EDMONTON – Shawn Wruck’s first-degree murder trial continued in an Edmonton courtroom Wednesday as court heard more details about the “Mr. Big sting” that led to his confession in connection with the death of 29-year-old Shannon Collins.
The court heard Wruck thought he was making inroads in to a criminal organization. For months he met with undercover RCMP officers, and was led to believe they were members of a gang. Court heard Wruck was tired of his welding job and had always dreamed of being involved in a life of crime.
It was all part of an elaborate plan to get Wruck to talk about Collins’ death. Her remains were discovered on a rural property in Strathcona County’s Belvedere Heights subdivision on June 5, 2008.
READ MORE: First-degree murder charge laid in connection with death of Shannon Collins
More than four years after that discovery, the RCMP undercover unit was called in to initiate contact with Wruck and develop scenarios to gain his trust.
Wednesday, court heard details of that investigation, dubbed “Project Kolumbo.”
In a rare move, the courtroom was closed to the public so the identities of the undercover officers involved were not jeopardized. An audio feed of the testimony is being streamed into a different courtroom where family and others can listen.
Project Kolumbo began in November 2012, when a female officer befriended Wruck’s live-in girlfriend at the time. RCMP officers travelled to Kelowna and staged a lived-in apartment.
Two officers who claimed they were a couple started spending more time with Wruck and his girlfriend. They celebrated a birthday party, had drinks at Christmas and over time, the male officer told Wruck he was involved in a criminal organization.
“Nothing was forced,” the officer overseeing Project Kolumbo said. “It’s role playing, it’s not scripted.”
Over the weeks, the officer said a rapport and friendship developed. In January 2013, the officer told court Wruck provided information about Shannon Collins’ murder.
But as Wruck continued to meet with the criminal organization, an officer testified he expressed paranoia about being an RCMP target.
The undercover officer said the RCMP worked to dispel his doubts, and encouraged him to seek treatment for his substance abuse problems. Wruck was also told numerous times that truth was paramount to the crime boss, Mr. Big.
Court heard about a number of trips to pick up and drop off cash or weapons for the criminal group. As a reward for his time, Wruck’s travel expenses were paid. He was also paid $1,000 cash several times for his work. He was even flown to Montreal to watch a UFC championship match with Georges St. Pierre. The undercover officer said the perk was “no different than being a union employee.”
Wruck was still working as a welder in Fort McMurray and the RCMP said they made it clear he could leave the criminal group at any time.
At one point, a number of RCMP undercover officers met at a gentlemen’s club to show Wruck a member of the gang was retiring.
The purpose, said the officer, was to show there would be no harm if he wanted to leave.
“He was going to ride off in the sunset and enjoy the rest of his life.”
The gang made it clear to Wruck they would protect him if he was honest about his criminal past and again, Wruck spoke of murdering Collins.
The officer told court of different scenarios that were plotted to show the credibility of the criminal organization.
One undercover officer pretended he was in trouble with a woman who attempted to extort and expose the crime group.
RCMP staged an abduction and took the woman to the bush and stuck a gun in her mouth. Wruck watched and after the woman was let go, he once again confessed to killing Collins.
In late February 2013, Wruck was eager to meet Mr. Big.
“Wruck expressed his desire to sit down… and bolster his position,” the undercover officer said. He added Wruck seemed “jealous” someone else was given a bigger role at the time.
It wasn’t until March when that meeting finally happened. In an Edmonton industrial area, Wruck met Mr. Big face-to-face. The undercover officer said Wruck told Mr. Big about the murder from “start to finish.”
Wruck was asked to conduct a re-enactment and showed the undercover officers where he dumped Collins’ body.
It wasn’t until Wruck was back at his home in Kelowna that he figured out his new friends weren’t criminals but in fact police.
Under cross-examination, Wruck’s defence lawyer, Ajay Juneja, asked if the agents made his client believe it was in his best interests to join the crime group. Saying Wruck was struggling financially, Juneja blasted the RCMP for paying his way and offering free trips.
“You made his childhood dreams come true,” Juneja said.
“Absolutely,” the head of Project Kolumbo said.
Comments