Top-notch investigative work helped gather the evidence that convicted Jagtar Gill’s killers, according to a longtime Ottawa Police detective.

Speaking to media after Bhupinderpal Gill and Gurpreet Ronald were convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of Gill’s wife, Det. Chris Benson said the months-long investigation is one for the history books.

"This is and probably will remain one of the best investigations that I've been part of in regards to the investigative steps taken during the course of this investigation," he said.

Police used some unusual, enterprising police work to catch the killers. Warrants were obtained to not only record phone conversations between Ronald and Gill, but to place hidden cameras inside the Gills' basement and to trick Ronald into giving undercover officers a DNA sample.

Days after Jagtar Gill was found bludgeoned and stabbed to death in her Barrhaven home in January 2014, police received permission to place hidden cameras in the Gills' basement.

Cameras twice captured Gill heading down to his basement to check on a bloodied weightlifting bar he hid there after Ronald committed the murder. The third video captured Gill sneaking the bar out of the house before ditching it in a wooded area nearby. Unbeknownst to Gill, the bar in his basement was a replica police placed there.

Officers followed Gill to that wooded area where they picked up the replica bar. More than a month later, Ottawa Police issued a news release telling the media what they had found, but did not link it to the Jagtar case. Police said that was an investigative tactic to find out how Gill and Ronald would react.

"It was a total team effort from everyone to bring this all together in terms of an investigative team. It wasn't just one person, everyone came together on this and with good results," said Staff Sgt. Bruce Pirt, the head of the Ottawa Police Major Crimes Unit.

The investigation also focused on Ronald. Det. Krista Hill testified she went to Ronald's home after the murder, posing as an employee conducting door-to-door surveys for the Ontario Construction Association. Hill testified that she got Ronald to lick an envelope for a fake contest application. Ronald's saliva was used to match DNA found on a murder weapon.

Officers also placed a "killer" note on Ronald's windshield and followed her as she disposed of the knife used in the murder.