries to her arms and legs. Earlier, police officers testified that Vitali Stefanski was found alone and barefoot on a forestry road, where he reportedly confessed to the murder and an attempted suicide.
Stefanski recounted that as he drove searching for a hospital, his ex-wife stopped responding. He stated that at one point, her body ended up outside the vehicle and, upon trying to retrieve her, she slipped down the embankment. In a state of panic, believing no one would believe his account, he began discarding items from the car, including the fishing knife.
