A Saskatoon judge began hearing evidence on Monday to determine whether Greg Fertuck’s first-degree murder charge will go to trial.
The 66-year-old is accused of killing his estranged wife Sheree Fertuck on or about Dec. 7, 2015 — the day she was last seen leaving her family’s farmhouse near Kenaston, Sask., roughly 70 kilometres south of Saskatoon.
Police said Sheree was driving her semi-truck to a nearby gravel pit.
Sheree’s body has never been found. Her mother found Sheree’s semi-truck parked at the pit off Highway 15 the following morning. Her keys, cell phone and jacket were also there, according to Sheree’s mother.
Fertuck is also accused of offering an indignity to a body.
During Monday’s proceedings, Fertuck sat in the prisoner’s box, wearing an orange jail-issued shirt and plaid jacket.
A preliminary hearing is meant to outline a case before a judge determines whether there is sufficient evidence to move ahead with a trial. A publication ban prevents reporting on the specific aspects of what is said during the hearing.
Cory Bliss is the Crown prosecutor in the case. Morris Bodnar represents the accused.
RCMP called Sheree’s disappearance a homicide in April 2016. Fertuck was arrested on June 24, 2019, outside Saskatoon.
At the time of his arrest, RCMP Supt. Derek Williams didn’t say what led authorities to lay charges.
“Any homicide investigation is complex in nature,” he said at the time, “especially historical cases as they do take a long time to collect the evidence necessary to lay a charge, and after this period of time we were successful in laying a charge.”
Fertuck has denied the allegations.