SASKATOON — Wednesday, specialized investigative units began searching specific locations in the Kenaston area, looking for any evidence related to the disappearance of Sheree Fertuck.
The 51-year-old mother and grandmother has been missing for four months and police say they now believe Fertuck has been murdered.
“We believe Sheree has been the victim of a homicide. This conclusion comes after lengthy searches, analysis of all the evidence and our investigation into her disappearance at this point in time,” said Staff Sgt. Murray Chamberlin of the RCMP’s major crime unit. He said for Fertuck to have “absolutely no contact with the family, which is extremely out of the norm for Sheree, no banking activity, no activity on her hospital card — all those things add up to say that this is a homicide.”
At a news conference April 11, Chamberlin announced last week’s targeted search. He said the goal of the investigation into Sheree’s disappearance is to find her and to bring her home.
“Family was the most important thing to Sheree. Her No. 1 priority was her children and her wonderful grandchild,” her mother Juliann Sorotski said.
She hasn’t seen or heard from Sheree since early December.
On Dec. 7, 2015, Sheree took a break from hauling gravel and had lunch with her family at their farm east of Kenaston near Highway 15. She was last seen at 1:30 p.m at the wheel of her gravel truck, leaving the family farmyard. She missed an 8 p.m. appointment that evening.
The following morning, her family began looking for her. Sheree’s truck was found in a gravel pit farther east off Highway 15 with her cell phone, keys and coat inside.
Searches conducted by police, the family and the community immediately after failed to find a trace of Sheree.
“We miss her so much,” Sorotski said. “For those who knew Sheree, she loved her dog and was a strong, hardworking and a kind person. Sheree always took time to stop and talk to people. She knew everyone in the area and this is reflected in the numbers that came to search for her. I am overwhelmed by the support our family has and is still receiving.”
Chamberlin said police haven’t “discounted anybody as possible suspects or as possibly being involved in her disappearance.”
He said the investigation hasn’t found anything to indicate Sheree was involved in criminal activity.
“As far as motive, there is nothing to indicate that Sheree did anything to facilitate her disappearance or that caused her disappearance.”
Investigators were out last week searching specific spots around Kenaston and other areas of the province. Chamberlin wouldn’t disclose exact locations, but said these are areas, through their investigation, police had identified as important spots to look.
“The landscape has changed significantly since Sheree’s disappearance. Snow is gone, ice is off bodies of water.”
As of Friday, the search was still ongoing and an RCMP spokesperson said it could continue through the weekend.
Fertuck is approximately 5’4”, 250 pounds with graying brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing grey sweat pants, a grey sweater and white running shoes.
