Canadian True Crime

Most Albertans don't want the province to separate from Canada, according to the polls. So how did a once-fringe movement gain enough momentum to put independence on the ballot (sort of)? With just ten days to go until the Alberta referendum, join award-winning independent journalists Danielle Paradis and Tim Querengesser as they travel across the province, meeting ordinary Albertans and findi...

Three hunters head deep into the rugged wilderness of Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula for a 10-day trip, but fail to return home. A search turns up their abandoned truck, followed by something far more disturbing. As investigators try to piece together what happened, attention turns to a local man named Wilbert Coffin, one of the last people known to have crossed paths with the missing men. This case wou...

There's a referendum in Alberta this fall, and independence is on the ballot — sort of. Who are the separatists? What do they actually want? And what happens to the rest of Canada if they get it? Canadian True Crime is proud to support the local independent journalism behind Separation Anxiety , a new five-part investigative podcast series about Alberta’s modern separatist movement in the lead...

One cold March Saturday night in Montreal, 16-year-old Sharron Prior sets off for a five minute walk to the local pizzeria to meet friends. She never arrives. Three days later, a local beekeeper makes a devastating discovery in an isolated field: Sharron Prior has been brutally murdered. Who was responsible? And could it be the same man who attacked another local woman that same night? This i...

[Part 2 of 2] We continue revisiting significant recent developments and updates from some of the biggest stories we’ve covered, with some of Kristi's behind-the-scenes reflections. Cases covered in this episode with approximate timestamps: Please give or take a few minutes to allow for ads. 2:00 Hockey Canada Trial - high level recap of the case and our conclusions 20:00 Newly-reported text excha...

A two-part series—The verdict is rarely the end of the story. In the two years since our last Major Case Updates episodes, some of the cases we’ve covered have reached a resolution, others have had significant developments or taken unexpected turns... and some are still far from over. You don't need to remember the original episodes. Each update starts with a quick but immersive recap of the case,...

In this special episode, Kristi Lee sits down with survivor and advocate Jessica Baker to chat about their appearance on CTV’s The Social earlier this week. Jessica was violently sexually assaulted by former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard in 2016. He was found guilty in relation to her charge in 2022, and not guilty in relation to two other victim-complainants. In June, he was granted day parole af...

A dedicated nurse. A devoted mother of three. A family home that should be the safest place in the world. In 2018, Gerald Aquintey arrives home late to find his Toronto house in disarray. The respected Filipino chef and restaurant co-owner runs upstairs to discover his beloved wife, Rhoderie Estrada, has been brutally murdered. Rhoderie was loved by all who knew her. She'd built a life centre...

After nearly a decade of insisting he did nothing wrong, disgraced Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has finally admitted he was guilty of sexually assaulting the Ottawa woman known as J.B. The admission, at his first parole hearing in June 2026, was only one of several striking comments that reveal the full extent of the former Hedley frontman's years of denial, manipulation and gaslighting In this...

[Part 2 of 2] The mushroom lunch moves from medical emergency to criminal investigation as doctors, police and health officials try to trace the source of the poison. As Erin Patterson’s explanations begin to shift, new evidence emerges from hospital CCTV, phone data, a local garbage dump – followed by a dramatic courtroom showdown. Find Australian True Crime on your favourite podcast player. Watc...

A special collaboration with Australian True Crime podcast | It’s one of Australia’s most sensational criminal cases in recent memory, drawing intense media attention, public fascination and endless speculation. Today, the case is known around the world as the “Mushroom Murders.”  In this episode, Kristi is joined by Meshel Laurie of  Australian True Crime , who followed the case closely...

[Part 2 of 2] In 2019, a late-night boat collision involving Kevin and Linda O’Leary on Ontario’s Lake Joseph, left two people dead and sparked years of intense public scrutiny and conflicting narratives. In part two, we uncover why Canada’s most talked-about boating tragedies remained in the spotlight for years. --------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT NOTES AND DISCLAI...

A two-part series | “Mr. Wonderful” built an empire on bluntness and being the reality TV villain we love to hate. So when his speedboat collided with another boat on Muskoka's "Billionaire's Row" - leaving two people dead, the public was ready to assume the worst of him. Early reporting - and Kevin O’Leary’s own response to the tragedy - sparked suspicion that he’d “thrown his wife under the hull...

A brief update, with our apologies. Despite our best efforts to return with new episodes by the end of April, we need some additional time due to some behind-the-scenes challenges beyond our control.  Thanks for your patience and understanding. As always, Canadian True Crime remains committed to presenting these cases with accuracy, care, depth and context. Please be assured that new episodes...

[Part 2 of 2] With the infant recovered and the suspects in custody, the investigation only grows more disturbing. Shifting stories, buried secrets, and mounting evidence collide in a dramatic courtroom showdown — the first ever kidnapping trial in the province of New Brunswick and the last double hanging in Canada.  — This two-part series is a carefully selected replay from our archive,...

A two-part series | A New Brunswick railway worker discovers a burned‑out shack deep in the woods, with three members of a young family dead inside. But their infant is missing, and there's a trail of footprints in the snow. What begins as a desperate search for the lost baby soon exposes an unbelievable web of deception and hidden motives.  — This two-part series is a carefully selected...

[Part 3 of 3] A surprise witness comes forward to testify against Colin Thatcher. His own contribution from the stand? Deny, deny, deny. Even after the jury reaches a verdict, Thatcher continues to make headlines for decades to come... *Additional content warning: this episode contains mentions of domestic abuse. — This series is a carefully selected replay from our archive. Full list of resources...

[Part 2 of 3] As she recovers from her gunshot wound, JoAnn Wilson decides to back down from the custody fight with her former husband. Colin Thatcher has won this battle, but his fixation is far from over. A series of witnesses would later come forward with information almost impossible to believe... *Additional content warning: this episode contains mentions of domestic abuse. — This series is a...

A three-part series—A man walking home from work suddenly hears screams coming from a house... then a single sharp crack. He follows the sound to the garage, where he finds a woman bleeding out on the floor.   It's JoAnn Wilson, mother of three and ex-wife of Colin Thatcher, a high-profile Saskatchewan politician.  Her murder was the tip of the iceberg of a decades-long saga that gr...

[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. Full list of resources, information sourc...

A two-part series—A gripping, action-packed miniseries about a mountie who finds himself at the centre of a sordid love triangle. Pieced together from a treasure trove of real love letters, forged letters and police and court memos, this series paints a vivid snapshot of Canada as World War I raged on. — This series is a carefully selected replay from our archive, and was originally titled The Mur...

A quick update and some thanks! Over the past 12 months... Canadian True Crime has had the opportunity to take on several meaningful projects alongside the usual podcast production. These included the CBC documentary Breaking Idol , the co-founding of Beyond The Verdict survivor-led advocacy group, and in-depth coverage of the 2025 Hockey Canada trial . While incredibly rewarding, the extra activi...

Part 5 - The Final Episode. *Thanks for your patience - it's a long one CONTENT WARNING:  Graphic and disturbing details. WATCH: Robert “Willie” Pickton — Prolific serial killer’s jailhouse confession to undercover cop - The Mob Reporter, YouTube READ/LISTEN: On The Farm by Stevie Cameron WHAT TO LISTEN TO NEXT: The Shedden Massacre - our three part series The Trail Went Cold The Canadian Got...

[Part 4 of 5] A single tip-off finally leads police to raid the Pickton farm with a search warrant for illegal firearms. What they stumble into instead would unravel one of the most devastating investigations in Canadian history, connecting Robert Pickton to dozens of women who vanished from the Downtown Eastside. * Part 5 - Robert Pickton's final chapter will be coming later this week. Thanks for...

[Part 3 of 4] One night, a woman living on the Pickton farm witnesses an act so disturbing it prompts repeated warnings to police. A search warrant should have followed, but through another cascade of devastating missed opportunities, Robert Pickton slips through the cracks once again... CONTENT WARNING: this series includes graphic details that will be distressing for many listeners to hear, incl...