Suspicion: Murder on Mount Olive

The faint hope hearing in the Mount Olive murder case has concluded, but for Toronto Star chief investigative reporter Kevin Donovan, the outcome raises questions that go beyond one courtroom. In part two, we dig into the Crown's cross-examination, the weight of the victim impact statements, and why the fight for Christopher Sheriffe is far from finished.

For years, the legal fate of Awet Asfaha and his co-accused Christopher Sheriffe seemed sealed — appeals exhausted, the book closed. But Toronto Star chief investigative reporter Kevin Donovan reveals something that happened in a Toronto courtroom recently that has cracked the case wide open again.

Kevin Donovan's conversation with Canada's Dean of lawyers who advocates for the wrongfully convicted. James Lockyer talks about the new federal plan that could one day free Chris Sheriffe.

There can be problems when using confidential informants and hearsay evidence, especially when a man's freedom is at stake. Lawyer Dean Embry's conversation with Kevin Donovan provides a back story for our Murder on Mount Olive investigation.  

In this bonus episode, we hear a top cop's story of being Black and on the job in one of Canada's biggest police forces.  Listen to Keith Merith's conversation with Kevin Donovan, providing a back story for our Murder on Mount Olive investigation.

It's now been 13 years. Chris reflects on decisions he made. The friends he had. Staying out that hot night in August instead of going home. And on what he would do if he is ever released. In the final episode of the series, we offer him a potential lifeline. Tell us what really happened between you and Awet, what he said, what he was planning to do that day. Surely this was a drug deal gone wrong...

A trial scheduled for one month becomes two. The Judge is not pleased. It's now down to 12 jurors to determine Chris and Awet's fate – but the lone Black juror gets sick so now it's 11. Among the evidence the jury hears: false DNA evidence that's not corrected; a transcription of Chris's own words that is incorrect and not corrected; and the recollections of two police officers whose notes are str...

The day of the murder from all sides. Chris, Awet Asfaha, two young women — each give a different perspective on the events leading up to Kim Golaub's brutal murder. What they did. What was said. You've heard Chris's story before, but now at trial Awet comes out with a stunning story. There was someone else that day. A mysterious third man who was the killer. And Chris was the getaway driver, with...

Chris is out on bail leading up to the trial. Toronto Police show up at his house one night. They end up assaulting his father, arresting his brother, and not long after Chris's bail is revoked when a new charge is laid against him. Marjorie, Chris's mom, overhears police officers give an ominous warning about the men in her family and she goes into high gear – she's in the fight of her life again...

Kevin Donovan talks about why he decided to look at Chris Sheriffe's case. Hear from him, and catch up on the series so far, while getting a glimpse of the weeks ahead.  Subscribers get access to episodes one week early. 

Bombshell. On the eve of the murder trial, a young Toronto police officer emerges with two confidential sources, one of them purporting to be a gang member, who tell a very different story about Chris Sheriffe. It throws Chris's defence team for a loop. And here's the problem. The judge won't let the lawyers attack this new information. Audio: NBC's Law and Order, CTV, Toronto Police Video

This Friday, April 4, the second half of Murder on Mount Olive's season starts with episode 6, Bodies To His Name, as well as episode 7, one week early for subscribers. If you haven't heard the first five episodes to date, get caught up with the stories and main players so far, with this short trailer. Or listen to the first half of the season in your feed. 

Who is Chris Sheriffe? Elite soccer player. Aspiring carpenter. Good family. We hear from the people who knew him best, mother, sister, coach. We also learn about his experience growing up as a young Black teen in Toronto – the frequent police stops and his complaint about the most egregious one. He's in his Catholic school uniform, heading home from class at the end of the day and cops are tailin...

The forensics. How three bullets killed a man. The gun shot residue. Where it landed and where it didn't land gives homicide detectives some help, but not much. It turns out the case against Chris Sheriffe and Awet Asfaha is weak. Plus, the police screwed up the evidence collection. Things come to a head at the preliminary hearing, where a judge must decide if the charge of first degree murder – a...

Twelve years into his life sentence for murder, Chris Sheriffe is a model prisoner. He's doing all the courses available behind bars, plus weekly meetings of the prison public speaking club. He does conflict resolution, helping guards and prisoners get along. Which is intriguing, given that Toronto Police labelled him a hard knuckled killer. Also, he calls his Mom several times a day. In an interv...

Watch or listen to this bonus video footage, where Kevin Donovan sits down with Chris Sheriffe in prison at Collins Bay. Listen to episode 3 of Murder on Mount Olive, Gladiator School, for more from this interview. 

Homicide detectives get lucky. The best witness possible, and he's talking, and he's got a partial licence plate from a car that left the scene right after Kim Golaub was shot dead. But homicide cops are struggling for a motive. Did someone have a grudge against the victim? Was he in the wrong place at the wrong time? Just a few hours after the murder homicide detectives have two young men in sepa...

On a hot, sunny day in August a man is shot three times. It happens outside a barbecue. Witnesses give different descriptions of the shooter; police flood the area looking for clues. What happens that day will end up putting a young soccer player turned carpenter behind bars for life for a crime he says he didn't commit. This is the story of Christopher Sheriffe and his fight for justice. Audio: C...

Coming Friday, March 7, episodes 1, 2 and 3 (for subscribers) will be available for Suspicion Season 4, Murder on Mount Olive. Toronto Star Chief Investigative Reporter Kevin Donovan, who brought you the Billionaire Murders, investigates a crime the courts closed the book on in 2012. On a sunny day in August, 2009, a man is shot three times at a barbecue. What happens that day will put a budding y...

Toronto Star Chief Investigative Reporter Kevin Donovan, who brought you the Billionaire Murders, is back with Murder on Mount Olive, an investigation of a crime the courts closed the book on in 2012. On a sunny day in August, 2009, a man is shot three times at a barbecue. What happens that day will put a budding young soccer star turned carpenter behind bars for life for a crime he says he didn't...

In episode 12 of "The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman" Kevin Donovan is joined by producer Raju Mudhar, as the two examine where the case is now and where it might go. But before that, voice actors read emails exchanges that took place between Barry, Honey and others that could show signs of a contentious household.     The Billionaire Murders podcast is pr...

In episode eleven of "The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman" Kevin Donovan uses what he knows about the killings to develop his theory of what the killers were after. Nothing was taken, not money, jewelry, and none of Barry's electronic devices. The plan was to kill  both  Honey and Barry and stage their bodies. The Billionaire Murders podcast is probing the...

In episode ten of "The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman" Kevin Donovan examines crime scene photos, including the injuries to Honey's face, and the interior of the Sherman home to help us understand what happened in the last hour of Barry and Honey Sherman's lives.  He also looks again at the police mistakes that led them down the murder-suicide path. The Bi...

With court decisions in place, do Tice and Gilmour's families ever find closure? The complicated conclusion of how grief and relief live side by side for everyone involved. The following episode discusses sexual assault and murder. If you're impacted by any of our themes, you can reach out to the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres at  casac.ca  to help you find a centre close to where...

Who is Joseph George Sutherland? What would lead him to such depraved acts? In Moosonee, Ontario, we learn of the horrific circumstances that shaped the man and how a close friend was shocked to learn the details of his secret criminal past. This episode comes with a content warning. In it, we discuss violence, sexual assault and murder. We also discuss the physical, mental, sexual and emotional a...