Mike Browne

Episode 280: In the early morning hours of July 8, 2019, Vancouver Island RCMP launched a manhunt for two inmates who had escaped from William Head, a minimum security federal institution in Metchosin, south of Victoria. The two men, James Lee Busch and Zachary Armitage had walked away from William Head the day before. The fugitives were arrested on July 9 after an off-duty RCMP officer spotted them in Esquimalt. On July 12, RCMP found the body of 60-year-old Martin Keith Payne, who had not shown up for work, at his home on Brookview Drive, in the community of Metchosin.

Payne’s suspicious death initiated an 11-month investigation led by the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, involving several police agencies. On June 12, 2020, an RCMP news release reported that the escapees, Busch and Armitage, had been charged with first-degree murder concerning Martin Payne’s death.

This event sparked serious debate about the decision-making process that led to these two individuals, both with histories of violent crime, being housed in a minimum-security facility. How had they simply walked away from their incarceration to murder Martin Payne?

Sources:

RCMP in British Columbia – Two men arrested and charged in the 2019 Martin Payne homicide investigation

Metchosin

The behind-the-scenes story of how ignored warnings at William Head allowed a killer to escape

William Head Rd · Metchosin, BC

Correctional Service on Twitter

The Province 09 Jul 2019, page A13

Archive.org | CAPTURED – Prisoners who escaped from William Head Institution now in police custody

Archive.org | Suspicious Death Investigation Continues in Metchosin

Archive.org | Persons of interest identified in the murder of Martin Payne

Victim died of multiple stab wounds and blunt force injuries, murder trial hears

Woman sentenced for role in murder | CBC News

Metchosin seeks permission to use emergency alerts for prison breaks

Globe and Mail | Inmate tells B.C. court he ‘felt like dying’ while in solitary confinement

Loved ones remember joyous Metchosin man as his killer is sentenced

Family of murdered Metchosin man speaks as killer sentenced to life in prison

Paul Bernardo transfer to a medium-security prison was ‘sound’: review – National

CSC staff ‘worried the circus would begin’ before Bernardo transfer: emails – National

‘My father could have been anyone’: Daughters of murder victim speak out

July marks 4 years since inmates escaped William Head prison, murdered Metchosin man

2019 BCPC 311 (CanLII) | R. v. Armitage | CanLII

2022 BCSC 1407 (CanLII) | R. v Armitage & Busch | CanLII

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Episode 279: In Quebec City, on October 21, 2004, Dario Gallese got an alarming phone call from his younger brother, Eustachio Gallese. In the call, Eustachio admitted to killing his girlfriend, Chantale Deschesnes, 32, and, following his brother’s advice, contacted the police to report the crime. Eustachio was arrested, charged, and convicted of the second-degree murder of Chantale. In late 2006, Eustachio was sentenced to life in prison without parole eligibility for 15 years. 

In 2019, Eustachio was placed into a halfway house on day parole. In September, in what would be a controversial decision, his case management team allowed Eustachio Gallese to visit sex workers to have his sexual needs met, as long as he was ‘transparent’ with his case management team about these visits. 

On the night of January 22, 2020, Eustachio Gallese walked into a Quebec City police station and admitted to having murdered another woman, a 22-year-old masseuse named Marylène Levesque, whom he’d become obsessed with. Marylène’s body was found in the Sainte-Foy (Sant-Fwa) hotel room where Gallese said she would be. She’d been stabbed 30 times.

A month later, Eustachio Gallese, then 51, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. After a public outcry inciting parliamentary debate, the Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada announced a joint investigation into Gallese’s release.

Sources:

2004 CanLII 56627 (QC CS) | R. c. Gallese | CanLII

2009 QCCA 1071 (CanLII) | Gallese c. R. | CanLII

Meurtre de Marylène Lévesque: une vigile contre les féminicides

Meurtre à Sainte-Foy: «C’était prévisible», dénonce la fille de la victime

Debates (Hansard) No. 14 – February 4, 2020 (43-1) – House of Commons of Canada

Stigma and Criminalization of Sex Work Facilitated the Murder of Marylène Levesque

Correctional services missed signs leading up to Marylène Levesque murder, says report | CBC News

Warning signs were missed prior to murder of Marylène Lévesque: report | Watch News Videos Online

Internal investigation into the murder of Marylène Lévesque: Pierre Paul-Hus calls for the immediate reopening of the internal investigation | Pierre Paul-Hus

Joint National Board of Investigation: Correctional Service of Canada – Parole Board of Canada

Enforcing prostitution laws could have saved Marylène Lévesque | The Star

Marylène Lévesque – Investigation Report | PDF

Capitalism Is Killing My Fellow Sex Workers

How Canada’s sex work laws put lives at risk | CityNews

Quebec City man sentenced to life with no parole for 25 years for 1st-degree murder of sex worker | CBC News

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/quebec-wants-answers-on-how-moderate-risk-murder-suspect-made-parole

Correctional Service Canada takes concrete actions in response to Board of Investigation results

Why Sex Work Should Be Decriminalized

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Episode 278: In this episode, we plunge into the perplexing saga of Grace Marks and James McDermott. Their story, a blend of mystery and controversy, revolves around the savage murders of wealthy Richmond Hill farmer Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery, in 1843. This tale continues to ignite debates about guilt, innocence, and the essence of criminality.

We’ll lay out a tangled web of facts and speculations surrounding these infamous figures and their crimes. We journey through Grace’s life, from her hazardous upbringing in Ireland to her immigration to Canada and her involvement in one of the 19th century’s most notorious crimes. We also delve into James McDermott’s role and his complex relationship with Grace Marks, a subject of relentless speculation.

Sources:

Grace Marks | The Canadian Encyclopedia

Life in the Clearings versus the Bush by Susanna Moodie – Free Ebook

The trials of James McDermott and Grace Marks | Digital Archive | Toronto Public Library

An Historical Enigma: the real Grace Marks and Alias Grace | Anna Mazzola

Is ‘Alias Grace’ a True Story? Separate Fact vs. Fiction

Beyond Grace: Criminal Lunatic Women in Victorian Canada

The Trial and Testimony of Grace Marks, Murderess: Gender Performance in a Colonial Courtroom, Upper Canada 1843 by Ashley Banbury

Early Days in Richmond Hill

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Episode 277: On January 26, 2012, Jo Anne Alexander called 911 from her residence in Richmond, B.C., pleading for help and mentioning that she had ingested sleeping pills. Upon arrival, police found Jo Anne and her husband, John Alexander, in their bed with their deceased family dog. John was dead and had suffered blunt-force injuries. His death was ruled a homicide. Jo Anne was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was arrested after a conversation with police and subsequently charged with second-degree murder.

A B.C. Supreme Court jury found Jo Anne Alexander guilty of the second-degree murder of her husband in March. She was sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 11 years. The court heard that the couple had been in severe financial distress, living off the proceeds from the sale of their home and borrowing from friends and family. In a letter to her family, Jo Anne, apparently suicidal, said the couple was facing “financial ruin” and that her husband didn’t understand.

John and Jo Anne’s son, David, will share his experiences over the past 11 and a half years since his father died in the next part of this episode.

The following episode includes talk of suicide. If you need help, you can contact a crisis responder to get help without judgement, twenty-four / seven, 365 days a year at 1-833-456-4566. For more information, please go to talksuicide.ca. You matter and are deserving of help. 

Sources:

Get Help | Talk Suicide Canada

2014 BCSC 293 (CanLII) | R. v. Alexander | CanLII

2014 BCSC 1306 (CanLII) | R. v. Alexander | CanLII

Richmond woman, 63, gets 11-year prison term for murder of ailing husband – Richmond News

Richmond woman charged with murdering invalid husband of 40 years | Globalnews.ca

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Episode 276: On March 27, 2020, Jacob Sansom, 39, and his uncle, Maurice Cardinal, 57, both Métis, went hunting in Glendon, Alberta. They later began driving along Range Road 484, where they were mistakenly suspected of planning a burglary by Roger Bilodeau, a white property owner. Bilodeau, 58, and his 16-year-old son, Joseph, gave chase, reaching speeds up to 150 km/h. Another son, Anthony Bilodeau, 33, was called to join during the chase. He did and brought a gun. 

After a confrontation at an intersection near Glendon, Alberta, Anthony shot and killed both Sansom and Cardinal. The Bilodeaus fled the scene, offering no aid, nor did they contact authorities. The victims’ bodies were discovered by a passerby hours later.

Sources:

Justice for Jacob and Morris

Obituary of Jacob Christoper Sansom | Northern Lights Funeral Chapel

Obituary of Maurice David Cardinal | Northern Lights Funeral Chapel

Justice For Jake and Morris | Facebook

Métis National Council

2022 ABQB 576 (CanLII) | R v Bilodeau | CanLII

2023 ABKB 13 (CanLII) | R v Bilodeau | CanLII

Global News | Search: Jacob Sansom and Morris Cardinal

Métis hunters’ families reacts to Anthony Bilodeau’s sentence | APTN News

Surveillance footage shows Metis hunters’ deaths | Toronto Star | YouTube

Alberta father and son both guilty in killing of two Métis hunters | The Star

Metis hunter in Alberta says threats not new in province | APTN News

Experiences of discrimination among the Black and Indigenous populations in Canada, 2019

History of Racism in Canada – Anti-Racism Learning Toolkit – Library and Academic Services at RRC Polytech

White Canadian man found guilty of murder of two Indigenous hunters | Canada | The Guardian

Edmonton Journal | Jacob Sansom and Morris Cardinal Murdered

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This historical, true crime podcast hosted by Kru Williams from History Television’s hit original series Deadman’s Curse: The Legend of the Lost Gold investigates the curse and legend surrounding the lost gold mine of Pitt Lake.

On their quest they’re joined by members of the Stó:lō and Katzie First Nations, historians and cultural experts of diverse backgrounds, as they sort fact from fiction and give Slumach a voice from the other side of the veil.

You’ll hear about how an Indigenous prospector, accused of murder set a curse on anyone who searched for his hidden gold just before he was hanged. Over a century later, a prospector, a mountaineer, a truth-seeker and a way-shower band together to walk the same paths of those who went looking for Slumach’s cursed gold and never returned find how a single bullet was the catalyst for a 150-year-old mystery.

Click here to find it on your favourite podcast app.

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Episode 275: On May 8, 1984, a man with a beard, dressed in Canadian Forces camouflage attire and wearing a beret, entered the studios of CJRP, a radio station in Quebec City. Employees at the station noticed the man had a knife secured to his leg. The man approached the assistant to radio host André Arthur’s assistant, presented her with an envelope while introducing himself as “Mr. D.” and promptly left.

The man was later identified as Denis Lortie, a 25-year-old disgruntled Canadian Forces corporal who then entered the Citadelle de Quebec to commit a mass shooting of members of the National Assembly of Quebec. He opened fire, killing three unelected legislature employees, Georges Boyer, 61, Camille Lepage, 54, and Roger Lefrançois, 57. He injured thirteen others before being apprehended, thanks to the heroism of René Marc Jalbert, a retired Canadian Forces officer and the sergeant-at-arms of the National Assembly of Quebec. Lortie’s actions shocked the nation and prompted discussions on security measures and political extremism. Jalbert’s earned him the Cross of Valour, Canada’s highest civilian bravery award.

Sources:

Home – La Citadelle de Québec – Musée Royal 22e Régiment

This is the story of how one lock and key, unlocked terror. | Diefenbunker.ca

Dramatic video: 30th Anniversary of National Assembly shootings | CBC.ca

“Mr. D.” – TIME

The Père-version of the Political in the Case of Denis Lortie

Canadian Parliamentary Review – Article

Il y a 20 ans, la fusillade de l’Assemblée nationale | Radio-Canada.ca

Le Soleil > Itinéraire d’un tueur

1990 CanLII 3485 (QC CA) | R. c. Lortie | CanLII

1986 CanLII 7293 (QC CA) | Lortie v. R. | CanLII

Lortie, Re, 1985 CanLII 3637 (QC CA) | Lortie Re. | CanLii

Rampage: Canadian Mass Murder and Spree Killing by Dr. Lee Mellor | Scribd

Mr. René Marc Jalbert | The Governor General of Canada

Canadian Parliamentary Review – Article

Lortie Released | The Canadian Encyclopedia

Plaque to honour victims of 1984 National Assembly shooting unveiled | Montreal Gazette

J’étais la femme du tueur: le récit de Lise Levesque, épouse du caporal Denis Lortie: Dominique Fournier: 9782920839052: Books – Amazon.ca

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Episode 274: Trina Hunt, a 48-year-old woman from Port Moody, B.C., was reported missing on the evening of January 18, 2021. Her husband, Iain Hunt, claimed to have seen her at her home that morning. Her whereabouts remained unknown for weeks despite extensive search efforts by authorities and volunteers. Tragically, Trina’s body was discovered near Hope, B.C., South of Silver Creek on March 29, 2021. Her death was determined a homicide.  The investigation into her murder is ongoing, and her killer has yet to be apprehended.

Sources:

TrinaHunt.com

40 Hawthorn Drive – 40 Hawthorn Drive, Port Moody, BC

38 Hawthorn Drive, Port Moody, BC – 5 Beds for sale for $1,950,000

For sale: 38 HAWTHORN DRIVE, Port Moody, British Columbia V3H0A4 – R2732834 | REALTOR.ca

Missing Person – Port Moody Police Department

Family of missing Port Moody woman Trina Hunt makes a statement | GlobalNews

Trina Hunt’s family speaks out following the identification of her body | GlobalNews

Trina Hunt $50,000 Reward Offered | YouTube

IHIT – Trina Hunt investigation continues

IHIT – IHIT appeal to the public on the two-year anniversary of Trina Hunt investigation

Vancouver Sun | It has been two years since Trina Hunt was killed, and still no charge in the case

Facebook Page | Justice For Trina Hunt | Port Moody BC

JUSTICE FOR TRINA HUNT (@justicefortrina) | Instagram

GoFundMe | JUSTICE FOR TRINA

Unofficial Reddit Sub | r/MissingTrinaHunt

Twitter | @findtrina

The Murder Of Trina Hunt | Unofficial Facebook Discussion Group

Man arrested in connection with Trina Hunt killing released without charges | Globalnews.ca

Death of Chilliwack’s Shaelene Bell classified as ‘undetermined’: coroner – Hope Standard

Pinterest | Iain Hunt

Reddit | r/MissingTrinaHunt | Iain confronted at Dairy Queen

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Episode 273: On August 15, 2009, the mutilated body of Jasmine Fiore, a 28-year-old Playboy model and aspiring actress, was found stuffed into a suitcase and discarded in a dumpster in Buena Park, California. The investigation quickly led to her husband, Ryan Jenkins, a Canadian real estate investor and former contestant on the reality TV show “Megan Wants a Millionaire.”

As the investigation progressed, a disturbing picture of domestic violence and jealousy emerged. It was revealed that Jenkins had a history of abusive behaviour towards Jasmine, and the couple had a tumultuous relationship. The motive for the murder appeared to be jealousy and control.

Ryan Jenkins fled to Canada, and an international manhunt was launched to apprehend him. However, on August 23, 2009, Jenkins was found dead in a Hope, British Columbia motel room. He had completed suicide by hanging himself.

This case generated widespread media coverage and sparked discussions about domestic violence, the dark side of reality TV, and the importance of raising awareness about toxic relationships. The tragic death of Jasmine Fiore served as a grim reminder of the dangers of domestic violence and the need for intervention and support for victims.

Sources:

Police: Violent Struggle Before Model’s Murder — YouTube

Ryan Jenkins | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Grim Reality: Jasmine Fiore and Ryan Jenkins — Introduction — Crime Library

Swimsuit Model’s Suspected Killer Husband Found Dead – ABC News

Friends of Murdered Model, Jasmine Fiore, Tell Her Story – ABC News

Friends mourn former swimsuit model, Bonny Doon native – Santa Cruz Sentinel

Jasmine Lepore Fiore (1981-2009) – Find a Grave Memorial

‘The Playboy Murders’: Model’s breast implants helped ID vic

Playboy model Jasmine Fiore’s reality TV millionaire husband Ryan Jenkins remains ‘on the run’ after her death | Daily Mail Online

Blood found in car of slain model, say police | CTV News

Ryan Jenkins’ Suicide Note: Love, Anger for Jasmine Fiore (Photos) – CBS News

The Playboy Murders: What happened to Jasmine Fiore?

Private memorial held in Calgary for Ryan Jenkins | CTV News

Police Discover Ryan Jenkins’ Suicide Note | Blog Archive | Vh1 Blog

Slain model’s ex-husband has assault record | CBC News

Thunderbird Motel

RCMP know woman who helped Jenkins – The Globe and Mail

Father of fugitive says he will talk | CTV News

Ryan Jenkins Death Rack/ Coat Rack (Item ID: 102251, End Time : N/A) – Ghouls Like Us

Wayback Machine — Collective Intelligence vs. Straightline International

Friends and family portray two very different Ryan Jenkins after murder, suicide – Red Deer Advocate

Reality TV contestant suspected of murdering his ex-wife found dead | US news | The Guardian

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Episode 272: Peter Vasilievich Verigin, also known as “Lordly,” was a highly respected and influential leader among the Doukhobors. These Doukhobors had migrated to Canada in 1899, seeking a new life and religious freedom. Verigin was pivotal in guiding and inspiring them to create a strong and united community based on their religious beliefs.

However, tragedy struck in 1924, casting a dark shadow over Verigin’s legacy. An explosion occurred on Car 1586 of the Kettle Valley Line, resulting in the loss of Verigin’s life, the life of his companion, and seven others. The devastating incident left people shocked and searching for answers. Some suspected that fanatics or government agents might have been responsible, while others believed that fellow Doukhobors or accidental causes played a role. The truth behind this tragic event remains a mystery, and the case remains unsolved.

Sources:

Home | Doukhobor Heritage

Doukhobor Discovery Centre – Home

The Kootenay-Columbia Fuel Supply Company at Nelson, BC | Doukhobor Heritage

Explosion on the Kettle Valley Line: The Death of Peter Verigin

Peter Vasilevich Verigin | The Canadian Encyclopedia

Doukhobors | The Canadian Encyclopedia

The River Press 05 Nov 1902, page 2 – Newspapers.com

Times Colonist 29 Oct 1924, page 1 – Newspapers.com

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