Piece of denim possibly linked to Fertuck disappearance not further investigated by police: testimony
About four years after Sheree Fertuck went missing, a father-son duo alerted police about a potential new piece of evidence.
RCMP Const. Robert Head, an investigator in the case, took the stand in Greg Fertuck’s murder trial.
Fertuck is charged with first-degree murder in connection to Sheree’s disappearance.
Sheree was last seen on Dec. 7, 2015 leaving her family farm near Kenaston, Sask. to go haul gravel. Sheree’s semi-truck was found abandoned in the gravel pit with her keys, phone and jacket left inside.
Head testified a father and his son, who crushed gravel in the same pit, found a piece of denim in their machine.
“It looked like part of a sleeve,” Head told court.
The fabric was believed to be found in the upper part of the pit — away from the area Sheree’s semi truck was found.
Head testified police determined the material didn’t belong to Sheree, based on its location and witness reports.
But the defence disagreed.
Defence lawyer Mike Nolin suggested Sheree was wearing a denim shirt the day she went missing, based on a description from Sheree’s brother — who saw her that day.
The constable told court the fabric wasn’t sent to a lab or investigated further.
Nolin asked Head how many times cadaver dogs were brought to search the pit.
Head said dogs were brought to the scene once, a few days after Sheree went missing.
On April 14, 2016, shell casings from a .22 calibre rifle were found at the pit.
The casings 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.
But there was no conclusive finding from the RCMP Firearms and Toolmark Identification Section.
“The expended cartridge case … was neither identified nor eliminated as having been fired in the same firearm,” the gun lab report read.
On Oct. 6, 2020, police further examined the pit — following a new admission from Fertuck’s girlfriend.
Ground penetrating radar was used and tractors were brought in to search five feet below the surface, Head testified.
After Fertuck told an undercover officer he shot Sheree at the pit, searches ramped up, court heard.
RCMP Cpl. Ronald Degooijer was the search coordinator, he lead searches based on information Fertuck gave to an undercover officer.
Degooijer testified he and his team looked for bones, black plastic and clothing.
Officers focused on a tree bluff area where Fertuck told undercover officers he dumped Sheree’s body.
Despite the searches, Sheree’s body has never been found.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.