Dark Poutine - True Crime and Dark History

Episode 405: On the 17th of May 1984, 48‑year‑old Beverley Anne Dyke was found brutally murdered in a wooded area near Moray Street and Saskatchewan Avenue on the edge of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her killing, a frenzied sexual assault and stabbing, left her family and the wider community fearing a predator was on the loose. For years, detectives chased dead ends and even a dramatic prison confession, but the real killer remained a mystery. It would take more than two decades, and a cold‑case DNA match, to finally reveal who murdered Beverley and why. Sources: May 25, 1970, page 1 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.com™Mar 25, 1971, page 3 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.com™Mar 25, 1971, page 10 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.com™Aug 19, 1974, page 8 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.com™Aug 19, 1974, page 11 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.com™May 13, 1975, page 11 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.com™Dec 30, 1984, page 10 - The Winnipeg Sun at Newspapers.com™Dec 27, 1988, page 19 - Waterloo Region Record at Newspapers.com™Dec 27, 1988, page 7 - Edmonton Journal at Newspapers.com™May 07, 2001, page 5 - The Winnipeg Sun at Newspapers.com™Feb 28, 2005, page 5 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.com™Nov 19, 2005, page 4 - The Winnipeg Sun at Newspapers.com™Nov 30, 2005, page 9 - The Winnipeg Sun at Newspapers.com™Sep 14, 2007, page 5 - Edmonton Journal at Newspapers.com™Feb 26, 2010, page 2 - Fort McMurray Today at Newspapers.com™Mar 06, 2010, page 6 - Edmonton Journal at Newspapers.com™Mar 07, 2010, page 8 - Times Colonist at Newspapers.com™Nov 30, 2011, page 2 - Fort McMurray Today at Newspapers.com™"Evidence of Evil" The Murder of Beverley Ann Dyke (TV Episode 2019) - Reference view - IMDb"It was a vicious assault" | The Murder of Beverley Ann Dyke | Trace of EvilR. v. Kociuk, 2009 MBQB 154 (CanLII)R. v. Kociuk, 2009 MBQB 162 (CanLII)R. v. Kociuk (R.J.), 2011 MBCA 85 (CanLII)R. v. Kociuk, 2012 SCC 15 (CanLII), [2012] 1 SCR 529FM010_Appellant_Robert-Joseph-Kociuk | PDFSupreme Court of Canada | 34517Robert Joseph Kociuk v. Her Majesty the Queen (April 12, 2012) Case # 34517DNA Test Results In Charges | CastanetWinnipeg Homicide | Beverly Ann DykeJury finds Robert Kociuk guilty of first-degree murder in 1984 killing | Crime and Justice CanadaMar 2010: Murder verdict returned quickly | Winnipeg Free Press Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 404: In April 2015, someone began targeting some of the city’s most vulnerable residents: men living rough, sleeping outside, and often already failed by every system meant to protect them. By the time the killing stopped, three were dead: 37‑year‑old Miles Monias, 48‑year‑old Stony Stanley Bushie, and 65‑year‑old Donald Collins. Their killer was another man on the margins, a homeless drifter with a long history of violence and untreated mental illness, John Paul Ostamas. Sources: Media Release - April 28, 2015 - Winnipeg Police ServiceR. v. Ostamas, 2016 MBQB 136 (CanLII)R. v. Ostamas (J.P.) (2016), 329 Man.R.(2d) 203 (QB) | vLexR v Ostamas, 2022 MBCA 68 (CanLII)John Paul Ostamas | APTN ArchivesJohn Paul Ostamas | Global News, Videos & ArticlesWinnipeg's Duck Face Serial KillerWinnipeg's historyGarden Hill First Nation | WikipediaLittle Grand Rapids First NationApr 27, 2015, page 16 - Calgary Herald at Newspapers.com™Apr 29, 2015, page A5 - Telegraph-Journal at Newspapers.com™May 2015: Death and the homelessTHE FIRST NATIONAL INDIGENOUS BROADCASTER IN THE WORLD | APTNWinnipeg police charge man in connection with 3 murders | APTNMan charged with 3 Winnipeg killings came from ‘good family’ in Eabametoong First Nation | APTNMay 2016: Guilty plea in killing spree'3 monstrous murders': Homeless killer John Paul Ostamas will get no parole for 75 years | CBC News‘Person of interest’ located by Winnipeg Police: Sources - WinnipegPolice say suspect in Winnipeg deaths known to Ontario policeMurder charges for deaths of homeless Native men in ManitobaAccused serial killer John Paul Ostamas sought help from Kenora pastorStoney Bushie's friends, family gather for Winnipeg prayer service | CBC NewsOstamas tried to burn down Winnipeg hotel, police say - WinnipegThunder Bay-area man charged with murder after 2 homeless men killed in Winnipeg | CBC NewsFamilies honour victims of alleged serial killer John OstamasMan charged with killing 3 men in Winnipeg | CBC NewsWho is John Paul Ostamas, alleged serial killer in Winnipeg deaths? | CBC NewsHomeless in Vancouver: Homeless man charged in serial killings of three Winnipeg men | Georgia Straight Vancouver’s source for arts, culture, and eventsHomelessness – Social Planning Council of WinnipegIndigenous Peoples and Homelessness | homelesshub.caHomeless in Vancouver: Serial killer may be targeting Winnipeg homeless | Georgia Straight Vancouver’s source for arts, culture, and eventsLatest Winnipeg street census suggests homelessness at highest point in past decade | CBC NewsAMC Responds to Record Homelessness in Winnipeg | manitobachiefs.comUnderstanding Indigenous Homelessness28239_here_now_plan_report_FIN_WEB | PDF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 403: Nicholas Melady Jr. was 24 years old when he stepped onto a wooden scaffold above the stone walls of Goderich Gaol in December of 1869, about to become the central figure in Canada’s last public hanging after the brutal murders of his father, Nicholas Melady Sr. and stepmother, Ellen, in a quiet Huron County farmhouse. In this episode, we return to a world of bush farms, rough taverns, and bitter family feuds over land and inheritance, tracing a path from a whispered meeting on a bridge and talk of “just a robbery” to a blood‑soaked kitchen floor, sloppy police work, and a coroner making two young men stand barefoot in dried pools of blood. Sources: Double Trap by John MeladySeaforth Doors Open | shopseaforth.caAudio-Tour-of-North-Street | goderich.caHuron Historic Gaol‘Morbid curiosity’: When executions were public spectacles in Ontario | TVO TodayMar 27, 1869, page 1 - The Globe and Mail at Newspapers.com™Apr 02, 1869, page 3 - Ottawa Daily Citizen at Newspapers.com™Dec 08, 1869, page 4 - The Critic and Record at Newspapers.com™Dec 09, 1869, page 4 - Buffalo Courier Express at Newspapers.com™Dec 17, 1869, page 1 - Brampton Times at Newspapers.com™Dec 07, 1869, page 3 - Boston Evening Transcript at Newspapers.com™Carling R. Marshall ~ Public History Blog: Semi-public? - The Hoag Hanging, Walkerton - 1868Carling R. Marshall - Capital punishment: Huron County opinion in 1869Nicholas Melady | Wikipedia1869: Nicholas Melady, the last public hanging in Canada | Executed TodayResearching Canada’s ‘Last Public Hanging | Huron County MuseumThe Final Days of Nicholas Melady Jr. as Witnessed by William Dickson - Champlain Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 402: On July 31, 1987, an ordinary summer afternoon in Edmonton, Alberta, ended in catastrophe. A powerful tornado cut through the city’s southeast, killing 27 people and leaving entire neighbourhoods destroyed in minutes. In this episode, we examine the second-deadliest tornado in Canadian history through firsthand survivor accounts and direct statements from officials who faced a disaster few believed could happen in a major Canadian city. The day would later become known as “Black Friday,” a name repeated in municipal histories and anniversary coverage. On July 31 itself, it was still just another Friday afternoon. Episode Sources: Tornado, a report : Edmonton and Strathcona County, July 31st, 1987 : Alberta Public Safety ServicesEdmonton Tornado (1987) | The Candian EncyclopediaBELLWEATHER KENNELS CANADA - EDMONTON TORNADO 1987 by Tom TaylorEdmonton Tornado | WikipediaThe Edmonton Tornado | Environment CanadaBlack Friday changed city, survivors | CBC NewsThis Was the Worst Tornado in Canada’s History | Reader’s DigestJul 30, 1988, page 92 - Edmonton Journal at Newspapers.com™From the Edmonton community on RedditEdmonton Journal front page story of the Edmonton tornado July 31, 1987 (Black Friday)Regina Cyclone | Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 401: At the start of the twentieth century, Vancouver, B.C., was a fast-growing Pacific port. Most residents were white settlers of British or European descent, but Chinese and Japanese communities were already well established and growing. They lived, worked, and built businesses in neighbourhoods like Chinatown and Powell Street, playing a central role in the city’s economy while being denied political rights and social acceptance. By 1907, economic anxiety and racial resentment had hardened into open hostility. Asian workers were blamed for falling wages and job insecurity, a message repeated by newspapers, politicians, and organized exclusionary groups. The riots that followed on September 7 were not sudden outbursts, but the result of years of public rhetoric that treated entire communities as threats. This episode examines how those ideas gave rise to violence on Vancouver’s streets. Sources:The 1907 Racist Riots – Union Zindabad!The Asiatic Exclusion League Riot, 1907 — Published by BC Labour Heritage CentreThe Vancouver Anti-Asian RiotsCauses of the 1907 anti-Asian riots :The Lessons of the Anti-Asiatic Riot"Images" and "Issues" : the portrayal of Asians in the Vancouver Daily Province and the Vancouver Daily World, 1907 to 1908Anti-Asian Riots of 1907 - British Columbia - An Untold HistoryMayor Ken SimDavid LamChinese Immigration ActChinese Head Tax in Canada1907 Vancouver anti-Asian riotsAsian Labour History in British ColumbiaA White Man's Province by Patricia Roy | Internet ArchiveW.L. Mackenzie King’s 1907 Report on Japanese Losses in Vancouver RiotsW.L. Mackenzie King’s 1907 Report on Chinese Losses in Vancouver RiotsThe History of Canada Series: Trouble on Main Street: Mackenzie King Reason Race And The 1907 Vancouver Riots Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 400: In October 1894, 18-year-old Frank Westwood was shot on the doorstep of his Parkdale home. The killing shocked Toronto and sparked a frantic search for a suspect. Weeks later, a mixed-race tailor named Clara Ford walked into a Toronto police station and was quickly accused of the murder. With no weapon, no motive, and a disputed confession, her trial exposed deep racial bias and divided the city. This episode looks at Clara’s life, the investigation that targeted her, and the aftermath of the trial that captivated Canada’s largest city. Episode Sources:Clara at the Door with a Revolver — Carolyn Whitzman (UBC Press, 2023)Toronto Public Library – Digitized Toronto newspapersNewspapers.com – Historical Toronto press coverageCity of Toronto ArchivesArchives of Ontario – Mercer Reformatory & judicial recordsRace on Trial: Black Defendants in Ontario’s Criminal Courts, 1858–1958 — Barrington WalkerAfua Cooper – Black Canadian history resourcesDEWART, HERBERT HARTLEY – Dictionary of Canadian BiographyJOHNSTON, EBENEZER FORSYTH BLACKIE – Dictionary of Canadian BiographyDeath in the Queen City: Clara Ford on Trial, 1895 By Parick BrodeA blood-drinking monster? When this Toronto woman was accused of murder, the newspapers of 1894 went wildA sensational Toronto murder from 1894 – Bill Gladstone GenealogyTranscript: The Story of a Black Woman Accused of Murder in 1894 | Feb 15, 2023 | TVO TodayInterview: Carolyn Whitzman on the archival story behind novel Clara at the Door  – MOBA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 399: As the clock strikes midnight, not everyone welcomes the New Year with champagne and resolutions. In this episode of Dark Poutine, we explore the darker, stranger, and sometimes dangerous traditions used around the world—and across Canada—to chase away bad luck and invite prosperity. From gunfire and forgotten parades in Newfoundland, to Hogmanay superstitions, poverty-banishing rituals, icy polar bear swims, and fire-lit celebrations meant to ward off evil, these customs reveal what people have been willing to risk for a clean slate. We also venture beyond Canada, examining ancient sacrifices, ritual fights, smashed plates, burning effigies, and other unsettling ways humanity has tried to reset the calendar. It’s a look at New Year’s Eve not as a party—but as a threshold, where superstition, fear, and hope collide.  Episode Sources:Guns, parades and superstitions: A host of forgotten New Year's traditions in N.L. | CBC NewsOut with the old, in with the new — East Coasters share their unusual past and present New Year’s Eve traditionsNewfoundland and Labrador CustomsNew Year's Day in Canada: Traditions, History and InsightsNew Year's leveeTop safety tips for New Year’s Eve revellers35 Crazy New Year’s Eve Celebrations Throughout HistoryBizarre New Year’s Eve Traditions From Around the World | Ripley's Believe It or Not! | Aquariums, Attractions, MuseumsDecision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 6.COM 13.26New Years in Ecuador: Yellow Panties and EffigiesThe Traditional Fighting Festivals of PeruDivers had Set the Christmas Tree Underwater of the Baikal Lake6 traditions from around the world for marking a Jan. 1 new year | CBC Life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 398: It was supposed to be a quiet Canadian Christmas—until every butter tart in the country vanished overnight. From Nanaimo to Newfoundland, kitchens were left empty, bakers bewildered, and the RCMP at a loss. When the case turns strange, Santa Claus himself steps in, uncovering a nationwide confectionery conspiracy that leads to old grudges, familiar faces, and a suspect far closer to home than anyone expected. Dark, absurd, and very Canadian, The Great Canadian Butter Tart Heist is a holiday mystery where justice is sweet, but never simple. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 397: In April 1895, two young women, both twenty-one, from San Francisco’s Emmanuel Baptist Church vanished days apart. Blanche Lamont, a dedicated teacher-in-training, and Minnie Williams, a hardworking domestic with dreams of her own classroom, both entered the same church and never left. Their bodies were later discovered inside the building, setting off one of the most sensational murder trials in California history. This episode explores the lives of Blanche and Minnie, the discovery of their deaths, the investigation that followed, and the arrest and trial of Canadian-born medical student William Henry Theodore Durrant, accused of killing them. Sources:Clara at the Door with a Revolver — Carolyn Whitzman (UBC Press, 2023)Toronto Public Library – Digitized Toronto newspapersNewspapers.com – Historical Toronto press coverageCity of Toronto ArchivesArchives of Ontario – Mercer Reformatory & judicial recordsRace on Trial: Black Defendants in Ontario’s Criminal Courts, 1858–1958 — Barrington WalkerAfua Cooper – Black Canadian history resources1897 film of convicted killer Durrant shapes prison policy -Theodore DurrantSympathy for the Devil: The Emmanuel Baptist Murders of Old San FranciscoBy Virginia A. McConnellTheo Durrant — The Origin of Monsters — Crime Library on truTV.comTrue Detective Mysteries, February 1929: Internet ArchiveThe tale of the 'Demon of the Belfry,' San Francisco's forgotten Jack the Ripper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 396: In this episode, we learn about an enigmatic narcissistic psychopath who led the Californian cult called The Children of Thunder. Glenn Taylor Helzer, and the other leadership was comprised of his brother Justin Helzer and their follower Dawn Godman. Raised in a strict Mormon home, Taylor’s life spiralled after years of mental health trouble. By 2000, the trio had formed a cult under Taylor’s delusional leadership. That summer, they murdered Ivan and Annette Stineman, Selina Bishop (daughter of guitarist Elvin Bishop), Jennifer Villarin, and James Gamble. The crime spree and investigation shocked authorities and families, exposing how Taylor twisted faith and loyalty into violence. Episode Sources: Shackles, Ski Masks and a Power Saw — Murderous Glenn Helzer and Justin Helzer called their cult The Children of Thunder — Crime LibraryHow Not To Get Away With Murder: Glenn Helzer And The Children Of ThunderGlen Helzer | WikipediaBody Parts Identified / Disparate Tragedies' Common Ground Is Death, SuspectsGrisly clues unfolding in Delta caseBlues Guitarist's Daughter KilledMurder, Madness and Mayhem by MIke Browne20240418175434277_Cert Pet GlenTaylorHelzerPeople v. HelzerPeople v. Helzer, 317 Cal. Rptr. 3d 246 | Cal., Judgment, Law, casemine.comJustin Helzer hangs himself in prison Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 395: On a cold December day in 1983, McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, was shaken by a deeply unsettling crime. Dr. Edith Wightman, a respected scholar, was discovered dead in her office: bound with tape, handcuffed, and suffocated with a cloth. The investigation took an even stranger turn when police arrested Michael Allen Crowley, a chemist from Welland, who had been seen on campus in disguise, dressed in women’s clothing and a wig. With no personal connection to the victim, and the bizarre methods used, the murder left students and faculty reeling, and raised questions still unanswered to this day. Sources:A Brief History Of McMaster UniversityHistory of McMasterWIGHTMAN, Edith Mary | RutgersDec 19, 1983, page 1 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.comDec 24, 1983, page 16 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.comEdith Wightman - Search - Newspapers.com™Michael Alan Crowley - Search - Newspapers.com™"72 Hours: True Crime" Murder on Campus (TV Episode 2005)Canadian News Briefs - UPI ArchivesEdith Wightman | Wikipedia1984_3Winterhttps://www.reddit.com/r/McMaster/comments/jl1ew5/trying_to_find_details_of_on_campus_death/Review: [Untitled] on JSTORWightman: Gallia Belgica (Book Review)Detectives say Robert Garrow now 'best suspect' in 1973 Komorowski murder | CBC NewsAdele Komorowski Homicide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 394: On an August night in 1991, the quiet fields near Carp, Ontario, were interrupted by strange lights arcing across the sky—a sight so odd it left locals searching for answers. Soon, anonymous packages began to arrive, sent to UFO researchers all over Canada and the United States, packed with photos, documents, and a tape showing what appeared to be a UFO blazing above the marsh. The sender called himself “Guardian” and claimed this was not the first time such events occurred near Carp. Suddenly, what started as small-town talk exploded into one of Canada’s most perplexing UFO stories, a bizarre mystery that remains debated to this day. Sources: The Carp-Guardian Case - The Most Controversial UFO Case in Canadian HistoryGuardian UFO TapeGuardian UFO | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki - FandomThe Mysterious Canadian UFO Sighting - Unsolved Mysteries“Guardian”: The 30th Anniversary Of A Bizarre UFO Incident near Carp, OntarioA mysterious VHS tape, a military bunker, and UFO sightings near Ottawa | UFO TownWe investigated an alleged UFO sighting near Ottawa | CBC DocumentariesSearching for Guardian: Filmmaker re-examines mystery of Carp UFO sightingLiving in Carp Ottawa CanadaVillage of CarpI was a teenage UFO investigator who explored an infamous alien sighting near Ottawa | CBC Documentariesabduction – lindaseccaspinaU.S. Lawmaker: Underwater UFO Bases Hide AliensAliens may have underwater bases on Earth: Burchett | NewsNation PrimeHouse committee holds UFO hearing | full videoWhy Do UFO Sightings Keep Happening Near Nuclear Sites?The Diefenbunker and the Legends of Carp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 393: On a cold February day in 2022, tragedy struck the small communities of Creston and Kimberley, British Columbia. Julia Howe, a familiar face to her neighbours, was found lifeless in the bathroom of her partner's home. Just hours later and nearly a hundred kilometres away, David Creamer, a father and trusted friend, was discovered dead in his own house. Both initially believed accidental or natural, no one suspected that these two deaths would soon be linked. The true story was finally revealed, albeit in a peculiar manner. The connection between the deaths was finally revealed when Mitchell Earl McIntyre, a man known to both victims, confessed to hospital staff that he was responsible for both deaths. The problem was that, at first, no one believed him. It was the killer’s insistence and admissions of guilt that finally cracked the case. Sources: 2024 BCSC 774 (CanLII) | R. v McIntyre | CanLII2024 BCSC 2026 (CanLII) | R. v McIntyre | CanLIIObituary information for Julia Ann HoweOnline Tribute for David Creamer'You need to detain me' | Kamloops NewsB.C. man who confessed to 2 killings not arrested until a month laterMcInytre murder trial underway | My East Kootenay NowBC man allegedly confessed to two killings originally ruled as accidentsB.C. man charged with woman’s death reportedly also admitted killing someone elseBC homicide suspect confessed to 2 killings weeks before arrest, court documents showSecond-degree murder trial moved | Kamloops NewsAccidental Deaths That Were Really Homicides | Tyee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 392: On the morning of June 28, 2022, as staff and customers began their day at the Bank of Montreal in Saanich, British Columbia, twin brothers Matthew and Isaac Auchterlonie entered the branch clad in body armour and carrying semi-automatic rifles. Within moments, they herded twenty-two people into the bank’s vault and set the stage for one of the most violent confrontations in recent Canadian history. More than a hundred shots were fired in the chaos that followed, leaving six police officers injured and both brothers dead, with the community left reeling and seeking answers. Sources: 2022 Saanich shootoutVIIMCU RELEASES CONCLUDING REPORT ON JUNE 28TH SHOOTING – Saanich Police DepartmentIIOBC Report on the ShootoutSaanich bank shooting: Suspects identified, motive unclear | CityNews VancouverProminent Vancouver Island family collateral victims of Victoria bank robberyBrothers in botched B.C. bank robbery had become angry and radical, obsessed with guns and ‘government tyranny’Portal:Current events/2022 June 28Western Canada: Portrait emerges of brothers killed in Saanich bank robberyBrothers, motivated by 'anti-authority beliefs,' staged Saanich bank robbery in effort to kill police: RCMP | CBC NewsProminent Vancouver Island family collateral victims of Victoria bank robberyBrothers killed in Canada bank shootout aimed to kill as many police as possiblehttps://www.mycowichanvalleynow.com/71546/news/ways-to-help-when-social-media-friends-post-disturbing-images/Facing 'unbridled violence' from B.C. bank robbers, police justified in shooting to kill, report says | CBC NewsPolice to release findings on Saanich bank shootout where 2 Cowichan men diedOne of two suspects killed in bank robbery was rejected from Canadian Armed ForcesMotive for Saanich bank shooting by Duncan brothers may never be known: criminologistUPDATE: Saanich bank shootout suspects confirmed as 22-year-old twins from Duncanhttps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/saanich-shootout-what-we-learned-1.6721683From the VictoriaBC community on Reddit: Twin brothers from Duncan revealed as suspects in Saanich bank robbery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 391: At dawn on December 26, 2004, a massive undersea earthquake off Sumatra’s west coast — one of the strongest ever recorded — triggered a devastating tsunami across the Indian Ocean. Waves up to 30 metres high struck Aceh Province within minutes, then swept across Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, and as far as East Africa. Entire communities vanished, and more than 227,000 people in fourteen countries were killed, making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. At least fifteen Canadians lost their lives, and six more were reported missing, most while vacationing in Thailand and Sri Lanka. Survivors described the frantic searches for loved ones and the painful process of identifying and bringing home those who perished. 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - Wikipedia2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami: Facts and FAQsIndian Ocean tsunami of 2004 | BritannicaSouth Asia: Earthquake and Tsunami - Dec 2004 | ReliefWebThe Night the Earth ShookTsunami - Indian Ocean Boxing Day Tsunami, 2004 | Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge HubThe Indian Ocean Boxing Day Tsunami, 20 years onTwenty years on: the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - British Geological SurveyNOAA Center for Tsunami Research - Tsunami Event - December 26, 2004 The Indian Ocean TsunamiRecovery Collection: 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and TsunamiWhat are the biggest tsunamis ever? How July 29 earthquake, tsunami compares.How a 1,000‑year‑old tsunami in the Indian Ocean points to greater risk than originally thoughtTsunami Eyewitness & Survivors ProjectList of tsunamisZORIAH - A PHOTOJOURNALIST AND WAR PHOTOGRAPHER’S BLOG: Asian Tsunami Anniversary - Thailand Tsunami Then and Now Comparison SeriesSumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake - IRIS Special ReportHumanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake - WikipediaList of natural disasters by death toll - WikipediaTsunami Generation from the 2004 M=9.1 Sumatra-Andaman EarthquakeLisa BorgThe Devastating 2004 Tsunami: Timeline11 Facts About the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami | DoSomething.orgCNN.com - Tsunami tragedy: Your e-mails - Jan 3, 2005John Knill and Jackie KnillCamera holds instant of tsunami impactTsunami photos show couple's final moments | CBC NewsDiscovery of tsunami camera brings closureCamera shows 'last words' of tsunami victimsSchool built in memory of B.C. tsunami victims | CBC News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 390: When most Canadians think of occult-related witch trials, their minds drift south to Salem, Massachusetts, or across the ocean to medieval Europe. The popular narrative suggests that Canada, with its reputation for tolerance and peace, remained untouched by the supernatural hysteria that gripped other nations. This perception, deeply embedded in the Canadian consciousness, paints our country as somehow above the dark chapters of witch-hunting that stained other societies. Even Dark Poutine listeners, well-versed in the country’s hidden crimes and forgotten tragedies, might be surprised to learn the truth. The reality is far different from this comfortable myth. Canada has a complex and largely forgotten history of witchcraft accusations, trials, and legal persecution spanning over 350 years—from the earliest days of New France to as recently as 2018. From demonic possessions in Quebec City to fraudulent psychics in modern Ontario, the Canadian witch trial story is one of fear, prejudice, and the persistent human tendency to blame the margins of society for inexplicable troubles. Sources:CBC Radio: “Quebec Demon Possession & Witchcraft in 1660”JSTOR / McGill-Queen’s University Press: The Possession of Barbe HallayCanada’s History: “Sorcery in New France”Kenton de Jong Travel: The Possession of Barbe HallayDictionary of Canadian Biography: Daniel VuilAcademia.edu "Sixteen and Possessed" PDFCanada’s History: Book feature, The Possession of Barbe HallayThe Medium: On Demonic Infestations in 17th century QuébecMysteries of Canada: Poltergeists in Canada, Part IIIJean Campagna, The Sorcerer74 – JEAN CAMPAGNA, THE SORCERERProcès de Jean Campagna, prisonnier, 45 ansJean Campagna (abt.1640-aft.1685) | WikiTree FREE Family TreeQuebec 1685: Part 8- The Charge is SorceryThe Kimble Witch TrialView of Backward Seasons and Remarkable Cold: the Weather over Long Reach, New Brunswick, 1812-1821 | Acadiensis“Native Witchcraft Beliefs in Acadian, Maritime and Newfoundland Folklore” – EruditConcerns move Indigenous ceremony meant to contact 'spirit realm' outside Quebec community | CBC NewsFolklore of Nova ScotiaMi'kmaw Shamans and Acadian Sorcerers: A Study in Cultural Transmissions, Transferences and TransformationsWitchcraft Act 1735Bill C-365 (Historical)Woman Charged With Fake Witchcraft, Days Before Canada Scraps Old Law‘Psychic’ charged with being a fake fights case after Canada decriminalises witchcraft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 389: On a rain-soaked evening on June 13th, 1833, two young law students faced each other across a muddy field near Perth, Ontario, pistols in hand. John Wilson, a 20-year-old from humble farming stock, gripped his weapon with trembling fingers as rain dripped from his dark hair. Sixty feet away, 22-year-old Robert Lyon, handsome, aristocratic, and the son of a British officer, stood with the practiced composure of a gentleman born to privilege. Between them lay more than just distance: a bitter rivalry over the affections of Elizabeth Hughes, an English governess whose reputation had sparked this deadly confrontation. What had begun as whispered gossip in a lawyer's office in Bytown would end with one man dead, another's life forever changed, and a woman left to marry her lover's killer. This was Ontario's last fatal duel, a collision between Old World codes of honour and New World ambitions that would echo through Perth's streets for generations. Sources: A History of Perth | Perth RememberedPerth Military SettlementRobert Lyon 1812 - 1833 | Clark and Hogg Family HistoryWILSON, JOHN – Dictionary of Canadian BiographyWlison and Lyon Duel | Richmond HeritageDuel in Early Upper Canada by William Renwick RiddellARCHIVED - Criminal CodeDueling for Honour or (Il)legal Murder?: Two Case Studies | The Loyalist CollectionSword or Pistol: A Brief History of Duels | Believe it or Not | ÉducaloiEn Guard! A History of Canadian Duels - Academie Duello - Learn SwordplayDueling: the Violence of GentlemenLe matin du 22 mai 1838, le dernier duel du Canadapistol-provenance.pdfLast Fatal Duel Historical PlaqueHow a pair of men in St. John's survived the last duel fought on Canadian soil | CBC NewsUpdates to Canada’s criminal law will legalize duels and permit pretending to practise witchcraft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 388: On the morning of August 5, 2013, Campbellton, New Brunswick, faced an unthinkable tragedy. Police and first responders were called to an apartment above Reptile Ocean, the town’s reptile and fish shop, where they found Connor and Noah Barthe, brothers aged six and four, dead after a sleepover with their friend Jayce Savoie. Sometime in the night, a 12-foot, 53-pound African rock python owned by shopkeeper Jean-Claude Savoie escaped its enclosure, slithered through a vent, and fatally attacked the sleeping boys. The official cause of death was “traumatic asphyxia by constriction,” a finding that shocked the small community and quickly attracted national and international attention. As investigators began their work, residents struggled to comprehend how a night of friendship ended in such horror. Savoie was charged with criminal negligence causing death, setting the stage for a legal and ethical debate that would raise tough questions and stir deep emotions far beyond Campbellton. Episode Sources:Connor & Noah Barthe Obituary - Campbellton, NB2016 NBQB 205 (CanLII) | R. v. Savoie | CanLII2016 NBQB 135 (CanLII) | R. v. Jean-Claude Savoie | CanLIISnake kills two boys during sleepover, Canadian police sayBoys in python case lived life 'to a maximum' | CBC NewsMother of boys killed by python: 'I thought they would be safe'Mother of N.B. boys killed by python: ‘I thought they would be safe’Reptile Ocean | Facts, Fiction, & the MediaWhy Are People Afraid of Snakes? | Phobia, Evolution, & Facts | BritannicaPython deaths: 'This could have been prevented by a simple action' | CBC NewsPython made ‘growling noises’ after killing young brothers, trial of pet store owner hearsJuror dismissed in python deaths trial as Crown prepares to call final witness | Globalnews.ca‘Smell of food would really excite’ python, reptile expert tells N.B. trial | Globalnews.caJuror dismissed in python deaths trial as Crown prepares to call final witness | Globalnews.caJean-Claude Savoie | News, Videos & ArticlesCBC Player | Dramatic 911 calls over pythonEnfants tués par un python: Jean-Claude Savoie non coupable2013 New Brunswick python attackTragic photos emerge of brothers cleaning snake pen months before python killed them in their sleep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 387: On December 26, 2005, around 5:15 p.m., there was a gunfight outside the Foot Locker store on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. Unfortunately, a fifteen-year-old girl named Jane Creba was shot and killed. She was an innocent bystander among hundreds of Boxing Day shoppers who were in the area at the time of the shooting. Sadly, she was caught in the middle of the gunfire and died from a single bullet that hit her in the back and pierced her aorta. In addition to Jane, six other people were injured in the shooting. Sources: Candlelight vigil set for tonight to remember Jane Creba | CBC NewsRobbery, fight led to Boxing Day shooting: affidavit | CBC News2008 CanLII 54975 (ON SC) | R. v. Smith | CanLII2008 ONCJ 123 (CanLII) | R. v. Woodcock et al. | CanLIIJeremiah Valentine interrogation - Police provided video | National PostJeremiah Valentine interrogation - Police provided video | YouTubeGuilty plea in Creba shootingCreba's parents describe 'tsunami of grief' after 2005 shooting | CBC News2012 ONCA 568 (CanLII) | R. v. J.S.R. | CanLII2015 ONCA 535 (CanLII) | R. v. Woodcock | CanLIICanadian Legal Information Institute | CanLIIBoxing Day shootingMan convicted in 2005 Toronto murder of Jane Creba faces first-degree murder charge in MontrealToronto Boxing Day killer granted full parole 7 months before fatal Montreal shootingGunman involved in Jane Creba Boxing Day killing arrested again, faces murder charge in Montreal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 386: In the last episode, we explored the origins of Herbert Baumeister and the early days at Fox Hollow, tracing the stories of early disappearances of gay men around Indiana. The disappearances beginning in the late 1980s and into the 1990s signalled the start of a wave of heartbreak that swept through Indianapolis’s gay community, leaving families and friends desperate for answers.  In this episode, we turn our focus to the other lives forever altered by Herb Baumeister’s crimes. We’ll share what’s known about the final days of Baumeister’s other victims. Among them were Jeffrey Allan Jones, Roger Alan Goodlet, Michael Frederick Keirn, Steven Spurlin Hale, Richard Douglas Hamilton Jr., Johnny Bayer, Allen Wayne Broussard, and Daniel Thomas Halloran. As their stories unfold, we’ll follow the determined police investigation, the pressure that began to close in on Baumeister, and his frantic flight from justice. This case, originating in quiet Indiana neighbourhoods, fades out across the border—coming to a haunting end here in Canada. Episode Sources: Who Was Herb Baumeister? Revisiting the Serial Killer's Crimes and Horrifying Post-Murder Rituals 29 Years After His DeathCrimeLibrary.com/Serial Killers/Sexual Predators/Herb Baumeister: Skeletons Beyond the ClosetBaumeister, Herb - fall, 2005Herbert R. Baumeister  - Encyclopedia of IndianapolisHerb BaumeisterQUEER CRIME: The Double Life of Herb BaumeisterI-70 StranglerThe Mystery of the I-70 Serial Killer - Unsolved MysteriesThe True Story Of The Fox Hollow Murders30-year mystery solved: Missing man's remains among those found on suspected serial killer's estateInvestigators Uncover "Unimaginable" 10,000 Bone Fragments in Businessman's BackyardThis private investigator cracked the case of notorious serial killer Herbert BaumeisterJeffrey Allen “Jeff” Jones (1962-1993) - Find a...Roger Allen Goodlet (1960-1994)Michael Frederick “Mike” Keirn (1949-1995) - Find...Steven Spurlin Hale (1967-1996)Richard Douglas Hamilton Jr. (1973-1993) - Find a...John Lee “Johnny” Bayer (1972-1993) - Find a...Allen Wayne Broussard (1966-1994)Daniel Thomas Halloran (1972-1993)After 29 years, another victim of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister identifiedCoroner: New DNA profiles completed for 2 of serial killer Herb Baumeister's victims10th victim identified in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case in Indiana'I-70 Strangler' remains mysterious Midwest boogeyman, but private investigator has theoryHerb Baumeister’s killing field and the new effort to identify his victims: Forgotten at Fox Hollow'The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer' premieres Feb. 18 on Hulu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices