Police believe a Saskatoon woman missing since December may have been murdered.
On Monday, RCMP provided an update on the suspicious disappearance of gravel worker Sheree Fertuck.
They revealed a timeline of events leading up to what they now believe is Fertuck’s death, in the hopes of finding new information relating to her whereabouts.
“At this point in time, we believe this is a homicide investigation. This conclusion comes after lengthy searches, analysis of all the evidence and our investigation into her disappearance,” said Sgt. Murray Chamberlin, with RCMP Major Crimes.
The 51-year-old has been missing since Dec.7, 2015 when she was last seen leaving her family’s farm near Kenaston, Sask. in a gravel truck.
Her mother previously told CKOM News that she found the truck at a nearby gravel pit the next morning with Fertuck’s jacket, cellphone and the keys still inside.
Police said since then, no banking activity, use of passport or phone has been reported for Fertuck, who has not made contact with her family.
“Which is extremely out of the norm for Sheree. All those things add up,” Chamberlin said.
Chamberlin said the investigation is a blank slate, adding they are looking at all avenues and haven’t discounted anybody as possible suspects.
Furtuck’s mother Juliann Sorotski tried holding back tears as she spoke to the media Monday. She described her daughter as a strong, kind person who loved her family.
“Family was the most important thing to Sheree. Her number one priority was her children and her one and only grandchild. We miss her so much.”
Sorotski said Sheree knew everyone in the area and always took the time to talk to people. “This is reflective in the numbers that came to search for her,” Sorotski said, adding
the family is overwhelmed by the support they have received.
RCMP said they are beginning a new round of search efforts for the 51-year-old Wednesday.
Investigators said they will be looking at very specific locations in the province, which they pinpointed through work in the last several months, in order to find Fertuck and evidence related to her disappearance.
Land owners in these areas will be notified of the police presence.
RCMP are not asking the public to help in these searches; previously, volunteers searched areas near the village of Kenaston.