A two-decade-old case resurfaces
It's been roughly 20 years since Curtis Dagenais shot and killed two RCMP officers and wounded a third near Spiritwood, Saskatchewan, in one of the province's most harrowing police tragedies. Dagenais was convicted and has remained behind bars ever since. But later this month, the case is pulling people back into a Saskatoon courtroom — not over a new crime, but over an old truck.
The pickup truck Dagenais was driving during the 2006 attack has been sitting in RCMP cold storage for two decades, held as evidence tied to the case. Now, the Crown says it's time to finally destroy it.
Why a truck needs a court order
Evidence tied to major criminal cases in Canada can't just be tossed out on a whim, even decades later. Items connected to serious convictions — especially ones involving the deaths of police officers — are often preserved indefinitely in case of appeals, further legal proceedings, or ongoing investigative relevance. That's part of why the truck has remained parked in storage for so long after the case was resolved.
With Dagenais's convictions long since finalized, the Crown is now formally asking the court for permission to dispose of the vehicle. Getting rid of evidence like this typically requires a judge to sign off, ensuring there's no legal reason left to keep it and that doing so won't compromise any future proceedings.
A painful reminder for Saskatchewan's RCMP community
For the RCMP and the families of the officers killed in the Spiritwood-area shooting, cases like this remain deeply painful even decades on. Court proceedings that reopen old case files — even for something as administrative as authorizing the destruction of a piece of evidence — can stir up difficult memories for the communities and colleagues affected by the original tragedy.
The upcoming Saskatoon court date isn't expected to revisit the details of the murders themselves, but rather to formally close out this small but symbolically significant loose end from the case: what to do with the truck that's sat untouched in police storage since the world was a very different place in 2006.
What happens next
Assuming the court grants the Crown's request, the truck will finally be removed from RCMP storage after 20 years. It's a quiet, procedural end to a story that began with one of Saskatchewan's most devastating police tragedies — a reminder that even long after a case is closed, the physical remnants of a crime can linger in evidence lockers for years before anyone circles back to deal with them.
While the story originates in Saskatchewan, it's a notable case for Canadians following how the justice system handles evidence retention long after a conviction — a process that plays out in courtrooms from coast to coast, including here in Ontario.
Source: CBC News
