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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.