After two decades, Curtis Dagenais, the perpetrator of a heinous crime that claimed the lives of two Saskatchewan RCMP officers and wounded another, is set to return to court in Saskatoon. The legal battle revolves around Dagenais’s 1986 blue GMC 1500 truck, which is currently stored at the RCMP headquarters in Regina. The Crown is seeking its forfeiture for destruction, while Dagenais vehemently opposes this move.
The tragic incident unfolded on July 6, 2006, in Spiritwood, approximately 147 kilometers north of Saskatoon. Dagenais, attempting to evade arrest by three RCMP constables, engaged in a high-speed pursuit that culminated in a fatal confrontation. Constables Marc Bourdages and Robin Cameron lost their lives after Dagenais shot them in the head, while Const. Michelle Knopp suffered injuries in the same incident.
In 2009, Dagenais was convicted by a jury on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He received three concurrent life sentences with no chance of parole for 25 years starting from his arrest date. Despite appealing the convictions, Dagenais’s appeals were rejected by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal in 2012.
Why the Focus on the Truck Now?
The recent court proceedings concerning the truck’s forfeiture prompted questions about the timing of the application. Crown prosecutor Scott Bartlett, who previously handled Dagenais’s trial, acknowledged that the forfeiture request had been overlooked until 2021. The application was initially put forth before Justice Gerald Allbright, who granted Dagenais additional time to explore potential legal avenues.
During the 2021 hearing, Dagenais expressed reluctance towards the destruction of the truck, citing its potential value in proving his innocence. He sought assistance from Innocence Canada, an organization advocating for wrongfully convicted individuals. Allbright adjourned the case, allowing Dagenais time to pursue Innocence Canada’s support, with a provision to revisit the forfeiture issue if no progress was made by a specified date.
Renewed Legal Proceedings
In May of this year, the Crown resurfaced the forfeiture application, leading to a June 25 hearing before Justice Daryl Labach in Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench. Dagenais, joining via video conference from Saskatchewan Penitentiary, reiterated his opposition to the truck’s forfeiture. Labach disclosed that Innocence Canada had distanced itself from Dagenais’s case, prompting the accused to seek a postponement to secure legal representation.
Despite the setbacks, Labach granted Dagenais an additional adjournment to facilitate legal counsel retention. The next hearing to address the forfeiture matter is scheduled for August 31.
