'He had threatened her life': Greg Fertuck’s daughter testifies she suspects he's involved in mom’s disappearance
The daughter of a man charged with murder took the stand in his trial on Wednesday afternoon.
Lanna Fertuck testified her father is violent, a drunk and often threatened her mom.
Greg Fertuck is charged with first-degree murder in connection to his estranged wife, Sheree Fertuck.
Sheree was last seen Dec. 7, 2015 leaving her family farm to haul gravel near Kenaston, Sask.
That day, Lanna said she tried to call her mom, but her calls didn’t go through.
She testified it was unusual for Sheree not to answer the phone, and even more unusual for her not to come home from work, so Lanna left Saskatoon to search in Kenaston.
On the way, she called her dad.
Greg said he hadn’t seen or heard from Sheree.
“He didn’t seem too concerned or worried like the rest of us,” Lanna testified.
The 23-year-old testified her dad said “If you ever find her, let me know.”
Sheree’s body has never been found.
At the time of Sheree’s disappearance, the couple had been separated.
Greg’s gambling, drinking, violent behaviour and disagreements about money led to the separation, according to Lanna.
She said she and her two other siblings didn’t like spending time with their dad because he would say “nasty things” about their mom, and call her derogatory names.
She said she suspected her dad “had done something” to her mom.
When the Crown asked why, Lanna responded, “My mom had no enemies. (Greg) had threatened her life multiple times. He had injured her on vacation before.”
While Sheree was missing, Lanna testified her dad was trying to access shared investments.
She said her dad would say he “owns everything, and you kids are getting nothing.”
Just weeks after Sheree’s disappearance, Lanna said something weird had happened: she and her siblings received Christmas cards from their dad — something they didn’t typically get from him over the holidays.
Lanna said her card was signed “Love, your favourite parent.”
In cross examination, the defence turned the questioning to a statement Lanna gave police about how another hauler could be involved in the disappearance, after Sheree won a contract over him.
She denied suspecting this other hauler of anything.
Defence lawyer Morris Bodnar asked Lanna if she was aware her parents had been working on reconciling. She said she was not aware.
Court heard Sheree had employed Greg to help her with hauling.
“With your mother disappearing, you’d agree your father had nothing to gain and everything to lose?” Bodnar asked.
“I don’t agree with that,” Lanna responded.
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