IX.

With that appearance just days away, Greg Fertuck agreed to an interview with CBC at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre.

The interview took place in a boardroom with motivational posters on the wall. Outside, inmates in orange jumpsuits are being ordered around by guards. Heavy metal doors separate the cool corridors.

Greg Fertuck is wearing handcuffs and an orange T-shirt; he has scruffy grey hair on his head and face.

Right away, he says he is innocent.

Greg Fertuck has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his estranged wife, Sheree Fertuck. (Greg Fertuck/Facebook)

Greg Fertuck has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his estranged wife, Sheree Fertuck. (Greg Fertuck/Facebook)

Fertuck is polite, but gruff, and uses his words sparingly during the 40-minute interview.



But within the first minute, he explains he has a memory issue because of a head injury from a fall in December 2018. He slipped and hit his head on his way to a restaurant, he said.

"When I fell, I guess I had a ruptured blood vessel in my brain. It started bleeding and that's partially the cause of my amnesia or whatever you want to call it," said Fertuck. "I was in the hospital for over two months so I lost a bit of my memory."

Fertuck said he thinks he was at home in Saskatoon on Dec. 7, 2015, the day Sheree disappeared, but later said he does not remember if he was in the area of the gravel pit at the time.

He also said he doesn't remember meeting his wife that day.

Greg denies killing Sheree. He said RCMP used a "Mr. Big" operation in the investigation that led to his arrest. Mr. Big sting operations involve police posing as criminals in an attempt to obtain a confession from a suspect.

Mr. Big stings are controversial in Canada and have been criticized for inducing false confessions.



Greg said he doesn't remember meeting the two undercover officers because they befriended him before his accident.

They came to visit him in the hospital, he said, showing him photos of them all together to prove they were friends and that they had been working together.

After seeing the photos, Greg said he took their word for it.

The men worked together picking up cars in Hague, Sask., driving them back to a lot in Saskatoon. They would get dinner at restaurants like The Keg and Manos after work, and Greg said they were "sort of friends."

Greg said he told the undercover officers he "got rid of" Sheree, and that he "threw her in the bush." But he said he fabricated the story because he was afraid the men, who he thought were mobsters, were going to kill him.

"I kind of thought they were criminals, because this one guy [said he] killed his girlfriend, and I know he had blood all over him, scratches on his face," said Greg. "And this guy from Vancouver … come in and got rid of everything, sort of the cleanup guy."

He eventually met the top dog, who Greg described as looking like a crime boss in the movies.

Greg said he told them he killed Sheree when he found himself in a situation with "the cleanup guy" and the crime boss.

"When I called into the hotel room [in Saskatoon], he said I cost him a bunch of money because some cops were looking into me. I didn't know what he was talking about..." he said.

"And then I saw ... the cleanup guy, so that's when ... I got worried for my safety. I was being intimidated anyway."

Greg said they got in a car and went to find Sheree's body. "We drove around a country road, went through some bushes, that's about it," he said.

Again, he reiterated his story about killing Sheree was made up.

Greg said he was "shocked" when police arrested him.

CBC asked Greg about the 2010 death threat and the 2011 assault against Sheree, and he said that although he didn't remember much, he knew he never assaulted Sheree.

Greg said he does not remember going to court, or who his lawyer was at the time, because of the head injury. Morris Bodnar is still representing him at the time of this story.

But Greg said he remembered his role in one of the two incidents.

"I remember one time she come at me and I just pushed her back. She was going to punch me with her fists," he said.

"I never threatened her. I did push her back. I thought it was just self-defence but I don't know. She was very, I don't know, out to get me, I guess."

Greg said he did not remember having many arguments with Sheree, or any disagreement over money.

He laughed when CBC asked about Stachowich's claim that Greg told him he was going to get rid of Sheree and her mom by burying them in the "north 40."

"Well, I don't remember saying something that stupid. I can't say I would say something, because that's really far out. But they said I was drinking. I don't know what I was like when I was drinking," said Greg. "After I got out of hospital, I quit drinking."

CBC also asked Greg to address Twardy's claim he talked about getting rid of people and said "it would be easy to do."

"I've never gotten rid of anybody and I don't think I would talk like that either," he replied.

Greg said he does not remember why the divorce was filed, or whether he was angry at Sheree about the house or financial disputes, again, because of the head injury.

CBC put it to Greg that people may not believe he has memory loss, as it could be considered convenient in the circumstances.

He said he doesn't care if people believe him.

Throughout the interview, he repeated that he loved Sheree and would never hurt her.

Greg also told CBC he plans to plead not guilty at his next court appearance.

In the past year that CBC has spent researching and interviewing for this story, Sheree's siblings and children either declined to comment or did not return calls.

On July 3, after Greg was charged, Sheree's sister, Corelie, who goes by Teaka, sent a brief statement in a text message.

"All that I wish to say is that our family is happy/pleased that an arrest has been made and that charges have been laid," she said.

"I do not wish to comment on Greg or anything else about Sheree's case at this time."