The Rossland Courthouse. Donald James Danchella was charged with second-degree murder following the November 2024 death of his estranged wife, Lindsay Christine Danchella, in Montrose.
File photo
Donald James Danchella, who was charged with second-degree murder following the 2024 death of his estranged wife in Montrose, has a case before B.C. Supreme Court.
Trail RCMP were called to a Montrose residence on Nov. 4, 2024, after receiving a report of a man assaulting a woman on the front lawn.
Police and BC Emergency Health Services personnel found Lindsay Christine Danchella with significant injuries. She was taken to Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, where she died shortly afterward.
RCMP said her estranged husband was arrested at the scene. The Southeast District Major Crime Unit took over the investigation.
Police later identified the accused as Donald James Danchella, then 46, and said he had been charged with second-degree murder following consultation with Crown counsel.
A current Rossland Supreme Court record lists a limited-access case involving one count under section 235 of the Criminal Code connected to an alleged offence in Montrose. The publicly available entry does not identify the accused.
Section 235 applies to both first- and second-degree murder, so the public court record does not establish whether the classification of the charge has changed since RCMP announced the second-degree murder charge in November 2024.
The allegations against Danchella have not been proven in court.
The sidewalk on the east side of Washington Street beside the Steamshovel is scheduled to close November 3–6 during construction on a neighbouring building, according to the City of Rossland.