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greg fertuck files notice to appeal murder conviction and life sentence
his notice of appeal states "the trial judge did not properly consider the evidence and only listened to the crown's argument."
aug 22 2024
2 minute read
(from left) sheree fertuck's sisters michelle kish, teaka white and glenda sorotski react to gregory fertuck's first-degree murder conviction in front of saskatoon court of king's bench. photo taken in saskatoon, sask. on friday, june 14, 2024.
michelle berg
/
saskatoon starphoenix
six weeks after he was found guilty of murdering his estranged wife in a saskatchewan gravel pit, gregory mitchell fertuck filed notice of his intention to appeal his conviction and mandatory life sentence to the province’s highest court.
“the trial judge did not properly consider the evidence and only listened to the crown’s argument,” says fertuck’s appeal notice, dated july 26.
fertuck, 71, was convicted on june 14 of first-degree murder and offering an indignity to human remains. justice richard danyliuk concluded that he shot sheree fertuck twice in a kenaston-area gravel pit, used a loader to transport her body into his truck, and hid her body in a bluff of trees northeast of the pit.
her body has never been found.
a sentencing hearing was held on july 4 to hear victim impact statements. fertuck received the mandatory life sentence for first-degree murder, with no parole eligibility for 25 years.
filing a notice of appeal does not automatically generate an appeal hearing. saskatchewan’s court of appeal requires applicants to provide a factum (written arguments usually done through a lawyer) before a hearing is scheduled.
fertuck, who self-represented for the latter part of his trial, indicated that he intends to hire saskatoon defence lawyer brian pfefferle.
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pfefferle said his office hasn’t been retained at this time.
in his appeal notice, fertuck indicated that he wants to be retried by a judge and jury.
his judge-alone trial at saskatoon court of king’s bench heard confessions fertuck made to undercover police officers that led to his arrest in 2019. he said he shot sheree first in the shoulder and then in the back of the head during an argument over money at the gravel pit on dec. 7, 2015.
they were separated at the time, but fertuck was still doing work for sheree’s gravel business.
danyliuk described fertuck’s re-enactment of the shooting as “chilling and convincing.”
throughout his trial, fertuck maintained his innocence, claiming he made up the story so that he would be accepted into what he believed was a criminal organization.
“i got no remorse because i never, ever did commit a crime. i’m wrongly accused and i will prove my innocence in the appeal,” he told a packed courtroom before he was sentenced.
offenders must file a notice of appeal within 30 days of being sentenced. sentencing must take place before an offender can appeal their conviction, according to the court of appeal criminal rules.
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