Fertuck trial hears scene at gravel pit ‘extremely contaminated,’ according to expert’s notes

The gravel pit where 51-year-old Sheree Fertuck was working on the day she disappeared became “extremely contaminated,” according to notes by RCMP forensic expert Sgt. Ryan Clunie.

Clunie was testifying during the first-degree murder trial of 67-year-old Greg Fertuck. He has pleaded not guilty in the death of his ex-wife Sheree in December of 2015, and to a second charge of offering an indignity to a body.

During cross-examination Wednesday, defence lawyer Morris Bodnar asked Clunie what his purpose was at the gravel pit.

“Were you directed on what you should photograph and what you should not photograph?” asked Bodnar.

Clunie told him he sometimes was a lead investigator on scene, and other times he assisted in recording physical evidence. He added that in the two days before he got to the gravel pit, there were many people at the site, including civilian searchers, RCMP search dogs, members of the fire department and others.

Bodnar asked Clunie whether he knew Const. Elizabeth Cook was the first officer on the scene, and whether he was told about a truck with up to half a dozen people in it leaving the gravel pit when she got there Dec. 8.

“This is the first I’m hearing about it,” answered Clunie.

Clunie testified he performed a cursory examination of the semi truck box that belonged to the cab Sheree had been driving, but it had not been thoroughly examined.

Bodnar then questioned Clunie about whether he had searched for items along the gravel pit floor to see what was there and whether there were any signs of a struggle. Clunie replied it had already been searched by others — how many, he couldn’t estimate.

According to Clunie’s notes, a portion of which were read out in the courtroom, “The scene in the gravel pit is extremely contaminated.”

Blood found in the back of Greg Fertuck’s truck was not questioned by the defence. Clunie pointed out a white pickup truck belonging to Fertuck had been washed at a Saskatoon business just after his ex-wife went missing, but the box had not been washed.

Second forensic expert testifies

The Crown then called a second forensic expert, Cpl. Terry Heroux, to testify.

Heroux described dozens of pictures to the court, including those he took at the gravel pit two days after Sheree Fertuck went missing, showing her semi truck and cab, and a front-end loader parked next to it.

Heroux told the court he and others at the time thought Sheree might have been buried in a gravel pile. He described walking among and on top of several piles looking for anything unusual, but did not find anything. Two footwear impressions and two tire impressions also turned out to belong to searchers at the site.

A series of pictures were also taken of a car wash on 11th Street in Saskatoon where Greg Fertuck had taken his white pickup to be washed.

Heroux described a garbage bin where some plastic had been dumped, but he admitted it was also hunting season and the weather was “sloppy” outside so the car wash had been extremely busy.

On Dec. 19 and later on June 25, two search warrants were executed on Fertuck’s home. Items seized included various articles of clothing, boots, a hunting bag full of equipment and supplies, and more.

Heroux’s testimony for the Crown continued Wednesday afternoon.