Curtis Dagenais, convicted of murdering two Saskatchewan RCMP officers and injuring another, is facing a court battle over the fate of his 1986 blue GMC 1500 truck. The Crown is seeking its forfeiture and destruction, but Dagenais is contesting this decision.
The tragic incident occurred in July 2006 when Dagenais, evading arrest in Spiritwood, engaged in a pursuit with RCMP constables Marc Bourdages and Robin Cameron. Dagenais’s truck was ultimately cornered against a tree, leading to a fatal confrontation where both officers were shot and killed, and another officer, Michelle Knopp, was injured.
In 2009, Dagenais was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Despite his appeals being dismissed in 2012, the issue of his truck’s forfeiture has resurfaced in court.
The Crown prosecutor, Scott Bartlett, recently renewed the application for the truck’s forfeiture, citing an oversight in not pursuing it earlier. Dagenais, who maintains his innocence, argues that the bullet holes in the truck could potentially support his claims and has sought assistance from Innocence Canada.
With the recent hearing held in June 2022, Dagenais, representing himself, expressed his opposition to the destruction of the truck, emphasizing the importance of preserving it for further examination. Despite a request for an adjournment to secure legal representation, the judge has granted him one last opportunity before the scheduled forfeiture hearing on August 31.