Dark Poutine

Episode 327: Maple Batalia, a 19-year-old college student studying health sciences, was also a working model and actress and loved to paint. On the night of September 28, 2011, after a late-night study session at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus, she was shot and attacked with a knife in a parking lot as she left the campus library. The savage nature of the attack left her with multiple gunshot wounds and severe stab wounds to her head. Despite efforts to save her, Maple succumbed to her injuries at a Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminister. 

Suspicion immediately fell on Maple’s ex-boyfriend, Gurjinder (Gary) Dhaliwal, with whom she’d broken up a month before. Dhaliwal refused to leave Maple alone and obsessively contacted her since their breakup, and he had been violent with her. Days before her murder, Dhaliwal had violently confronted Maple, and police became involved, telling him to stay away. Dhaliwal claimed innocence after Maple’s slaying, but his relationship with his friend Gursimar (Gary) Bedi proved to be his undoing.

Sources:

2016 BCSC 1930 (CanLII) | R. v. Bedi | CanLII

2016 BCSC 1966 (CanLII) | R. v. Dhaliwal | CanLII

2016 BCSC 2528 (CanLII) | R. v. Dhaliwal | CanLII

2017 BCSC 292 (CanLII) | R. v. Bedi | CanLII

Do You Know the Warning Signs of Domestic Abuse?

Maple Batalia | Global News

Maple Batalia’s mother speaks out

Maple Batalia Arts Scholarship by House of Kiran

RIP Maple Batalia | Facebook

Maple Batalia | Krystal Kiran

With no suspects, murder victim’s family can only mourn, and wait

“A jewel of mine”: The murder of Maple Batalia and Gendered Violence in the Mainstream News Media

Maple (2017)

Ex-boyfriend gets 21 years without parole in B.C. on-campus murder

Jealous ex-boyfriend pleads guilty to young woman’s murder in B.C.

New photos released in relation to Batalia killing

Maple Batalia was Gunned Down– More Deadly Violence Against Women

Family outraged after Maple Batalia’s killer given temporary release from prison Saturday

Canadian Actress and College Student Is Gunned Down Leaving Campus Library | Oxygen Official Site

Maple Batalia’s death ‘was like stomping on a flower right before it blooms’

Story of teen’s tragic death shared in Fraser-Cascade schools

2017: Jasleen and Maple – Capilano University

With no suspects, murder victim’s family can only mourn, and wait

Maple Batalia (1992-2011) – Find a Grave Memorial

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Episode 326: Between 1869 and 1948, over 100,000 children from the United Kingdom were sent to Canada and other British commonwealth countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa as part of the British Home Children migration scheme. This movement was initiated to alleviate the burden of poverty and overcrowded workhouses in Britain by providing these children with opportunities abroad. However, the reality for many of these children was harsh. 

In Canada, they were often placed with farm families where boys worked as labourers and girls as domestic servants. While some found caring homes, many others faced neglect, abuse, and exploitation. The children were frequently moved from one placement to another, leading to instability and a lack of proper education. Despite these hardships, many British Home Children contributed significantly to Canadian society, with some even enlisting in the military during the World Wars. Today, it is estimated that over ten percent of the Canadian population are descendants of these children, though many remain unaware of this heritage.

Sources:

British Home Children – Veterans Affairs Canada

Home Children – Government of Canada

Who are the British Home Children

Home Children Canada

BRITISH HOME CHILDREN IN CANADA

Home Children

Home Children Canada

Welcome to British Home Children Descendants

Barnardo Home Records

The British Home Children

The Victorian Workhouse

Home Children (1869-1930) – ArchiviaNet – Library and Archives Canada

Making the Canadian Flag

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Episode 325: Edward H. Rulloff was a 19th-century Canadian-born serial killer renowned for his exceptional intellect and heinous crimes. Rulloff exhibited prodigious intellectual abilities from a young age. He was a polymath with expertise in various fields, including linguistics, where he made significant contributions, proposing theories on the origin of languages. Despite his scholarly achievements, Rulloff’s life was marred by a series of crimes that began with the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Harriet Schutt Rulloff and their young daughter, Priscilla Charlotte Rulloff, in 1845, which many suspected to be his doing. His erudition earned him a reputation as one of the most learned men of his time, even while he was incarcerated.

Rulloff’s criminal activities were as notorious as his intellect was celebrated. He was involved in a string of burglaries and was eventually implicated in multiple murders. His undoing was the killing of a store clerk, Frederick Merrick, during a robbery attempt. His two accomplices, Al Jarvis and Billy Dexter, also died while fleeing the crime scene. Rulloff was suspected of doing away with them.

He was soon captured and held for trial. Despite attempts to use his intellectual prowess as a defence, Rulloff was convicted and sentenced to death. His execution in 1871 was a significant event, as many viewed his death as the tragic end of a brilliant yet malevolent mind.

Sources:

Edward H. Rulloff – Wikipedia

Murder by Gaslight: The Man of Two Lives.

Edward Rulloff | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

The Life and Madness of Edward H. Rulloff | Victorian Gothic

Edward H. Rulloff: The Veil of Secrecy Removed: Freeman, E H: 9781461142751: Books – Amazon.ca

Rogue Scholar: The Sinister Life and Celebrated Death of Edward H. Rulloff (By: Richard W. Bailey) published: August, 2003: Richard W. Bailey: Books – Amazon.ca

Rulloff’s Restaurant | The Story

Rulloff : the great criminal and philologist / by Samuel D. Halliday. … – Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library

The Internal Narcissist: Why Your Ego Wants You To Suffer

What the new science of narcissism says about narcissists | Psyche Ideas

Ithaca history: What do you know about Edward Rulloff?

Mark Twain Day By Day: The Day Mark Twain Defended A Serial Killer

The Life and Death of Edward H. Rulloff by Herbert A. Wisbey, Jr.

Edward H. Rulloff | Newspapers.com

ABOUT MARK TWAIN: BIBLIOGRAPHIC ISSUE NUMBER 5 on JSTOR

Rulloff’s Restaurant | The Story

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Episode 324: Sheree Fertuck, a 51-year-old businesswoman, mother of three, and grandmother from Saskatchewan, disappeared on December 7, 2015, after leaving her family’s lunch gathering at her mother’s farm in Kenaston to return to work at a nearby gravel pit. The next day, her abandoned gravel truck was found in the pit, with her personal belongings inside, raising immediate concerns about her unexplained disappearance. Despite extensive ground searches by her family, friends, and the police around the gravel pit and other locations, no trace of Sheree Fertuck has ever been found.

RCMP and Sheree’s family believed she was abducted, or worse, murdered. As the weeks and months passed with no sign of Sheree, suspicion fell on her estranged husband, Gregory Mitchell Fertuck, 62. The pair had been going through a contentious divorce for some years. The RCMP undertook an undercover operation to acquire a confession to Sheree’s murder. Due to legal challenges and COVID restrictions hampering proceedings, it was not until June 2024 that this case was finally resolved.

Sources:

2023 SKKB 200 (CanLII) | R. v Fertuck | CanLII

Search: Sheree Fertuck | Newspapers.com

Kenaston, Saskatchewan

History – Village of Kenaston

The Mr. Big Police Investigation – How Real Life Sting Operations Work in BC – Dhanu Dhaliwal Law Group (DDLaw)

The Mr. Big Sting in Canada – Jonathan Cross, thesis

Mr. Big: Undercover Sting Operations

RCMP Mr. Big sting on accused killer Greg Fertuck began with fake contest at bar offsale in Saskatoon | CBC News

Greg Fertuck threatened to shoot, bury wife: Crown witnesses | CBC News

‘I’ll gut you like a fish’: Daughter testifies Greg Fertuck had history of threats against her mom | CBC News

Sheree Fertuck’s sisters still searching for closure, justice 7 years after disappearance | CBC News

14 days, 35 witnesses: Who has testified so far at Greg Fertuck’s 1st-degree murder trial | CBC News

Greg Fertuck calls former lawyer as defence witness at his murder trial

‘Show me the body’: Closing arguments heard at Greg Fertuck murder trial

Greg Fertuck ‘never told me that he killed Sheree,’ former girlfriend testifies at murder trial | CBC News

Greg Fertuck’s murder trial adjourned for final decision after closing arguments

Sheree Fertuck | News, Videos & Articles | Global News

Voir dire reopened so Fertuck can further cross-examine Crown witnesses at murder trial

Fertuck acted out killing estranged wife in secretly recorded confession video

Judge warns Greg Fertuck that court is not a ‘playground’ as murder trial resumes in Saskatoon | CBC News

Latest request from accused killer Fertuck ‘unacceptable,’ says Crown

Judge denies Fertuck’s request for mistrial or to reopen murder trial

Greg Fertuck found guilty of killing ex-wife after nearly three-year long trial

Greg Fertuck found guilty of 1st-degree murder in 2015 disappearance of wife Sheree | CBC News

Gregory Fertuck guilty of first-degree murder in death of estranged wife Sheree

The Pit | CBC Podcasts | CBC Listen

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Episode 323: In April 2014, a tragic shooting occurred at a sawmill in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Kevin Douglas Addison, 47, a former employee, opened fire at the Western Forest Products mill, killing Michael Lunn, 61, and Fred McEachern, 53, and injuring two others, Earl Kelly and Tony Sudar. Addison was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Addison’s actions shook the tight-knit Nanaimo community and highlighted critical issues surrounding workplace violence and safety in industrial settings.

Sources:

History of Nanaimo

City History | Nanaimo Museum

Home | Western Forest Products

Western Forest Products | Wikipedia

Frederick McEACHERN Obituary (2014) – Nanaimo, BC – The Times Colonist

Michael Lunn Obituary (1952 – 2014) – Legacy Remembers

UPDATE: Charges laid in deadly Nanaimo shooting

2016 BCSC 2352 (CanLII) | R. v. Addison | CanLII

The shootings at Western Forest in Nanaimo point to a bigger problem

Nanaimo mill shooting | News, Videos & Articles | Global News

Kevin Addison tells court he shot four men at Nanaimo mill

Doctor details autopsy results of Nanaimo mill shooting victims during trial

Nanaimo mill shooter Addison’s name synonymous with ‘murderous violence’

Prosecutor relays chilling account of Nanaimo sawmill shooting

Man accused in fatal Nanaimo mill shooting testifies in court

Jul 13, 1955, page 16 – The Province at Newspapers.com

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Episode 322: Nova Scotia’s rugged coastline and treacherous waters have made it a graveyard for ships throughout history. The SS Atlantic, a White Star Line steamship, sank off Nova Scotia on April 1, 1873, in one of the worst maritime disasters before the Titanic. On its 19th voyage from Liverpool to New York with around 975 people on board, the ship ran short of coal and diverted to Halifax. Navigational errors caused it to strike rocks near Prospect, Nova Scotia. Rough seas hindered lifeboat launches, trapping many passengers below deck. Local fishermen and others aided in rescue efforts, but 562 people perished, marking it the greatest civilian loss in the North Atlantic at that time.

Sources:

Nova Scotia Archives – Where the Land Meets the Sea: Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia

HMS Tribune: Halifax’s first maritime disaster is almost forgotten

Atlantic’s Last Stop by Robert Chaulk

They Went Down To The Sea by lay Spicer

Hypothermia: How long can someone survive in frigid water?

The Chilling Truth About Cold Water

SS Atlantic History – Rev. Ancient’s Account

The SS Atlantic | Canadian History Ehx

The Final Voyage of SS Atlantic

The S/S Atlantic of the White Star Line, disaster in 1873

HFX Studios

The Wreck of the SS ATLANTIC – Halifax, NS 1873

SS Atlantic – The Mystery of the Davidsons’ Grave

The Grave of the Davidsons, from the SS Atlantic

Sable Island: Shipwrecks at the graveyard of the Atlantic

Sable Island: Shipwrecks at the graveyard of the Atlantic | CBC News

Shipwreck Treasures

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Episode 321: On August 10, 2018, the city of Fredericton, New Brunswick, was rocked by a horrific shooting that left four people dead. A man armed with a legally obtained assault-style rifle opened fire in a residential neighbourhood, killing two police officers and two civilians. Constables Robb Costello, 45, and Sara Burns, 43, were gunned down as they responded to reports of shots being fired. The civilian victims were 42-year-old Donnie Robichaud and his girlfriend, 32-year-old Bobbie Lee Wright.

The perpetrator, 48-year-old Matthew Vincent Raymond, was arrested at the scene after exchanging gunfire with other officers. He was charged with four counts of first-degree murder. Raymond was charged with four counts of first-degree murder. At his 2020 trial, two psychiatrists testified that he had a mental disorder that rendered him incapable of understanding his violent actions at the time they were committed. On November 20, 2020, after a nine-week trial, a jury found Raymond not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder. Many members of the public, including some members of the victims’ families, feel justice was not served.

Sources:

City of Fredericton

237 Brookside Dr · 237 Brookside Dr, Fredericton, NB E3A 1V3

A summary of the Matthew Raymond quadruple murder trial

‘I am just shaking:’ What people saw and heard during Fredericton shooting

Canada Police Say at Least 4 Dead in Shooting

How the Fredericton shooting unfolded | CBC News

A timeline of the deadly shooting in Fredericton

Police update on Fredericton shooting

Cst. Lawrence Robert “Robb” Costello

Cst. Sara Mae Helen Burns

Donnie Robichaud, father of 3, identified as victim in Fredericton shooting

Obituary information for Bobbie Lee Wright

Fredericton pair killed in shooting spree had just begun dating, friends and relatives say

Thousands attend funeral service for Fredericton officers who made ‘the ultimate sacrifice’

‘It was hard to calm him down,’ says former colleague of alleged Fredericton shooter

Husband of slain Fredericton officer Cst. Sara Burns bids tearful goodbye | YouTube

Fredericton police chief chokes up remembering her fallen officers | YouTube

RCMP officers describe chaotic moments after they burst into Fredericton shooter’s apartment

Jury finds Fredericton shooter Matthew Raymond not criminally responsible

https://publications.gc.ca/Pilot/LoPBdP/BP/prb9922-e.htm

http://criminalnotebook.ca/index.php/Not_Criminally_Responsible_Due_to_Mental_Disorder

https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/jsp-sjp/rr06_1/p1.html

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2023-r001/index-en.aspx

https://educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/not-criminally-responsible-mental-illness/

https://www.canlii.org/en/commentary/doc/2023CanLIIDocs2081?resultId=8be757e84fed4313b03096185340c5fe&resultIndex=1&searchId=bc7cff8923204edf99f182a027c5a315

https://www.legalline.ca/legal-answers/firearm-possession-and-acquisition-licence-pal/

https://ottawafirearmsafety.ca/pal-application/

https://fseso.org/courses/

https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/firearms/canadian-residents

Matthew Vincent Raymond | News, Videos & Articles | Global News

2018 Fredericton shooting

A Legal History of the Regulation of Assault-Style Rifles in Canada

Chinese SKS Semi-Automatic Rifle

Firearms expert says rifle used in Fredericton shooting designed ‘to kill,’ mostly used for hunting | CBC News

Man who killed four people in Fredericton denied new privileges by review board

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Episode 320: In 1991, the city of Vancouver was rocked by the brutal murder of 29-year-old Mary-Lynn Kimberly Breeden. Friends and family called her Lynn. The charred remains of her body were discovered in a dumpster, with a single bullet wound to the skull. What followed was a complex investigation that would uncover a web of deceit, greed, and cold-blooded violence.

Through witness accounts, advances in forensic evidence, and detailed police work, detectives were able to piece together the chilling details of Breeden’s final moments. Their investigation led them to a suspect named Christian Albert Cruz, a male stripper with a history of violence.

As the case unfolded, a tragic tale of betrayal and desperation began to emerge, shedding light on the dark motivations that drove one man to commit such a heinous act. Join us as we delve into the story of the murder of Lynn Breeden and explore the complex human emotions and societal factors that can lead to such senseless violence.

Sources:

Mary-Lynn Breeden – Search – Newspapers.com™

Mary-Lynn Kimberly “Lynn” Breeden (1960-1991) -…

No5 Orange – Dance and Pub Showroom – Vancouver’s famous Gastown

Fraser Arms Hotel

Watch V6A – A feature documentary by Ruggero Romano Online | Vimeo On Demand

1995 CanLII 523 (BC CA) | R. v. Cruz | CanLII

1998 CanLII 5951 (BC CA) | R. v. Cruz | CanLII

The Murder of Mary Lynn Breeden

The Use of Forensic Odontology to Solve a Forensic Science Case – Free Essay Example – Edubirdie

Biography – Linda Agostini – Australian Dictionary of Biography

The Charred Remains of Lynn Breeden

Dental color measurement to predict DNA concentration in incinerated teeth for human identification. – Abstract – Europe PMC

Saferstein, Richard. Criminalistics: an Introduction to Forensic Science. Pearson, 2017 edition.

“Forensic Files” Charred Remains (TV Episode 1997)

Forensic Files – Season 2, Episode 8 – Charred Remains – Full Episode

Forensic Wheels: Christian Albert Cruz’ 1980 Oldsmobile Omega (Lynn Breeden Death Car)

Mary-Lynn Kimberly “Lynn” Breeden (1960-1991) -…

Effect of Fire on DNA and its profiling in homicide cases

Identifying Maui fire victims will depend heavily on DNA

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Episode 319: In the first two parts of our Shadows of Deception series, we delved into the abysmal depths of depravity exhibited by Dellen Millard and Mark Smich through the heinous murders of Tim Bosma and Laura Babcock.

With Millard and Smich already incarcerated for their previous atrocities, a new investigation was launched into the 2012 death of Dellen’s father, Wayne Millard, a wealthy aviation businessman. Initially presumed to be a suicide, the circumstances surrounding his demise came under intense scrutiny after his son’s sensational arrests for the Bosma and Babcock murders.

After their investigation, authorities arrested Dellen Millard and charged him with the first-degree murder of his father. This shocking twist cast a sinister shadow over the already grim narrative, painting Dellen Millard as a far more depraved criminal than initially realized – one willing to extinguish even the life of his own flesh and blood. It appears that Dellen Millard is a cold-blooded individual who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

Sources:

Search: Dellen Millard | Canadian Legal Information Institute | CanLII

2018 ONSC 5602 (CanLII) | R. v. Millard | CanLII

CBC News | Wayward Son

Dellen Millard | News, Videos & Articles | GlobalNews

Letters Between Dellen Millard and Christina Noudga | PDF

Serial killer Dellen Millard found guilty in prison stabbing incident

Serial killer Dellen Millard gets one year in prison for role in prison stabbing | CBC News

Ontario’s top court dismisses Millard, Smich conviction appeals in murder of Hamilton’s Tim Bosma | CBC News

Serial killer Dellen Millard says he’s too smart a crook to commit ‘sloppy’ Tim Bosma murder

Rosie DiManno: Dellen Millard, convicted of first-degree murder in killing of Tim Bosma, Laura Babcock, is now on trial in the death of his father

Millard murder ruled a suicide inside two days

The Case of Serial Killer Dellen Millard

In jailhouse interview, Dellen Millard admits for first time he had a part in Tim Bosma’s murder

Killer Mark Smich’s move to medium-security prison outrages victims’ families

Ann Brocklehurst, Dark Ambition: The Shocking Crime of Dellen Millard & Mark Smich. 

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Episode 318: In the previous episode, we explored the shocking murder of Tim Bosma and the subsequent trial that brought two killers to justice. However, their trail of violence did not end there. In this second installment of our three-part series, we delve into the tragic case of Laura Babcock, 23, whose July 2012 disappearance from Toronto was eventually attributed to Dellen Millard and Mark Smich. We’ll learn a bit about Laura’s life and examine the circumstances surrounding her vanishing and the painstaking yet unsuccessful search efforts to uncover her remains. You’ll hear disturbing details that emerged during the trial for her murder, shedding even more light on the twisted dynamics between Millard, Smich, and their unfortunate victim. This episode serves as a prelude to the final chapter, where we’ll explore the most shocking revelation of all, that Dellen Millard also killed his father, Wayne, for his money.

Sources:

Search — Laura Babcock | Toronto Star

Laura Babcock had an intense fear of death since childhood, court hears in murder trial for Dellen Millard and Mark Smich

Laura Babcock had intense fear of death since childhood, court hears

Toronto family receives death certificate years after daughter was murdered

Who was Laura Babcock? A look into her life as the trial into her presumed death continues | CBC News

Dellen Millard, Mark Smich found guilty of murder in Laura Babcock’s death

What the jury didn’t hear in the Laura Babcock murder trial

Laura Babcock, horoscope for birth date 12 February 1989, born in Etobicoke, with Astrodatabank biography

Dec 12, 2019, page A30 – Red Deer Advocate at Newspapers.com

Dec 07, 2017, page 2 – The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com

2015 ONSC 6206 (CanLII) | R. v Millard and Smich | CanLII

2017 ONSC 7584 (CanLII) | R. v. Millard | CanLII

R. v. Ward-Jackson, (2018) O.J. No. 163 | PDF | Sentence (Law) | Crime & Violence

2018 ONSC 178 (CanLII) | R. v. Ward-Jackson | CanLII

2018 ONSC 5602 (CanLII) | R. v. Millard | CanLII

2023 ONCA 418 (CanLII) | R. v. Millard | CanLII

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