After two decades since Curtis Dagenais killed two Saskatchewan RCMP officers and wounded another, he is facing a court battle over his truck later this month in Saskatoon.
The 1986 blue GMC 1500 remains stored at RCMP headquarters in Regina, with the Crown seeking its forfeiture for destruction, a move opposed by Dagenais.
Dagenais was behind the wheel on July 6, 2006, when he evaded arrest in Spiritwood, leading the pursuing officers on a rural chase. The incident resulted in the fatal shooting of RCMP constables Marc Bourdages and Robin Cameron, with Const. Michelle Knopp also being injured.
In 2009, Dagenais was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, receiving three life sentences without parole for 25 years. Despite appealing his convictions in 2012, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal upheld the verdict.
The forfeiture application for Dagenais’s truck was recently revived, with the Crown citing oversight for the delay. Dagenais, maintaining his innocence, seeks to retain the truck as potential evidence, enlisting Innocence Canada for support.
A recent hearing in May saw Dagenais opposing the forfeiture once more, requesting preservation of the vehicle. Despite Innocence Canada’s decision not to represent him, Dagenais seeks an adjournment to secure legal representation.
Justice Daryl Labach granted a further adjournment to allow Dagenais time to obtain a lawyer, with the forfeiture hearing set for August 31.