Canadian True Crime

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

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 gaslightingIn this special episode, Jessica Baker joins Kristi Lee to unpack the 11‑page Parole Board of Canada decision. She reflects on the weight of Hoggard’s admissions after he forced a years‑long trial and appeals process and subjected her to years of public scrutiny.Hoggard wasn’t required to comment on the other two young women who testified against him, whose allegations did not result in guilty verdicts. But the parole board still chose to recognize them in a deliberate and meaningful way. You'll also hear why the board concluded Hoggard still requires “professional, arm’s‑length supervision” on day parole, why they refused to release him directly to his wife and family, and why his request for full parole was denied.This information is in the public interest.FURTHER READING AND HELPFUL INFO:To read the full parole decision document and for links to other resources mentioned in this episode, visit www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/216 Canadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice.This month we have donated to Beyond The Verdict.All information sources, credits and music credits:See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes

[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.Watch Australian True Crime’s episode about the Mushroom Murders on YouTube.Watch Kristi in conversation with Meshel Laurie about the murder of Connie Grandinetti.Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon.Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated to Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime , who offer support, research and education to survivors, victims and their families. You can learn more at crcvc.ca.Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/214

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 and attended the sentencing hearing, to look beyond the headlines at what happened, how the case unfolded, and why it captured so much attention. Find Australian True Crime on your favourite podcast player.Watch Australian True Crime’s episode about the Mushroom Murders on YouTube.Watch Kristi in conversation with Meshel Laurie about the murder of Connie Grandinetti.Part 2 will be available to all tomorrow.Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon.Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated to Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime , who offer support, research and education to survivors, victims and their families. You can learn more at crcvc.ca.Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits: www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/214

[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 DISCLAIMERS:– This series does not frame this incident as a crime. While it was initially investigated and reported as a potential Criminal Code matter (per Toronto Life, August 24, 2020), the charges ultimately laid fell under the Canada Shipping Act.– If you know anyone related to this case, please respect their privacy.– The intention of this series is to look beyond the headlines, rumours and conspiracy theories surrounding a highly publicized boating tragedy, and carefully examine the evidence to better understand what happened. – Kristi Lee is not a lawyer, but a member of the general public reviewing this case through the lens of the open court principle. This series has been pieced together from the public record, including court documents, online news sources and trial reporting by media outlets including the National Post, CBC News and the Toronto Star.---------------------------------------------------------Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime) and Apple Podcasts.Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated in Kevin O’Leary’s name to Feed Ontario - a charity that supports food banks across the province to help end hunger and poverty.Full list of resources, information sources, and more:www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/212

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”, and was using his wealth and influence to control the narrative.In this series, we go back to the summer of 2019 to trace the chain of events that ended in tragedy on Lake Joseph, examine all the evidence, and explore why conspiracy theories continue to thrive long after the case was legally closed.---------------------------------------------------------IMPORTANT:– If you know anyone related to this case, please respect their privacy.– This series does not frame this incident as a "crime" - the charges ultimately fell under the Canada Shipping Act.– This series has been pieced together from the public record, including court documents, online news sources and daily trial reporting.– Our intention is to look beyond the headlines, rumours and conspiracy theories surrounding a highly publicized boating tragedy, and carefully examine the evidence to better understand what happened. – Kristi Lee is not a lawyer, but a member of the general public reviewing this case through the lens of the open court principle.---------------------------------------------------------Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon.Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated to Feed Ontario - a charity that supports food banks across the province to help end hunger and poverty.Full list of resources, information sources, and more:www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/212

[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, originally titled "The Lake Family Murders". We'll be back with new episodes in late April.*Additional content warning: this series includes the death of a young child. Please take care when listening.Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:See the page for this episode at https://www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/132

A two-part series | A New Brunswick railway worker discovers a burned‑out shack deep in the woods, with three members of the young Lake 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 replay from our archive, originally titled "The Lake Family Murders". We'll be back with new episodes in late April.*Additional content warning: this series includes the death of a young child. Please take care when listening.Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:See the page for this episode at https://www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/132