Manslaughter plea rejected for man charged with fatally stabbing ex-girlfriend

Nearly six years after Melinda Vasilije was found fatally stabbed in her Kitchener apartment, jury selection has began in trial of the man accused of killing her.

Nearly six years after Melinda Vasilije was found fatally stabbed in her Kitchener apartment, the trial of the man accused of killing her is about to begin.

Ager Hasan is charged with second-degree murder in the 22-year-old’s death.

After numerous delays, jury selection for the trial got underway at the Waterloo Region Courthouse on Monday.

Hasan tried to plead guilty to a lesser charge, but the Crown rejected it, meaning the trial will continue as planned.

Vasilije was found dead in the early morning hours of April 28, 2017 at her apartment on Country Hill Drive.

Within hours of the discovery, Waterloo regional police had named her former boyfriend, Ager Hasan of Hamilton, as a suspect. Police said Hasan, who was 24 years old at the time, had fled south of the border.

“Our investigators from our major crime branch are connecting with as many enforcement agencies as possible,” said police at the time.