Sheree Fertuck's husband charged with first-degree murder in her death

RCMP have laid first-degree murder charges in connection to the 2015 homicide of Sheree Fertuck. 

Sheree, 51, went missing in 2015. The semi-trailer she used for her family business was found abandoned at a gravel pit near Highway 15 with her coat, keys and cellphone inside.

On Tuesday, Supt. Derek Williams announced that Gregory Mitchell Fertuck, Sheree's estranged husband, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of indignity to human remains. 

Gregory Fertuck, 65, is scheduled to appear in Saskatoon provincial court on Wednesday morning. 

"We haven't been able to find Sheree's body to this point, that search continues," Williams said at a news conference Tuesday. 

He said the investigation has gone on longer than three years, and Sheree's family members were pleased with the outcome. 

People in Kenaston have not put her out of their mind, including myself.- Allan Kerpan, cousin of Sheree Fertuck

"It still remains tragic and at the end of the day we still need to find Sheree's body to bring that closure to the family."

Williams said that although it's unusual, cases have been successfully tried without a body. He said prosecutors believe there is enough evidence to move forward. 

Gregory was arrested outside of Saskatoon without incident.

Allan Kerpan, who farms in Kenaston, said his cousin's death cast a shadow that has yet to lift.

Sheree was born and raised in Kenaston, a village of less than 300 people located about 80 kilometres south of Saskatoon. She was last seen on Dec. 7, 2015, as she left her family's Kenaston-area farmhouse in a gravel truck. 

"There's still posters up in our community, looking for Sheree. Those are things that are hard to overcome, certainly in a small community where everybody knew her," he said. 

"People in Kenaston have not put her out of their mind, including myself."

People won't be able to move on until Sheree's body is found and the court case is over, he said. 

Suspicions fall on husband in 2016

In 2016, CBC reported on court documents indicating RCMP believed Sheree's husband was responsible for her death.

Corporal Jeremy Anderson wrote in the Jan. 19, 2016 order, "I have reasonable grounds to believe and do believe that: Greg Mitchell Fertuck, born September 25, 1953 at or near Kenaston, Saskatchewan did commit murder on the person of Sheree Fertuck."

Sheree's son Lucas also said the RCMP suspected his father in the homicide, saying in an affidavit RCMP were investigating Sheree's husband, noting she has an outstanding divorce, child support and property application against the man. 

The couple were separated at the time of Sheree's disappearance. 

Juliann Sorotski, Sheree 's mother, described her daughter as a hard-working woman who was dedicated to her children.

"She is always thinking about getting her work done so she can support her children," she said in December 2015. 

Sorotski died in July 2018, not knowing what happened to her daughter. Kerpan said he wished she could have lived to see charges laid in Sheree's death.

"I think it would have been nice, if she had gotten some closure on this."