The mayor of a B.C. village where a woman’s death is being investigated says the community is shocked that a suspect was released.
On Monday, RCMP confirmed they were looking into a suspicious death after the body of Lumby, B.C., resident Tatjana Stefanski, 44, was found in a rural location.
Initially, police released a missing person statement on Saturday evening, asking the public to contact them, as Stefanski was last seen that day at 8 a.m.
Two days later, RCMP issued another report, saying a body had been found. No identity was provided, but relatives of Stefanski announced her death on social media.
“A male believed to be involved in this death was arrested in the general vicinity,” said police.
“On April 15, this male was released from police custody with a series of mandatory conditions to abide by.”
The village’s mayor says he was surprised that the suspect was released.
“I think the person who’s suspected of doing something this heinous should be detained until, you know, at least we can feel safe,” said Mayor Kevin Acton, adding he’s outraged because the town is “in a vulnerable position.”
“It puts the village in a situation where that family is feeling vulnerable, and I’m worried somebody’s gonna go do something that they shouldn’t, you know, in a sort of vigilante way.”
Asked if he’s been receiving community feedback, Acton says yes.
“I’ve been getting people reaching out to me asking why and how come and, you know, what are we going to do about it?” he said.
“We don’t have a lot to do that we can do about it.”
Stating that “everyone kind of knows each other,” Acton says he understands releasing someone if it’s a minor crime. But a serious crime involving death? “It’s mind-boggling.”
Acton said he “was dumbfounded” when finding out the suspect was released. “I phoned the police immediately to find out what was going on.”
He also said, “We want to see something changed in our legal system.”
Global News reached out to police regarding the suspect’s release.
The RCMP said the threshold for charge approval is not insignificant, and that police do not have the authority to hold someone indefinitely until the investigation is complete.
“Suspicious death investigations are complex and can take time,” said Cpl. James Grandy.
“I think everyone would agree that our focus should be to ultimately hold the person responsible for the woman’s death accountable.”
Grandy added that “it’s also important to understand that the man who was arrested is subject to conditions, which are one of the mechanisms police or the courts can use to mitigate potential risks to the public.”
He added that “in cases where a person fails to abide by their conditions, additional measures may be sought through the courts.”