'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.
Do you have a story idea or news tip? Email us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.