What the Forensics

Join us this week, in this gripping episode as we uncover the dark realities of domestic terrorism, focusing on the notorious Oklahoma City Bombing. Journey takes us back to April 19, 1995, recounting the devastating attack that shook the nation. Meanwhile, Rebecca talks to us about the broader issue of domestic terrorism.   Listener’s discretion is advised as there are discussions about mass deat...

Are you reading this on an electronic device? Maybe over the internet? Is that how you listen to our podcast? If so, check this out — Edward Snowden & Espionage! Hear about governments spying on their citizens, the information the US government has access to, what one can accomplish without a university degree, and what the second oldest profession in the world is (take a wild guess!). This is...

This month we switch things up and discuss the mystery of the Isdal Woman.  There is no science for this episode and instead we just discuss possible reasons as to why she ended up in the mountains. There are so many theories out there so we don't get to all of them but we would love to hear any theories that you might has as well.    Listener’s discretion is advised as there is discussion ab...

Join us this episode (not if you have  Pruritophobia !) as Journey tells us about the heartbreaking story of young Victoria Climbie. We pick holes in the investigation (or lack thereof) and discuss our frustrations about using the fear of parasites as a means to disguise child abuse. From irritation to itchy, Rebecca then educates us on what forensic parasitology is and its importance to the case....

Join us this week and listen to Rebecca’s Spark’s Note version of the turbulent, political, history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, providing context to our discussion on the Srebrenica Massacre, the worst mass death in Europe since WWII. Nicole then gets us excited about plants and pollen, educating us on their uses and relevance to forensics and this massacre.  Please note, listeners discretion is ad...

This month we delve into the case of The Craigslist Killer! As it turns out there is more than one person deemed the Craigslist Killer so we give a brief overview of them  before focusing mainly on Philip Markoff. The science this month is digital forensics which we get a very thorough explanation of and a detailed look at its history as well. If you're someone who technology make you nervous...

You've probably heard the name Casey Anthony but do you know what she did? This episode Journey tells us all about who Casey Anthony is and what she is suspected of doing. Spoiler - no one actually  knows what she did, including herself which is a fun little twist. Rebecca then educates us on what odour analysis consists of and how it played a role in this case, even though it is not a court...

Cut loose and grab your dancing shoes for this episode of WTF because it’s a fun one! We learn that you can quite *literally* dance yourself to death, and that these dancing plagues happened more than once throughout history! Rebecca delves a bit deeper into the Dancing Plague of 1518 while Nicole educates us on psychogenic diseases, including mass psychogenic illnesses and psychogenic movement di...

This week we each research an ethically questionable psychological study. Rebecca researches the Asch Experiment, Nicole researches the Milgram Experiment, and Journey researches the Stanford Prison Experiment. This episode is a longer one but it is full of stories that will make you question what the researcher was thinking so you don't want to miss out. We have some great discussions about...

This week on What The Forensics we talk about Canadian killer Luka Magnotta, his life leading up to the murder, the murder victim Justin Lin, and what it means to kill for fame. This is a very interesting episode that discusses the problems around media, podcasts, and other sources that cover crimes and inadvertently glorify the killer over the victim. We discuss how we play a role in that, how we...

This week we delve into the interesting case of Samuel Little. This man confessed to 93 murders (!) at the age of 74, after spending a lifetime going in and out of jail. Rebecca does a great job giving an overview of his entire life and crimes. Nicole then tells us all about the science of victimology, Modus operandi, and signatures. These three topics are super interesting and we have many great...

Are you ready to quit smoking? In just 5 short days, YOU, can be on the road to salvation! … This may have been a marketing tactic for Roch Thériault and his followers, The Anthill Kids, as he beings his small commune of 8 wives and over 20 children. Join us this week as Nicole tells us about the terrible things that went on behind closed doors with this Canadian cult and Journey teaches us about...

What are two things that sound like they don't go together... and yet they do? What about salmonella poisoning and Sex Guru?  Listen in to this week's episode where Journey tell us all about Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the connection between these two things. Following this interesting case study that will leave you wondering who *actually* was behind these attacks, Rebecca teaches us abo...

How did one man's hope of spreading peace through meditation and worship spiral into him becoming the God of his own deadly cult? This kicks off our 3-part special on cults. Join us this week as Rebecca share the story of Aum Shinrikyo, the cult known as the "religion for the elite" who was responsible for two of Japan's most deadly terrorist attacks, then Nicole delves into th...

This is a special episode where in honour of the National day of Truth and Reconciliation, September 30, we have decided to focus on some cases of wrongful death and murder of Indigenous men, women, and children in Canada. We felt that since we are fortunate enough to have this platform we need to bring awareness to the atrocities that Indigenous communities face everyday. This episode is definite...

Mayday, mayday! I repeat, mayday, we're going down .... a rabbit hole of information as Journey tells us all about three different plane crashes, SwissAir Flight 111, Flight TWA-800, and MH370. After fueling Journey's own flight anxiety, Rebecca follows up by teaching us about forensic engineering and its importance in solving the questions around why certain things may not work the way...

Have you ever wondered how much radiation the human body can withstand? In this episode of What The Forensics we discuss the controversial case of Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-Russian KGB agent who gets exposed to Polonium-210 while seeking asylum in the UK. Rebecca tells us all about who Alexander Litvinenko was and what led him to the seek out safety in the United Kingdom. Nicole then educates us...

Join us as we delve into another wrongful conviction case, one that baffles us all (especially Nicole), that covers Ray Krone who was sentenced to death based on circumstantial evidence and exonerated 10 years later. Forensic podiatric evidence was used in support of DNA samples that proved Ray Krone's innocence once and for all.  ** Just an apology too for any background mic noise heard whil...

Join us this week as we delve into the case of Richard Ramirez a.k.a The Night Stalker. Nicole shares with us all the ups and downs of Richard Ramirez's life and how he evolved into the serial killer/rapist he was. Rebecca then educates us on the different typologies of stalking and some broader behaviors that someone has to exhibit to be considered a stalker. This episode is definitely one y...

Stalking has always been a crime...right? In the first episode of our two-part stalking special, we discuss a stalking case study and the legal history of stalking. Journey delves into the lesser known case of Ottawa-resident Patricia Allen, whose devastating case influenced Canadian laws surrounding stalking and cross-bow carry. Rebecca follows this by discussing the much-needed laws surrounding...

In this episode Nicole tells us all about the processes of decomposition and body farms. She explains which environmental and non-environmental processes can affect a body and what we can learn from in a forensic setting. Rebecca then tells us all about the Redhead Murders that happened along highways in the United States.  She explores the investigative processes, similarities and differences bet...

Have you ever seen Disney’s movie "Anastasia"? If so, this is one episode you won't want to miss; listen in and try to compare and contrast the real life Anastasia with Disney’s! In this episode we investigate missing Russian royalty, betrayal, and you guessed it, bones! Nicole gives us a great overview of the history of the Romanov's, the last royal family of Russia, and the t...

Curious what it takes to be the biggest gangster in Chicago? Tune in to this episode where we discuss "Scarface" Al Capone and forensic accounting. We cover the infamous St. Valentines Day Massacre, Alcatraz, and Syphilis while discussing Al Capone. We then dive into the intricacies of forensic accounting, what they're in charge of, what cases they work on, and how they caught Al Ca...

"Ugh it's the 50's" You'll be hearing us say that a lot in this episode as we get increasingly more frustrated with the way this case was conducted. This week we are talking about the case of Steven Truscott & Lynne Harper. In 1959, 14-year-old Steven Truscott was charged with the sexual assault and murder of 12-year-old Lynne Harper in Ontario, Canada. This case conti...

"You can't have your cake and eat it too." Notice anything wrong with this phrase? Join us this week as we discuss the case of Ted Kaczynski and Forensic Linguistics.  Nicole tells us all about the genius bombmaker Ted Kaczynski and his two decade long reign of terror. Journey then tells us how forensic linguistics played an instrumental role in catching the Unabomber and the intric...