Blood on the Prairie

Blood on the Prairie is an original historical true crime podcast produced by Chris Beauchamp and Cris Seppola. Our First Season, “Murder of Six,” is based on a true story that happened in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada in 1918.

Homesteader and farmer Daniel Lough heard terrified shouting coming from his neighbour’s farm in the early morning hours of June 20, 1918. He bolted across the road, and after discovering the cabin set ablaze, rushed by horseback to the village of Grande Prairie to fetch the authorities. This crime scene, the Snyder farm, was the first discovery in what would become Alberta’s largest unsolved mass murder.Episode Highlights Land Acknowledgement and Intro: 0:00:10 Prologue: 0:01:27 The Night-Time Habits of Daniel Lough: 0:04:51 The Burning Cabin: 0:06:04 Daniel’s Ride to Town: 0:10:53 Police Are Notified: 0:13:14 The Gun: 0:17:38 The Victims: 0:19:35 Additional Evidence: 0:24:20 The Public Reaction: 0:26:03 Next Episode: 0:29:34 Credits: 0:29:52 Sources & Historical Material Alberta History - Murder on the Prairie: Who Killed Six Immigrant Settlers? by Dr. David Leonard [link] The Grande Prairie of the Great Northland - The Evolution of a County 1805 - 1951 by Dr. David Leonard [link] Foulest of Murders: The Story of Grande Prairie's 1918 Unsolved Murder of 6 by Wallace Lloyd Tansem [link] Daniel Lough Criminal Case File, Alberta Provincial Archives Snyder Inquest File, Alberta Provincial Archives Support Blood on the PrairieIf you’re enjoying Blood on the Prairie and would like to support it and the creators, here are a few ways you can help. Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. Click here to choose yours Follow and share our podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Visit our website and have a look around Rate our podcast on Facebook or Apple Podcasts Buy us a coffee Check out our branded merch AcknowledgementsBlood on the Prairie is produced by Cris Seppola and Chris Beauchamp.We'd like to thank the South Peace Regional Archives, the Provincial Archives of Alberta, Alyssa Curry, Karen Simonson, Dr. David Leonard, Brenda Lacroix, the family of Wallace Tansem, Jason Halwa, Al Peterson, Kasper Townes, Gordie Haakstad, Richard Podsada, and Laura Beauchamp. Music used in this episode by: Unrealsfx, Matt Stewart Evans, Linus Johnson, Brianna Tam, Michael Vignola, and Yehezkel RazOur voice actors in this episode included Clint Webb, Scott Maitland, Wade Morrison, Derek Hall, and Cameron Donald.About Cris & ChrisCris Seppola is a content creator based in Grande Prairie, Alberta. While her professional life includes entrepreneurship, marketing, and communications, she also has experience with filmmaking, photography, animation and audio engineering.Over the past year in particular, Cris has worked with her two co-hosts, Sue and Amanda, in creating and producing Fancy Plants Podcast.Chris Beauchamp is a photographer, writer, and filmmaker based in Grande Prairie, Alberta. His background includes journalism, communications, and marketing.His photography work has included corporate, public, and industrial clients, as well as leading Canadian editorial publications.As a filmmaker, he has written, directed, and produced several short films, documentaries, and commercial projects.Sponsorship & FundingBlood on the Prairie was developed thanks to funding provided by TELUS STORYHIVE. Special Thanks to Tara Jean Stevens, Jessica Gibson, and the National Screen Institute. ★ Support this podcast ★

Episode SummaryA second crime scene is found by Alexander ‘Sandy’ Peebles, who discovers four more victims just by being a good neighbour. We’ll meet these four men, learn who they are, and begin to piece together potential motives for murder—made more titillating when some surprising evidence ties this new crime scene with the Snyder farm incident that happened only a few miles away.Episode Highlights Intro: 0:00:12 Rumours and Innuendo: 00:01:07 Peebles Returns Horses: 00:02:18 Ignace Patan: 00:03:24 The Horses Return: 00:07:17 Peebles & Snyder: 00:08:14 The Horses’ Third Visit: 00:10:04 The Men Around the Farm: 00:12:22 Medical Examiner Arrives: 00:17:12 A Brief Aside Regarding Names: 00:18:07 Autopsies and Aspects: 00:19:36 Timelines: 00:24:39 Next Episode: 00:27:18 Special GuestsDr. David Leonard is an expert on Alberta’s northwest Peace River Country history in particular. He published a detailed article about the case in 2010, and further explored the history of the region in his book The Grand Prairie of the Great Northland: The Evolution of a County, 1805-1951, including a specific section about the violence prevalent in the region following the return of soldiers after the First World War. Dr. Leonard sat down with us on several occasions to discuss not only the case, but also the history of our region in and around 1918.Sources / Historical Material Alberta History - Murder on the Prairie: Who Killed Six Immigrant Settlers? by Dr. David Leonard [1] The Grande Prairie of the Great Northland - The Evolution of a County 1805 - 1951 by Dr. David Leonard [1] Foulest of Murders: The Story of Grande Prairie's 1918 Unsolved Murder of 6 by Wallace Lloyd Tansem [1] Pioneers of the Peace [1], 1975. Publisher: Isabel M. Campbell [1, 2] & Grande Prairie and District Old Timers’ Association [1]. Illustrated by Robert C. Guest [1, 2]. Land Settlement Data, Library and Archives Canada [1] Patan Inquest File, Alberta Provincial Archives Support Blood on the PrairieIf you’re loving Blood on the Prairie and would like to support it and the creators, here are a few ways you can help. Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. Choose yours here: https://link.chtbl.com/botpweb Follow and share our podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Visit our website and have a look around Rate our podcast on Facebook or Apple Podcasts Buy us a coffee Check out our merch store AcknowledgementsBlood on the Prairie is produced by Cris Seppola and Chris Beauchamp. We'd like to thank the South Peace Regional Archives, the Provincial Archives of Alberta, Alyssa Curry, Karen Simonson, Dr. David Leonard, Brenda Lacroix, the family of Wallace Tansem, Jason Halwa, Al Peterson, Kasper Townes, Gordie Haakstad, Richard Podsada, and Laura Beauchamp.Blood on the Prairie was developed thanks to funding provided by TELUS STORYHIVE. Special Thanks to Tara Jean Stevens, Jessica Gibson, and the National Screen Institute.  Music used in this episode by Unrealsfx, Sid Acharya, Sivan Talmor, Kyle Preston, Ankori Ramon, Roi Shpigler, Michael Vignola, Brianna Tam, Oakfield, and Ziv Moran.Our voice actors in this episode included Lyle West, Jordon Fuller, Scott Maitland, Derek Hall, and Cameron Donald.Blood on the Prairie is available on all major podcast platforms. For show notes and access to archival sources and other documents relating to the case — as well as photographs from both the 1918 era, and the crime scenes in 2021, find us at bloodonthepriaire.com.About Cris & ChrisCris Seppola is a content creator based in Grande Prairie, Alberta. While her professional life includes entrepreneurship, marketing, and communications, she also has experience with filmmaking, photography, animation and audio engineering.Over the past year in particular, Cris has worked with her two co-hosts, Sue and Amanda, in creating and producing Fancy Plants Podcast.Chris Beauchamp is a photographer, writer, and filmmaker based in Grande Prairie, Alberta. His background includes journalism, communications, and marketing.His photography work has included corporate, public, and industrial clients, as well as leading Canadian editorial publications.As a filmmaker, he has written, directed, and produced several short films, documentaries, and commercial projects.SponsorshipBlood on the Prairie was developed thanks to funding provided by TELUS STORYHIVE. Special Thanks to Tara Jean Stevens, Jessica Gibson, and the National Screen Institute. ★ Support this podcast ★

Episode SummaryEpisode 3 delves into some surprising connections between the crime scenes and victims. We'll hear from local historians to better understand the context of settler life in this remote part of Canada. Plus we'll hear Daniel Lough's account of just what he was doing at Joseph Snyder's Place on the evening before the Snyder murders.Timestamps Intro: 00:00:11 Percy Belcher: 00:01:00 The Limitations of the Inquest Files: 00:04:51 The Community Reaction & Suspects: 00:08:53 The Immigrants: 00:10:43 The Clairmont Independent: 00:12:00 Policing Challenges: 00:13:37 Connections Between the Two Scenes: 00:15:35 Lough Visits Snyder’s: 00:17:56 A Tangled Web: 00:19:58 Ignace Patan’s Moccasins: 00:21:25 Keeler & Salisbury: 00:23:20 Next Episode: 00:25:26 Credits: 00:26:03 Special GuestsAlyssa CurrieAlyssa Currie became familiar with this case during her four-year tenure as Executive Director at the South Peace Regional Archives. With familial ties going back several generations, Ms. Currie shared many fascinating insights as to what life was like in Northern Alberta at the beginning of the 20th century, along with her own thoughts about Alberta’s largest unsolved mass murder. Ms. Currie is now the Executive Director of the Tse'k'wa Heritage Society in Fort St. John, British Columbia.Links to Sources / Historical Material Snyder Inquest File, Alberta Provincial Archives Patan Inquest File, Alberta Provincial Archives Alberta History – Murder on the Prairie: Who Killed Six Immigrant Settlers? by Dr. David Leonard [1] The Grande Prairie of the Great Northland – The Evolution of a County 1805 – 1951 by Dr. David Leonard [1] South Peace Regional Archives - Fonds 594 Stanley William Bird fonds [1] Clairmont Independent - June 27, 1918 [1] Foulest of Murders: The Story of Grande Prairie’s 1918 Unsolved Murder of 6 by Wallace Lloyd Tansem [1] Support Blood on the PrairieIf you’re loving Blood on the Prairie and would like to support it and the creators, here are a few ways you can help. Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. Choose yours here. Follow and share our podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Visit our website and have a look around Rate our podcast on Facebook or Apple Podcasts Buy us a coffee Check out our branded merch Acknowledgements Blood on the Prairie is produced by Cris Seppola and Chris Beauchamp.We'd like to thank the South Peace Regional Archives, the Provincial Archives of Alberta, Alyssa Curry, Karen Simonson, Dr. David Leonard, Brenda Lacroix, the family of Wallace Tansem, Jason Halwa, Al Peterson, Kasper Townes, Gordie Haakstad, Richard Podsada, and Laura Beauchamp.Music used in this episode by: Unrealsfx, Roie Shpigler, The David Roy Collective, Matt Stewart Evans, James Paul Mitchell, Oakfield, Muted, Yehezkel Raz, Ohad Ben Ari, Michael Vignola.Our voice actors in this episode included: Clint Webb, Scott Maitland, Kasper Townes, Grant Buchanan, Lyle West and Richard Podsada.Blood on the Prairie is available on all major podcast platforms. For show notes and access to archival sources and other documents relating to the case — as well as photographs from both the 1918 era, and the crime scenes in 2021, find us at bloodonthepriaire.com. About Cris & ChrisCris SeppolaCris Seppola is a content creator based in Grande Prairie, Alberta. While her professional life includes marketing and communications, she also has experience with filmmaking, photography, animation and audio engineering.Over the past year in particular, Cris has worked with her two co-hosts, Sue and Amanda, in creating and producing Fancy Plants Podcast.Chris BeauchampChris Beauchamp is a photographer, writer, and filmmaker based in Grande Prairie, Alberta. His background includes journalism, communications, and marketing.His photography work has included corporate, public, and industrial clients, as well as leading Canadian editorial publications.As a filmmaker, he has written, directed, and produced several short films, documentaries, and commercial projects.SponsorshipBlood on the Prairie was developed thanks to funding provided by TELUS STORYHIVE. Special Thanks to Tara Jean Stevens, Jessica Gibson, and the National Screen Institute. ★ Support this podcast ★