Canadian True Crime

When a woman receives a text message from a wrong number, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with a man who says he’s a construction contractor. They develop a close relationship over five years – until a single, offhand remark gives her pause. Is this man really who he says he is?Her search for the truth reveals something far more disturbing than she ever expected - and she realizes she isn’t the only one. It triggers a reckoning inside the local police department along with serious questions about privacy, consent, police accountability and whether the justice system is equipped to recognize the harm these women experienced.For this special episode, Kristi Lee sits down with award‑winning investigative journalist Jana G. Pruden to unpack the harrowing story behind the latest season of her acclaimed narrative podcast: In Her Defence: Breach of Trust.LISTEN to the full story nowFind In Her Defence on your favourite podcast app or platform: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts.READ Jana Pruden's reporting for The Globe and MailVictims of ex-Regina officer describe feeling violated as judge weighs conditional sentenceEx-Regina officer sentenced to two-year conditional sentence in community, house arrestWomen targeted by Regina police sergeant file sexual assault lawsuitsThe man behind the wrong numberSpecial thanks to Jana G. Pruden and producer Kasia Mychajlowycz from The Globe and Mail

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 finding out what they think about the prospect of separating from Canada.Who are the separatists? What do they actually want? And what happens to the rest of Canada if they get it?---------------------------------------We're proud to present the first episode of this five-part investigative series Separation Anxiety: The Alberta Referendum, completely AD-FREE. Thanks to Canadian True Crime listeners like you, we've been able to help fund this independent investigation by two Alberta journalists. At a time when local newsrooms are shrinking, grassroots, on-the-ground reporting is more important than ever, especially when an issue that seems provincial could have consequences for the entire country.In this Episode 1: Among the Separatists, you'll hear from people waving flags on a freeway overpass in Edmonton, at an Alberta Day celebration in Mirror, AB and in a Baptist church in Calgary.Episodes 2 and 3 are also available now.Find Separation Anxiety: The Alberta Referendum on your favourite podcast player.Follow Separation Anxiety's substack for the latest.Produced with the support of Canadian True Crime.*Additional sources re introduction:https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-alberta-separatism-canada-united-states-republican/https://thewalrus.ca/is-it-treason-to-ask-america-to-help-break-up-canada/https://globalnews.ca/news/12088176/alberta-separatism-republicans-report?https://globalnews.ca/news/12087080/alberta-first-nations-referendum/

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 would go on to trigger years of controversy with questions about police tunnel vision, political interference and the nature of justice itself.More information:Listen to The Coffin Affair: A Miscarriage of Justice Revisited by Kathryn M. Campbell.The intention of this episode is to revisit a criminal case that became a major chapter in Canadian legal history, examine how the investigation and prosecution unfolded, and explore why the questions surrounding it have endured for generations. ---------------------Separation Anxiety: The Alberta Referendum A five part investigative series wherever you get your podcasts. Episode 2 available now.---------------------Canadian true crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated to the Association for Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared (AFPAD).Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon.Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/222

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 up to the October 19 referendum question.Join award-winning Alberta journalists Danielle Paradis and Tim Querengesser as they travel around Alberta, following separatist organizers into church boardrooms and hot‑dog picnics to examine the influences, ideas and grievances fuelling Alberta’s modern separatist movement.From its century-old roots to the anti-lockdown protests, trucker convoy and political upheaval that brought Danielle Smith to power, Separation Anxiety also traces the separatist movement’s evolution — and why it is now tied to accusations of criminal treason and treaty‑rights violations.Separation Anxiety is a five-part podcast series releasing weekly starting September 2026. Episode 1 available now.SUBSCRIBE NOWFind Separation Anxiety: The Alberta Referendum on your favourite podcast playerhttps://pod.link/6811266682 Follow Separation Anxiety's substack for the latest.Produced with the support of Canadian True Crime.

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 is the story of a case that haunted Québec for decades, the family who refused to give up, and the breakthrough that finally brought the answers they were looking for.---------------------The intention of this episode is to take a look back at a high-profile crime sensationalized through headlines, explain how it was solved, and how it impacted the local community. Please respect the privacy of the people involved in this case. Additional content warning: this crime is murder and sexual assault of a teenage girl. Minimal graphic details will be given. Please take care when listening.More information:Resources for victims/survivors: Ending violence CanadaSharron Prior website - http://sharronprior.com Watch “Finding Sharron’s Killer", CTV’s W5 series on YouTube:Part 1: Montreal Teen Murdered in 1975 Part 2: DNA Evidence Unlocks the MysteryCanadian true crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated to the Association for Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared (AFPAD)Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon.Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/221

[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 conclusions20:00 Newly-reported text exchange involving McLeod24:00 Where the players are now29:00 Personal update from Kristi (Mental toll of the Hockey Canada trial)38:00 Murder of Ronald Platt (Albert Johnson Walker update)45:00 Jacob Hoggard update47:00 Murders of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French (Paul Bernardo update)58:00 Murder of Kimberly Proctor (Kruse Wellwood and Cameron Moffatt update)1:01:00 Murders of Lyle and Marie McCann (Travis Vader update)1:03:00 Murder of Yvonne Rouleau / Nozzles Gas Bar (Terry Kennedy parole update)1:06:00 Kevin O’Leary updateFurther reading:Read our Hockey Canada Case Study [PDF download]Read My Life As a True Crime Spectacle by Heather Jane, Toronto LifeListen ad-free and early on CTC premium feeds available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts, and Patreon.Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits: www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/219

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, then picks up the story from where we left off.Cases covered in this episode with approximate timestamps:Please give or take a few minutes to allow for ads.3:00 Lush and Whiteway Fatal Car Crash (final conviction)10:00 Harrison Family Murders (final conviction)25:00 The Murder of Reena Virk (Kelly Ellard update)39:00 The Rallo Family Murders (Jon Rallo update)43:00 The Murder of Laura Letts (Peter Beckett update)48:00 Legacy Christian Academy (new convictions and charges)1:09:00 The Mushroom Murders (update and feedback)Part 2 will be available soon.Listen ad-free and early on CTC premium feeds available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts, and Patreon.Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits: www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/219

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 after serving less than two years of his five-year prison sentence.In November 2025, Jessica publicly revealed her identity in the CBC documentary Breaking Idol, but she has has turned down all media appearance invitations since then.In this special episode, she reflects on why she chose to break that streak on The Social, and how it actually went on the day.Kristi also explains how The Social’s thoughtful, trauma-informed approach helped both women feel prepared and supported, and reflects on another TV experience that caused her to avoid media appearances for six years.Thanks to Jessica Baker, Tiffany Hsiung, and everyone at The Social!More info:Watch our segment on The Social: Jacob Hoggard’s Accuser and Survivor Speaks Out [YouTube]Watch Kristi’s segment on The Social from Jan 2026 [YouTube]Watch Breaking Idol, directed by Tiffany Hsiung [YouTube - only available in Canada)Listen to our original podcast series The Trial of Hedley’s Jacob HoggardVisit Beyond The Verdict advocacy groupLearn more about Kindness CircleTrauma-informed journalism: Tips for telling important stories, better and The Trauma Beat: A Case for Re-Thinking the Business of Bad News by Tamara Cherrywww.canadiantruecrime.ca

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 centred on family, community and caring for others. As investigators race to find the person responsible, the painstaking work of forensic specialists becomes the key to solving a heartbreaking crime that might otherwise have remained a mystery.Special thanks to Gerald Aquintey and family. Thanks also to Detective Constable Adrian Piccolo with the Toronto Police’s Forensic Identification Services Unit, Constable Don Laurel, and the Ontario Forensic Investigators Association.More information:WATCH Crime Beat: Awaking To a Nightmare — The Rhoderie Estrada MurderVISIT TINUNO Restaurant in TorontoCanadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice.This month we have donated to Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime.Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon.Full list of resources, information sources, and more:www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/217