Over 200 episodes, Canadian True Crime has become Canada’s top independent podcast.
From the snowy streets of small-town Canada to the darkest corners of the big cities, join Aussie-Canadian host Kristi Lee for an immersive deep dive into the nation's most compelling crimes.
With meticulous research and a trauma-informed approach, Kristi takes you beyond the headlines, weaving the facts of each case together with the bigger picture to unravel what happened, the forces that shaped it — and the impact to those left behind.
Canadian True Crime has remained a completely independent production since 2017, funded mainly through advertising and thanks to listeners like you. We engage in victim advocacy and give back monthly to those facing injustice. You can support our work while also listening ad-free and early on our premium feeds.
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[Part 2 of 2] The Parole Hearing: In September 2023, Richard Charles Joyce's first ever parole hearing was held. Not only was it deeply revealing, but new pieces of information also came to light that shocked the victims and survivors—and has resulted in several formal complaints. *Additional content warning: this series is about three separate but connected cases of historic child abduction and sexual assault—and it includes some graphic details that will be difficult and distressing to hear. P...
A two-part series — When Kerri Kehoe was 11 years old she was abducted by child sexual predator. No one noticed she was missing and she decided to keep it that way. But Kerri remained haunted by what happened to her—and she would later learn that she wasn’t the only one. “ I have learned that secrets keep you sick, and this secret has kept me sick for 21 years. ” - Kerri Kehoe *Additional content warning: this series is about three separate but connected cases of historic child abduction and sex...
Yvonne Rouleau was a 34-year old wife and mother who operated a successful gas bar at the busiest intersection in Kingston. She and her husband Paul were working hard to make their dreams come—until it all came crashing down one Monday morning in 1991. * This episode is not part of a series - it's one of a cluster of four separate cases connected by a single thread. We’ll be exploring these other cases in a future episode. Special thanks to Kerri Kehoe and Robert Rouleau. Look out for early, ad-...
[Part 2 of 2] After picking up his pregnant wife from Saskatoon train station, Sergeant John Wilson drives them north to their new home. They just have one stop to make on the way to take care of some "police business"... *Additional content warning: brief details of an attempted suicide at approx. timestamp 29:00 to 30:30. Please take care when listening. Canadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice. This month we have donated to Women’s Shelters Canada, an organization th...
A two-part series — The twisted story of Sergeant John Wilson: a mountie at the centre of a sordid love triangle that played out as World War I raged on. Put together from an archive of hundreds of real love letters, forged letters and police and court memos, this gripping, action-packed miniseries offers a vivid snapshot of Canada at a pivotal moment in history. Canadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice. This month we have donated to Women’s Shelters Canada, an organiza...
[Part 2 of 2] Continuing our look back at cases we've covered that have had major updates or have attracted notable feedback. Approximate timestamps: 1:20 - Jacob Hoggard Trial 10:30 - The Brentwood Five (Matthew de Grood) 20:15 - Dellen Millard, Mark Smich and other criminals serving consecutive life sentences 29:00 - The Giant Mine Murders - 30th Anniversary 32:30 - The Renfrew County Massacre - Inquiry update 35:30 - The Survival of Zach Miller 38:20 - Feedback around using AI Voices in episo...
A two-part series — We report back on cases that have had major updates or have attracted notable feedback over this past year. Kristi will also be addressing some of the most common comments and feedback received. Approximate timestamps 4:00 - Disappearance of Madison Scott 8:00 - Saskatoon Freezing Deaths - Darrel Night 10:40 - The Brampton High School Shootings 15:00 - Legacy Christian Academy Scandal 19:00 - Kelly Favro’s Story (Publication Bans) 33:00 - Opioid Crisis Feedback 41:00 - Lush &...
A doctor repeatedly and intentionally betrays his oath to do no harm, setting off a chain reaction that escalates to murder. *Additional content warning: this episode includes mention of intimate partner violence, suicidal ideation, and grooming and sexual assault of an underage person. No graphic details will be given. Please take care when listening. Canadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice. This month we have donated to the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Cri...
Special ad-free presentation to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the murder of Beverley Rowbotham, a wife and mother of two young boys. About three years ago, Canadian True Crime released an episode about Beverley’s case, and earlier this year we were contacted by members of her family who wanted to discuss the case. We’ve kept in contact and at their suggestion, we’re republishing the episode ad-free today, re-mastered and slightly updated, to keep Beverley's memory fresh and make sure she i...
In 1975, a teenager walked into his high school carrying two rifles in a black guitar case. This is the story of the first ever mass shooting at a secondary school in Canada, and how it spurred changes to Canadian firearms laws. Canadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice. This month we have donated to the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime , who offer support, research and education to survivors, victims and their families. Look out for early, ad-free release o...
[Part 3 of 3] The truth about Canada’s Opioid Crisis is complicated and multi-faceted, but many experts in the field are clear about what’s going wrong. In this final part, we'll explore the evidence and data, and delve into what addiction is and where it originates. We'll look at what grief-stricken families are saying about Canada's slow and limited response to the opioid crisis—and what they are demanding be done instead. Finally, we’ll circle back to Mary Breen for her reflections on the sen...
[Part 2 of 3] Through the stories of four young Canadians from completely different walks of life—who all met the same devastating fate, we explore how Canada got itself into the mess that is the opioid crisis. In this episode, you'll hear the stories of Skye Crassweller and Morgan Goodridge. *Additional content warning: this episode includes mentions of Indigenous trauma, residential schools and the 60s scoop. Canadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice. In honour of Augu...
A three-part series — Through the stories of four young Canadians from completely different walks of life—who all met the same devastating fate, we explore how Canada got itself into the mess that is the opioid crisis. Sophie Breen, Seth MacLean, Skye Crassweller and Morgan Goodridge were among the almost 40,000 Canadians who have died of toxic drug poisoning since 2016. Most of these deaths were accidental, caused by street drugs contaminated with deadly illegal fentanyl. In this series, we lea...
[Part 3 of 3] The allegations result in criminal charges. *Additional content warning: This series is about allegations of physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse of students and minors at their church-run Christian school. There is heavy focus on corporal punishment, details of grooming and sexual assault of minors, mention of anti-LGBTQ+ and racist rhetoric, mention of self-harm and suicidal ideation. There are also details of religious, spiritual and supernatural beliefs as they r...
[ Part 2 of 3 ] Caitlin Erickson makes a discovery that prompts her to give a statement to police. *Additional content warning: This series is about allegations of physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse of students and minors at their church-run Christian school. There is heavy focus on corporal punishment, details of grooming and sexual assault of minors, mention of anti-LGBTQ+ and racist rhetoric, mention of self-harm and suicidal ideation. There are also details of religious, spi...
A three-part series — Since August of 2022, a cascade of distressing allegations have come to light by former students of a deeply intertwined evangelical Christian school and the church that runs it. So far, criminal charges have been laid on four men in positions of authority.... and more are likely to come. *Additional content warning: This series is about allegations of physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse of students and minors at their church-run Christian school. There is h...
Three emergency phone calls, two dead teenagers, one smoking gun, and no witnesses—besides the man who was responsible. This is a landmark case that famed criminal defence lawyer Edward L Greenspan would cite as being one of two he worked on over his career that he found to be especially satisfying. Although this particular case flew under the radar, it would have a profound impact on another very high-profile case that we covered last year in this podcast. Look out for early, ad-free release on...
Dream husband, dream wedding, dream honeymoon, dream home - Mary had it all by the age of 26. But a nightmare was waiting for her just around the corner… Look out for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts , Patreon and Supercast . Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits: See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
[Part 3 of 3] Accusations of coaching witnesses and shaky alibis are levelled at the defenders and supporters of Colin Thatcher. His own contribution from the stand? Deny, deny, deny. And though the jury comes to a verdict, this story doesn’t end there. *Additional content warning: this episode contains mentions of domestic abuse. Look out for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts , Patreon and Supercast . Full list of resour...
[Part 2 of 3] After JoAnn Wilson was shot in the shoulder in her kitchen, she backed down from the custody fight. Colin Thatcher was rewarded for outlasting her, but his fixation was far from over. A series of witnesses would come forward with information almost impossible to believe, revealing a political liability hiding a multitude of secrets behind closed doors. *Additional content warning: this episode contains mentions of domestic abuse. Look out for early, ad-free release on CTC premium f...
A three-part series — This is the high-profile tale of one of Canada’s most controversial political families. Several twisted tragedies are wrapped up in this decades-long saga with themes of love and hate, violence and revenge, power and control, divided families and shattered lives—all set against the 1980s backdrop of rural Saskatchewan. *Additional content warning: this episode contains mentions of domestic abuse. Look out for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon ...
In 2012, a beloved community figure was killed in her own home in an extremely violent attack. It would take a while to learn what happened to her and who was responsible, but the immense loss of her absence was felt immediately by all who knew her - or knew of her. "Hi. My name is January. I know it's a cold month, but I make it hot!" * Additional content warning: This episode is about the death of a transgender person, and it also includes brief details of Indigenous trauma and residential sch...
[Part 2 of 2] Sensational trials are held for three members of the Bannister family to get to the truth of what happened to the Lake family that night—and why a baby was at the centre of it all. *Additional content warning: this series includes the death of a young child. Please take care when listening. Canadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice. This month we have donated to the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime. Look out for early, ad-free release on CTC pr...
A two-part series — One snowy night, a young family fell victim to a terrible accident…. or so it seemed. What really happened to this family - and why - would become fodder for national and international headlines that only got more curious as the investigation progressed. This two-part series covers a historical case that resulted in the first ever kidnapping trial in the province of New Brunswick and the last double hanging in Canada. *Additional content warning: this series includes the deat...
We've received such a great response from the Kelly Favro series, and we couldn't have done it without you! In this update, we hear from Kelly Favro herself about how the petition is going and what to expect next. Contact Kelly and My Voice My Choice: Follow on twitter: @ AmendPubBanLaws Visit website: www.MyVoiceMyChoice.org For more information on Kelly's story and our podcast episodes: www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/130 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
[Part 2 of 2] Kelly Favro learns she is not alone. Along the way, she meets other sexual assault survivors who also discovered publication bans had been put on their names without their consent - including Jade Neilson and Samantha Geiger. They all experienced negative impacts in completely separate ways, but they agreed that no other sexual assault survivors should have to go through the same experience of law-enforced silence and isolation that they’ve been told is for their own good. Special ...
A two-part series — We explore Kelly Favro's harrowing journey from surviving a two-hour sexual assault to becoming the first person in British Columbia to have a publication ban removed from her name - by herself. Special thanks to Kelly Favro. Content warning: This series includes graphic descriptions of sexual violence. Please take care when listening. Publication bans are routinely ordered to protect the privacy of vulnerable participants in the criminal justice system. But in the case of se...
[Part 2 of 2] The trial of Jon Rallo continues. Jon testifies in his own defence, but the crown would present evidence that suggested a very different version of events. What really happened to Sandra, Jason and Stephanie? Would there be justice in this case? This two-part series provides a snapshot of Canadian history at a pivotal time for both the burgeoning city of Hamilton and the criminal justice system. *Additional content warning: this case includes the murder of a child, although no grap...
A two-part series — In the summer of 1976, the Rallo family appeared to be living the picture perfect family life in the “Golden Horseshoe” area of Southern Ontario. Parents Jon and Sandra with young children Jason and Stephanie had enjoyed a warm family summer full of trips to visit grandparents and swimming... that is, until one morning when Jon woke up to an empty house, and a devastating note. *Additional content warning: this case includes the murder of a child, although no graphic details ...
The podcast explores the horrific 2015 Renfrew County Massacre, where Basil Borutsky murdered three ex-partners: Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk, and Natalie Warmerdam. It delves into Borutsky's extensive history of domestic abuse, manipulative behavior, and how repeated failures in the justice and probation systems allowed his escalating violence to go unchecked. The episode highlights the devastating impact on the community and families, and the subsequent inquiry's recommendations for addressing intimate partner violence, especially in rural areas.
