A 20-year-old Surrey, B.C., man is facing a charge of first-degree murder in the United States after prosecutors allege a 36-year-old woman was stalked and killed.
A spokesman for the state attorney's office in Dupage County, Ill., says Demetry Smirnov surrendered to police shortly after Jitka Vesel was gunned down Wednesday afternoon outside an office building in Oak Brook, Ill., 30 kilometres west of Chicago.
Paul Darrah says it's alleged Mr. Smirnov carefully researched the attack by determining Illinois had abolished its death penalty just weeks earlier.
Mr. Darrah also says prosecutors believe Mr. Smirnov entered the U.S. in early April and bought a gun illegally, then tracked the victim by placing a GPS unit on her car.
During a court appearance Thursday in Oak Brook, the judge was told the shooting may have been prompted by a soured online relationship that ended in 2009 when Mr. Smirnov returned to Canada after moving briefly to Illinois to meet Ms. Vesel.
Mr. Smirnov will remain in custody in the U.S. until his next court date, set for May 9.