3 days after Sheree Fertuck went missing, her husband was the RCMP's prime suspect. Here’s why.
The lead investigator in the Sheree Fertuck case took the stand in the trial for the man accused of her murder.
Sgt. Tiffany Climenhaga testified why Greg Fertuck, Sheree’s estranged husband, was named a suspect just three days after she went missing.
Sheree was last seen Dec. 7, 2015 leaving her family farm near Kenaston, Sask. to go haul gravel nearby.
The missing person’s case shifted to a homicide investigation about four months later.
On June 24, 2019, Greg was charged with first-degree murder and causing indignity to human remains.
Sheree’s body has never been found and Greg has pleaded not guilty.
While Greg was charged nearly four years after Sheree disappeared, Climenhaga testified RCMP had its sights set on him much earlier.
GREG’S STATEMENT ABOUT RELATIONSHIP DIFFERED FROM KIDS’ ACCOUNT
Climenhaga testified the initial statement Greg gave to police stood out.
He told officers he and Sheree got along well and were even working on getting back together.
The lead investigator said Greg’s statement was vastly different to what the couple’s kids had to say.
They told police their father has a history of domestic violence against their mom.
“I felt like I was in a bit of a twilight zone,” Climenhaga told the court.
"What they [the kids] were saying and what he was saying, were on opposite ends of the spectrum.”
SHEREE FOLLOWED A PREDICTABLE ROUTINE
Climenhaga said Sheree’s missing person case rang suspicious because it didn’t match Sheree’s character.
Court heard Sheree is extremely predictable, follows a routine and is close with her family. Sheree had a flip phone, no social media, didn’t take drugs and wasn’t dating.
If Sheree would leave town, court heard she would make accommodations for a dog sitter. If she couldn’t find one, she’d bring her dog on the road.
Sheree’s red semi-truck was found abandoned at the gravel pit with the keys still in the ignition. Her flip phone and coat were left inside.
Sheree Fertuck’s semi-truck, seen here, was found in a gravel pit the day after she was last seen in December 2015. (RCMP supplied)
Sheree tried to stop a payment to Greg on the day she went missing
Greg occasionally worked for Sheree, hauling gravel. On the day Sheree went missing, she tried to cancel a payment to Greg, according to a statement Sheree’s mom made to police. Sheree believed Greg overcharged her for hours worked.
Court heard Greg often missed rent payments. Greg wanted to withdraw some of his pension money, but Sheree refused to sign off on it, according to testimony earlier in the trial.
Climenhaga said Sheree’s sisters, mother and kids believed Greg was responsible for Sheree’s disappearance.
BLOOD FOUND IN GREG'S TRUCK
At around 5 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2015, video surveillance shows Greg at a Saskatoon carwash cleaning his truck bed.
Climenhaga testified she thought it was unusual how Greg was wiping down his truck bed, and she believed he was possibly trying to get rid of forensic evidence.
A speck of blood, matching Sheree’s DNA, was detected on Greg’s tailgate.
The Crown is arguing Greg shot Sheree at the gravel pit, used a loader to put her in his truck and moved her body to a rural location.
Two gun shell casings from a .22 rifle were found at the pit.
Climenhaga testified, during a search of Greg’s house, a rifle was missing from its case.
The Crown’s case relies on Greg’s confession to undercover police officers.
The trial has yet to hear the details of the undercover police operation.
It will be up to a judge to decide whether the undercover confession can be admissible evidence.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.