DNA expert testifies at Greg Fertuck first-degree murder trial

A DNA expert testified how a drop of blood from 67-year-old Greg Fertuck’s truck was matched to Fertuck’s ex-wife at his trial in Saskatoon on Tuesday morning.

Fertuck is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Sheree Fertuck, who went missing Dec. 7, 2015. Her body has never been found.

Forensic DNA expert Susan Borys testified that two samples were taken from Sheree’s razor, which court earlier heard had been provided by her mother, Juliann Sorotski.

Borys described the razor as a “putative known sample” — basically, a sample coming from an individual’s hair brush, toothbrush, or in Sheree’s case, a razor — when someone is missing.

She testified there were two DNA samples on the razor, one on the head and another on the handle. Both were exact matches. A gender result also came back with two “X” chromosomes, indicating a female profile, which was Sheree’s.

That was then compared with blood that was identified and submitted for DNA analysis from the tailgate of Greg Fertuck’s truck.

Borys told the court it was an exact match. The estimated probability that it would match someone else tested at random in Canada? One in 68 quintillion.

“With 18 zeroes,” she added.

Several other samples were taken from clothing, boots, a jacket, gloves and shop towels and from underneath the box of Greg Fertuck’s truck.

Borys said while some of the items came back negative for DNA, there was some partial or mixed DNA from one male, but it was weak or degraded, and there wasn’t enough to form a sample. Sheree’s DNA was not on any of the samples and Borys did not have one from Greg Fertuck.

Crown prosecutor Cory Bliss asked Borys whether laundering could affect DNA collection. She said it depended on how much blood there may be on a sample, how it was deposited, washing conditions like water temperature, the number of times it was washed and any potential effect chemicals like bleach or detergents like Oxyclean may have.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Michael Nolin, Borys explained her lab did not test for the presence of bleach or other substances, only DNA.

Nolin asked her whether DNA could be found on bodies after they’d been submerged in water, citing a 2018 study. She answered it was possible under some circumstances to recover DNA evidence.

He also questioned her on whether DNA had ever been found in snow and ice after thousands of years.

“Yes, there are those cases, too,” she answered.

“Is it impossible to date a DNA sample?” asked Nolin.

“Correct,” answered Borys, adding one of the limitations of DNA testing is the ability to determine how or when a sample was deposited.

The defence lawyer also wondered whether Borys’ lab was capable of distinguishing bone fragments from rock. Borys explained it was possible, if the samples were ground up first and then sent to them.

The trial continues for the next several weeks in Saskatoon.