Curtis Dagenais, who was convicted of murdering two Saskatchewan RCMP officers and injuring another 20 years ago, is currently facing a court battle over the fate of his 1986 blue GMC 1500 truck. The Crown is seeking to have the vehicle forfeited and destroyed, while Dagenais is opposing this move.
The tragic incident occurred on July 6, 2006, when Dagenais, evading arrest by RCMP constables in Spiritwood, led them on a pursuit that ended with a fatal confrontation. Two officers, Marc Bourdages and Robin Cameron, lost their lives after Dagenais shot them, while Const. Michelle Knopp was injured in the incident.
Dagenais was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder in 2009 and received multiple life sentences without parole for 25 years. Despite his appeals being dismissed by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal in 2012, Dagenais remains adamant about contesting the forfeiture of his truck.
The issue of the forfeiture application’s delay was raised in court, with the Crown prosecutor, Scott Bartlett, attributing it to oversight. Dagenais, maintaining his innocence, believes that the bullet holes in the truck could serve as evidence in his favor. He sought assistance from Innocence Canada but faced setbacks in his efforts to challenge the forfeiture.
The Crown recently renewed its application for the forfeiture of the truck, leading to a hearing in front of Justice Daryl Labach in Saskatoon. Dagenais, appearing via video conference from prison, expressed his opposition to the destruction of the truck, citing the importance of preserving it for examination. Despite facing challenges in securing legal representation, Dagenais was granted another adjournment to seek a lawyer before the scheduled forfeiture hearing on August 31.