Author of ballistics report cross-examined in Sask. murder trial
The author of a ballistics report filed by the Crown in the Greg Fertuck murder trial says he was not aware of what gun Fertuck confessed to using in the alleged crime in an undercover police tactic.
The trial resumed Friday at Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench, with RCMP forensic specialist Kenneth Chan appearing via video to be cross-examined by the defence.
Fertuck is charged with first-degree murder in connection to the disappearance of his estranged wife Sheree Fertuck.
Sheree was last seen on Dec. 7, 2015, leaving her Kenaston family home to go haul gravel nearby. Her body has never been found.
Fertuck was targeted in an undercover police tactic, called a Mr. Big sting, in which he told undercover officers he shot and killed Sheree at the gravel pit using a Ruger 10/22 semi-automatic rifle.
Shell casings from a .22 calibre rifle were found at the pit on April 14, 2016, and were sent to a lab to be compared to shell casings seized from Fertuck’s home to see if they were fired from the same gun.
Chan said he used a microscope to examine the three shell casings. However, there was no conclusive finding.
According to the gun lab report, “The expended cartridge case … was neither identified nor eliminated as having been fired in the same firearm which fired the expended cartridge cases.”
The report goes on to say the shell casings “were probably fired in a 22 Long or Long Rifle calibre firearm(s) with a rectangular or slant left firing pin” and that “these characteristics are commonly encountered and there are many makes and models of firearms in which the expended cartridge cases could have been fired.”
Defence lawyer Mike Nolan asked Chan whether he was given the make and model of the gun Fertuck confessed to using to undercover officers. Chan said he was not.
As a result, Chan said he did not check with the gun manufacturer to see if the marks on the ammunition match the gun the Crown alleges Fertuck used.
The report’s conclusion said if suspect firearms are found, it could be possible to identify or eliminate which firearms fired the shell casings.
The trial is in a voir dire: a trial within a trial, to determine the admissibility of evidence, notably the Mr. Big sting.
Justice Richard Danyliuk is set to make a decision on what evidence can be used on March 30.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.