Gregory Fertuck guilty of first-degree murder in death of wife Sheree

Article content

Describing the confessions of Gregory Mitchell Fertuck as “chilling and convincing,” a Saskatoon King’s Bench judge convicted him of first-degree murder in the death of his estranged wife, Sheree Fertuck.

After a court process that lasted almost three years, Justice Richard Danyliuk summarized his 87-page written decision in front of a packed courtroom on Friday.

Article content

“You killed Sheree,” Danyliuk told Fertuck, who has been on trial since September 2021.

He noted Sheree was a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and wife. She was a tough, hardworking, and loyal business person who was important to many people, he said.

“And, as of Dec. 7, 2015, she was gone.”

The 51-year-old was last seen driving to haul gravel that afternoon. Her semi, keys, jacket and cellphone were left at the pit. It became clear that she “vanished without a trace,” Danyliuk said.

Her disappearance was ruled a homicide, but the case went cold until 2019, when Fertuck told an undercover officer posing as the boss of a fake crime group that he shot Sheree twice in the gravel pit.

The admissions were made during a Mr. Big sting in 2019.

Describing the trial as long, complex and one of the strangest cases he has ever seen, Danyliuk found that Fertuck shot Sheree first in the shoulder and then in the back of the head during an argument over money, just like he told the undercover officers. He even acted it out, using a walking stick as the gun.

He said Fertuck then used a loader at the pit to move her body to the back of his truck, dumping it in a bluff of poplars northeast of the pit. Despite several searches, her body was never found.

Article content

Article content

There doesn’t have to be a body to prosecute a homicide, Danyliuk said, noting a strong circumstantial case can still result in a conviction.

Floating theories that Sheree is alive has no basis in evidence, he added. Danyliuk rejected the testimony of a defence witness who said she saw Sheree’s semi passing her farmhouse after 5 p.m. on the day she disappeared, suggesting she might still be alive.

Citing the key pieces of evidence, Danyliuk noted the two shell casings found at the pit — “holdback evidence” that was never made public — confirmed Fertuck’s confession that he shot Sheree twice.

He also told undercover officers that he threw the murder weapon — a Ruger 10/22 semi-automatic rifle — into a field near Biggar. In the midst of the trial, a Saskatchewan couple testified that they found a Ruger 10/22 while moving a storage bin in the area, and turned the gun over to police after seeing it described in the StarPhoenix’s trial coverage.

“The media played a huge part in this case, to be perfectly honest,” Crown prosecutor Carla Dewar told reporters outside court.

Danyliuk concluded the rifle found under the storage bin fired the shells found at the pit, adding the firearm expert’s testimony was consistent all three times he was called to the stand.

Article content

“It’s the murder weapon,” Danyliuk said.

The trial heard the couple was separated, and Sheree was preparing to file for divorce. Fertuck wanted $15,000 from his pension, but Sheree refused to consent until they had worked out the property division.

He was still doing work for her gravel hauling business. The morning of her disappearance, Sheree was angry because she believed Fertuck had logged more hours than he had worked and was going to call the bank to stop his payment, the Crown said when presenting a motive during closing arguments.

Danyliuk said Fertuck lied to police when he denied going to the pit, even though phone records showed he was there around 1:20 p.m.

He said the fact that there were two shots — one of them execution-style — undoubtedly proves an intent to kill, but first-degree murder requires planning and deliberation.

Fertuck planned to confront Sheree about money. He had a loaded gun in the back of his truck in case the conversation went poorly, Danyliuk said. He told court that even if killing her was his “Plan B,” it was no less a plan.

“He executed his plan and he executed Sheree,” he said.

Article content

Danyliuk said Fertuck claimed to be a “liar” and a “bullshitter,” and that he lied during the Mr. Big sting to “look cool and fit in,” despite physical evidence confirming so much of his confession.

“Everything Greg said fits with his account being truthful overall,” Danyliuk ruled.

He noted that during the sting, Fertuck referred to himself as “the dark cowboy.” He described Fertuck as a misogynistic, abusive alcoholic who threatened to kill Sheree during domestic disputes.

When she refused to comply with his demands in the pit, he “killed her in cold blood,” wrapped her body in plastic and “got rid of that body so well that over eight years later (she) still has not been found.”

“Dark cowboy indeed.”

Speaking outside court, Sheree’s three sisters — Michelle Kish, Teaka White and Glenda Sorotski — said they always knew Fertuck was capable of killing Sheree, because he had threatened to do it many times.

“And I think even before their relationship deteriorated, there were signs throughout their marriage that there was a side of Greg that was evil,” Sorotski said.

“And that evil just got worse and worse over the years,” Kish added.

Article content

White recalled a conversation in which Fertuck told their mom he should just kill Sheree.

“She said ‘Greg, what would that do? That would leave you in jail and would leave your kids with no mother.’ And that is exactly what has happened,” White said.

The sisters said the guilty verdict is important closure for their family, particularly their mother, Juliann Sorotski, who died in 2018.

Crown prosecutor Cory Bliss said the most impactful part of trial for him was hearing the lead investigator’s testimony about telling Juliann, as she was dying in hospital, that she would not stop investigating Sheree’s murder.

The sisters said they’re grateful police decided to do a Mr. Big sting on Fertuck.

“The Crown gives many kudos and respect for the police in this case for digging deep and for producing that evidence for the court,” Bliss said outside court.

“They didn’t give up, and I think that’s important for the public to know,” Dewar added.

A first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. Sentencing is scheduled for July 4 to allow family members time to prepare victim impact statements.

Article content

Fertuck has been self-representing since his defence team withdrew mid-trial. His amicus lawyer, Brent Little, told court Fertuck was “quite emotional” after hearing the verdict.

When asked if he had anything to say, Fertuck said no.

During the verdict, he shook his head in disbelief.

“I thought, how could you be in disbelief of this? There’s too much evidence,” Kish said.

Danyliuk also found Fertuck guilty of indecently interfering with human remains. He said the fact that he disposed of Sheree’s body like she was a nuisance, depriving her family of a proper burial, is a continued form of spousal abuse “in the highest form.”

The Saskatoon Star Phoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.

With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark thestarphoenix.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.

Article content