Undercover police officer testifies Greg Fertuck hated his estranged wife
Greg Fertuck spoke inappropriately and vulgarly about his missing wife, an undercover officer testified.
The undercover officer, who cannot be named under a publication ban, took the stand on the sixth week of Fertuck’s murder trial.
Fertuck is charged with first-degree murder in the disappearance of his estranged wife, Sheree Fertuck.
Sheree’s body has never been found.
Based on a confession Fertuck made to undercover police, the Crown believes Fertuck shot Sheree at a gravel pit near Kenaston, Sask.
Fertuck became the target of an undercover police tactic, known as a “Mr. Big sting.”
The operation is controversial, and illegal in many countries. Defence lawyers argue Mr. Big stings coerce and manipulate suspects into giving false confessions.
Fertuck met the undercover officers whom he believed were his friends during a trip to Banff he won in a fake contest.
The officers’ appearance and personality were designed by RCMP to appeal to Fertuck.
Fertuck ended up working for the officers’ business that had a criminal side, moving contraband.
Fertuck eventually gave a recorded confession to one of the undercover officers, known as “the crime boss.”
Leading up to the confession, Fertuck became close with his coworker and friend — who was really an undercover officer.
The officer told court about his conversations with the accused.
He testified Fertuck told him a story about when he had his guns seized by police, and blamed Sheree for “setting him up.”
“He was very vulgar towards Sheree … basically that he hates her, and she was going crazy until the end,” the officer testified.
In another encounter, the officer said Fertuck showed the officers a picture on the internet of a skeleton.
Fertuck said the skeleton is what Sheree looked like, the officer testified.
Fertuck talked about how Sheree wasn’t “causing issues anymore,” the officer told court.
He asked if Fertuck still talked to Sheree and he said no.
The conversation followed with “awkward pauses,” the officer testified.
“Did Mr. Fertuck ever bring up the fact that his wife was missing, and it was this big mystery?” the Crown prosecutor asked.
“No,” the officer responded.
The way Fertuck described Sheree to undercover officers is contrary to the way he described his relationship to uniformed officers.
Earlier in the trial, court heard police questioned Fertuck shortly after Sheree went missing. At that time, Fertuck told officers he and Sheree got along and were even planning on getting back together.
Court has yet to hear the recording of Fertuck’s confession. It may not be accepted as evidence by the judge.
The trial is currently in a voir dire, a trial within a trial, to determine the admissibility of evidence.
First, the details are laid out. Then, the judge will decide if it can be used in the Crown’s case.
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