After 20 years, Curtis Dagenais, the individual responsible for the murder of two Saskatchewan RCMP officers and the injury of another, is set to appear in court in Saskatoon later this month. The court appearance revolves around his 1986 blue GMC 1500 truck.
The truck remains stored at RCMP headquarters in Regina, with the Crown seeking its forfeiture for destruction, a move contested by Dagenais.
On July 6, 2006, Dagenais was in the truck when he evaded arrest by three RCMP constables in Spiritwood, leading them on a pursuit along rural roads. In the ensuing confrontation, Dagenais fatally shot Constables Marc Bourdages and Robin Cameron and injured Constable Michelle Knopp.
In 2009, a jury found Dagenais guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, resulting in three life sentences with no chance of parole for 25 years.
The issue of the truck’s forfeiture surfaced in court recently, with the Crown prosecutor, Scott Bartlett, acknowledging a delay in the application process. Dagenais, maintaining his innocence, argued against the truck’s destruction, citing potential evidence from the bullet holes as crucial to his case.
Despite Dagenais seeking assistance from Innocence Canada, the organization declined to represent him, prompting the court to adjourn the forfeiture application until November 30, 2022. The Crown renewed the application this year, leading to a hearing in front of Justice Daryl Labach, where Dagenais, representing himself, expressed his opposition to the truck’s forfeiture.
Labach granted Dagenais an additional adjournment to secure legal representation, emphasizing that this might be his final chance to challenge the forfeiture. The forfeiture hearing is scheduled for August 31.
Tag: rewrite-pending