Greg Fertuck, convicted of murdering missing wife, sentenced to life in prison

Greg Fertuck will spend the rest of his life behind bars with no chance of parole until he is 90, a judge ruled Thursday in Saskatoon Court of King's Bench.

On June 14, the 70-year-old was found guilty of first-degree murder and indignity over human remains in the death of his ex-wife Sheree Fertuck.

When given the opportunity to address the court, Fertuck stood up and said that “all of the Crown's evidence was circumstantial” and that “nothing has ever been proven in court.”

The 51-year-old woman was last seen having lunch at the family farm near Kenaston on December 7, 2015. Her body has never been found. At the time of her disappearance, the couple were in the process of separating.

Fertuck was the target of a covert police operation. He told undercover agents, whom he believed to be his friends, that he had shot Sheree in the gravel pit where she worked.

Fertuck said everything he told those officers was “made up.”

“I spent the last five years in hell, in pretrial detention,” he said at his sentencing hearing.

“Normally, people are paid to tell stories, to write novels, not to be put in pretrial detention.”

The Crown said it was “regrettable” that Fertuck did not take the opportunity to apologize and instead “redoubled his efforts,” insulting law enforcement and the justice system.

“Once again, he presents himself as the victim here,” the Crown said.

Judge Richard Danyliuk reminded Fertuck that he had been convicted before.

“You know you did this. I know you did this. Now everybody knows you did this,” Danyliuk said.

First-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Fertuck was also sentenced to four years in prison for injuring human remains, which he will serve concurrently. Fertuck will be eligible for parole in 20 years.

During victim impact statements, Sheree's family said Fertuck took more than one life when he killed Sheree.

“The day Sheree died was also the day we lost our mother,” Sheree's sister, Glenda Sorotski, told the court.

Sheree's three sisters said Sheree's disappearance took a toll on their mother's physical and mental health, ultimately leading to her death.

Fertuck is subject to a no-contact order with several family members, including his daughter.

In his closing remarks, Fertuck said he would prove to his children that he was innocent.

“I have no remorse because I never committed a crime,” he said.

Fertuck said he plans to appeal the conviction.

—With files from Laura Woodward