A Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench judge is considering whether to grant bail to Greg Fertuck, who is accused of murdering his estranged wife Sheree Fertuck.
Police arrested the now 66-year-old man on June 24, 2019, outside Saskatoon. Saskatchewan RCMP charged him with first-degree murder and offering an indignity to a body.
On Thursday, a hearing began to determine whether Fertuck should be released from custody while he awaits trial. Evidence from the court appearance cannot be reported due to a publication ban. The media can only report the outcome of the bail hearing, along with conditions if the accused is eventually released.
Fertuck’s appearance comes more than four years after Sheree, a 51-year-old mother of three, disappeared from rural Saskatchewan.
She was last seen on Dec. 7, 2015. After having lunch at her family’s farmhouse east of Kenaston, Sask., she drove to a nearby gravel pit.
Sheree’s mother Juliann Sorotski found the victim’s semi-truck parked at the pit the next day. She told media that Sheree’s keys, cell phone and jacket were inside the vehicle.
Despite numerous searches of the area roughly 80 kilometres south of Saskatoon, Sheree’s body has never been found.
Prosecutor Cory Bliss appeared for the Crown during Thursday’s proceedings, while Fertuck was represented by Morris Bodnar and Michael Nolin. Justice Grant Currie is presiding over the bail hearing.
In January, a Saskatoon provincial court judge determined there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial.
Trial dates have not been scheduled.