Judge reserves decision on fate of Saskatchewan Mountie killer’s truck

SASKATOON – A man sentenced to life in prison for killing two Mounties in a chase involving his blue pickup truck 20 years ago will have to wait on whether he can get the vehicle back. 

Justice Daryl Labach told a Saskatoon courtroom Monday he’s reserving his decision on what to do with Curtis Dagenais’ 1986 GMC 1500. The judge is set to make a ruling on Dec. 4. 

Prosecutors are seeking the vehicle be forfeited to the Crown, while Dagenais — who represented himself without a lawyer — argues it still holds value for parts and that the issue has been mentally difficult. 

“(I’m) locked up like a dog,” Dagenais, 61, told court. 

It has been 17 years since a jury convicted Dagenais of first-degree murder for shooting constables Robin Cameron and Marc Bourdages. He was also convicted of attempted murder for wounding Const. Michelle Knopp.

In July 2006, Dagenais was in the GMC truck when officers went to arrest him in Spiritwood, Sask., northwest of Saskatoon, after a report of a domestic dispute. He sped off and the resulting police chase on country roads ended with an RCMP vehicle ramming into the side of his truck. A shootout followed. 

Dagenais had testified the officers shot at him first, so he grabbed a rifle under his truck seat and blindly returned fire to save his own life. The Crown argued at trial that it was Dagenais who surprised the Mounties with gunfire and that he lied in court to get away with murder.

Court had previously heard Dagenais was flagged as a police hater.

Dagenais received three life sentences without eligibility of parole for 25 years. For the past 20 years, his truck has been stored at RCMP headquarters in Regina.

The truck is smashed, dented and pockmarked with bullet holes.

Dagenais told court Monday the money he could make from selling the truck’s parts could help with future legal cases.

But Labach told him, “You’ve already been convicted.”

Dagenais replied, “I’m not done fighting.”

He told court he plans to file an appeal with the Supreme Court to have the convictions overturned. In 2012, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal had rejected Dagenais’ appeal.

Throughout Monday’s proceeding, Dagenais brought up what he believed were issues with his trial — to which Labach had said isn’t the point of the truck hearing.

“We can’t replay what happened 20 years ago,” the judge told court.

Prosecutor Scott Bartlett told court the Crown is seeking the truck’s forfeiture because it was involved in a crime. 

Bartlett said the truck is of little value, adding that Dagenais’ crimes had significant effects on families and communities. 

“It simply escapes me how forfeiting the truck could be disproportionate given the circumstances that we’re dealing with,” he told court.

A section of the Criminal Code that deals with forfeiture says “offence-related property” can be disposed. 

RCMP has said it will continue to maintain possession of the truck until given direction by the courts to dispose of it. 

Labach told court Monday should the vehicle be forfeited, any items inside the truck can be returned to Dagenais.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.

— By Jeremy Simes in Regina