Uncover - S23 Update Episode: What happened in court | "The Pit"

Episode Date: December 25, 2023

Greg Fertuck appeared in court for a two-week preliminary hearing in January, 2020. The goal was to decide if he should be tried for murder. This short update explains what happened.

This is a CBC Podcast. still high, there's a chance that this hearing could mark the end of the case against Greg. Or it could send the case to trial. I'm Alicia Bridges, and this is a bonus episode of The Pit. Yeah, so we're involved in the preliminary hearing for Greg Furtuck. It's set for two weeks, and the preliminary hearing is just to determine if there's enough evidence for a matter to go to trial. So we'll be engaged in calling witnesses for the next two weeks. A small crew of reporters have gathered outside for an interview with the Crown Prosecutor.

It's somewhere around minus 50 degrees Celsius with a wind chill. One reporter has her face almost completely covered by a scarf, and the camera person is wearing heated gloves. There is nowhere to record in the courthouse, so Prosecutor Corey Bliss speaks to us outside. The Crown plans on calling a number of witnesses who can speak to their involvement with Sherry before she was killed, a number of witnesses who were familiar with Greg Furtuck, and a number of police witnesses.

About 25 witnesses will be called. I can watch and take notes, and the public is allowed to be there as well. Because of a publication ban, I can't tell you what and the public is allowed to be there as well. Because of a publication ban I can't tell you what they said or who they are. What happens in the courtroom stays in the courtroom, at least for now. So a court has imposed a publication ban likely simply to ensure that in the event there's a jury trial down the road, that the jury participants are not persuaded in advance by the evidence. Last time you heard from us, we told you Greg would be back in court in the new year. We weren't sure if there'd be enough to tell you for another episode because of the publication ban.

But now that it's done, we think it's time for an update. Partly to tell you what it was like for family and friends who were there. And also to let you know the outcome of the hearing. What happens next? So we've made this short update episode to keep you in the loop. And just before I go on, there's something else I need to tell you. As you know, this podcast has always been co-hosted and reported by me and Victoria Dint. But at the start of the year, Victoria left the CBC to pursue another opportunity. She'll always be passionate about finding out what happened to Sherry, and we'll miss her. But for now, we thank her for all her work and say goodbye.

But for now, we thank her for all her work and say goodbye. The provincial courthouse in Saskatoon is a dreary old building. None of the doors in the women's washroom shut properly. And sitting in the courtroom, you can sometimes hear people yelling in the cells and banging on the walls. On the first day of the hearing, reporters gather with Sherry's family and friends in the hallway outside courtroom three. It's a small room. It's far from grand. It's lined with plastic chairs for the public and wooden tables for the lawyers.

Witnesses testify from a box on the left-hand side of the room, and then the suspect sits almost directly opposite the witness, behind a pane of glass. And that's where they put Greg. Sherry's sister, Tika White, wasn't called as a witness for the hearing. So she goes to watch every day she can. And on the first day, it brings her face to face with Greg for the first time in about ten years.

Later, at a cafe near the courthouse, she tells me about something that happened when she first walked in. I sat down and was kind of looking around, taking it all in, and then I just gave him a lengthy stare down. And he would look at me and look away and look at me and look away. And then at one point, he was look at me and look away. And then at one point he was looking at me, he was shaking his head no, and he mouthed the words to me, I didn't do it.

And I just, I looked away and was fairly frustrated and angry. But Tika keeps her cool. And so does everyone else in the courtroom. As the hearing gets underway, there's an atmosphere of civility in the room. Clerks banter with lawyers during breaks. The defence lawyer jokes with the Crown. But when witnesses are called, the room is silent. The judge presiding over the case is Brent Klaus.

If he thinks there is not enough evidence, he can throw the case out. The charges could be dropped. During this hearing, he is quiet but engaged. He seems to listen intently and occasionally ask questions. At the end of the first week, I sit down with Tika at that same cafe. I want to know how she's feeling after hearing the evidence from the first week. I want to know how she's feeling after hearing the evidence from the first week. You know, like I said, I hope that what the judge is hearing is, you know, going to be enough to ensure that this does go to trial. So, and if it doesn't, I don't know what happens, you know.

We just have to, you know, hope that, you know, hopefully next week's testimonies and evidence will solidify it, maybe. Almost every day, Tika drives from Davidson to be at the hearing. She has to leave work to be there. It's partly because she wants to know what really happened, those details that I can't tell you here. But she's also doing it for her mom. I'm going to cry. So the pin I'm wearing is, it's a pin of a little angel. When my sister first essentially went missing, my mom did a news release with the RCMP, just asking the public if they had any information on Sherry or her whereabouts, you know, to let the RCMP know. So my mom wore this pin when she gave the news release. My mom is no longer here.

She's since passed away. And so I'm just wearing it, I guess, as a bit of memory of her. And knowing that my mom is now an angel up in heaven. And that this pin symbolizes the angels watching over us as the rest of our family proceeds with the trial. So I believe my mom knows, I believe my mom has all her answers now. I believe my mum has all her answers now. And every day that I'm at trial, I will wear the pin in memory of my mum. I asked Tika a few times during the hearing if she feels hopeful that the judge will accept the evidence and send the case to trial. And she always says yes. And in the end, her instincts are right.

After 10 days of witness testimony, the judge makes his decision. And she always says yes. And in the end, her instincts are right. After 10 days of witness testimony, the judge makes his decision. Greg will go to trial. Greg Furtuck has been committed to trial for the alleged killing of his ex-wife, Sherry. Furtuck is charged with first-degree murder and causing an indignity to a body. A judge in a two-week preliminary hearing determined today there's enough evidence for the case to go to trial. Crown Prosecutor Corey Bliss says a date will be set at Court of Queen's Bench. So I think this will be a fairly lengthy proceeding. The preliminary hearing, which was some of the evidence, was two weeks. So we're looking at a lengthy proceeding.

We're obviously hoping to get him to trial as soon as we can. When the decision comes down, Tika and a group of family and friends spill out of the courtroom. There are tears and hugs. Tika hugs a police officer on the case, and the officer tells her, this is a good day. Tika stops to talk to reporters as she leaves the courthouse. She has asked how she feels. Happy, relieved. I was, you know, hoping that the charges would stick, which they did.

I'm glad that the judge, you know, I guess, saw it our way, you know, sided with the Crown to say. So, yeah, I mean, it's another step forward, I suppose, for hopefully getting closure for our family. A date for the trial still hadn't been set at the time of this episode's release, but that's likely to happen soon. There's still a chance something could change before the trial. The Crown and the defence could make a deal.

Greg could change his plea. New information could come to light, or Sherry's body could be found. The RCMP search could continue when the snow melts and the spring weather arrives. Back in the cafe, Tika says she's ready to join them, if they do. Maybe in some sort of weird way. If the police maybe allow public to go back out and search, maybe I'll wear the pin and maybe my mom will give me some guidance as to where my sister's remains are.

I don't know. I guess I can hope. Yeah, I don't know. So they say there's always angels watching over us, so maybe mom will send me in the right direction of where she may be. So. The Pit is a CBC investigative podcast. This update was written, produced and mixed by me, Alicia Bridges.

Our senior producer is Corrine Larson. Editorial guidance came from David Hutton. If you want to stay up to date, hit the subscribe button so you'll get notified about new episodes as they come out. And if you've been enjoying the podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or just tell your friends. You can also contact us directly

by emailing thepit at cbc.ca. I'll be back as soon as there's something new to report. Thanks for listening. For more CBC Podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.