Latest Episodes

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…

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.…

In 2002, Brandon, Manitoba, was rocked by the disappearance of Erin Chorney, a feisty and energetic teenager with her whole life ahead of her. What began as a simple outing—Erin telling her mother she'd be back in an hour—turned into a parent's worst nightmare when she never returned home. As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, the community of Brandon rallied around the Chorney family, desperately searching for answers. The truth behind Erin's disappearance would only come to light through one of Canada's most contentious investigative techniques. You guessed it — Mister Big. The case led investigators down a dark path, culminating in a shocking confession and a grim discovery that would forever change the lives of those involved.

Barbara Gayle Stoppel, a 16-year-old waitress, was tragically murdered on December 23, 1981, in the women's washroom of Ideal Donut Shop in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was strangled with a twine, and despite being found alive, she succumbed to her injuries after six days on life support. The murder case quickly became notorious not only due to its brutal nature but also because of the wrongful conviction of Thomas Sophonow, who was initially accused of the crime. Sophonow underwent three separate trials: the first ended with a hung jury, and the second and third led to convictions ultimately overturned by the Manitoba Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear a Crown appeal, leading to Sophonow's final acquittal. This case is frequently cited as a significant example of a miscarriage of justice involving flawed eyewitness identifications and police misconduct during the interrogation process. Despite Sophonow's exoneration, the actual perpetrator remained at large until a re-investigation of the case pointed to another suspect, Terry Arnold, who was already known to police for similar offences, having left a trail of depravity, sexual assaults and suspected murder in his wake. This revelation came too late to be pursued thoroughly, as Arnold died by suicide in 2005. The impact of this case has been profound, leading to public scrutiny over police procedures and the reliability of eyewitness testimony. It has also been the subject of several books and a public inquiry which sought to prevent such injustices in the future.

In this episode, we explore a dark chapter of Winnipeg's criminal history, centred on the "Yuletide Bandit," notorious for his holiday-season robberies in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Michael David Syrnyk, known for targeting banks and armoured vehicles, executed his crimes with a reckless disregard for human life, often using firearms and viewing his victims merely as obstacles. His choice of the festive season for these heists added a cruel irony to his crimes, starkly contrasting with the spirit of joy and family. One notable incident was a shootout at Winnipeg’s Polo Park Mall, causing terror among Christmas shoppers. The dramatic end to his criminal spree came with a 12-hour standoff involving a former girlfriend, leading to his capture. This episode not only recounts Syrnyk's heinous acts but also underscores the lasting impact of his crimes on the victims and the broader community in Winnipeg.

First, we look at a little more about the history of UFO sightings in Canada and elsewhere. These are not a new phenomena. In the show’s second half, we learn about a series of UFO sightings that occurred in the 1970s in Manitoba, particularly around Carman. The sightings garnered significant attention because of their frequency and because many credible individuals, including police officers and other professionals, witnessed them. The name “Charlie Red Star” was given to the object due to its bright red hue and was often described as a glowing, pulsating, and sometimes changing shape. Sightings of the object frequently mentioned its ability to move at incredible speeds and make sudden maneuvers that seemed beyond the capability of conventional aircraft of that era. The phenomenon of Charlie Red Star drew many UFO enthusiasts, reporters, and investigators to the area in the hope of witnessing or gaining some understanding of the mysterious object. While there were numerous speculations and theories regarding the nature of Charlie Red Star, including secret military projects, extraterrestrial craft, or atmospheric phenomena, the true identity and nature of the objects remain unexplained. The events surrounding Charlie Red Star have since become a notable chapter in the annals of UFO lore.

On Saturday, June 23, 1990, three teenagers, Brigitte Grenier, 16, Kyle Unger, 19, and Timothy Houlahan, 17, all separately attended a music festival at a ski resort near Roseisle, Manitoba. The following morning, Brigette was discovered dead in a creek in a heavily forested area within the resort. She’d been sexually assaulted, beaten, tortured and strangled to death. As both had been seen with the victim during the hours before her death, police quickly targeted Kyle Unger and Timothy Houlahan as suspects in Brigette’s slaying.

Episode 219: In the first of two episodes released this week, Mike interviews Chris Rutkowski. Chris A. Rutkowski is a science writer who has devoted much time to investigating and studying reports of UFOs, writing about case investigations, and offering his insights into the broad UFO phenomenon publishing the annual Canadian UFO Report. Chris has authored numerous books on UFOs and two of his previous books, Abductions and Aliens and The Canadian UFO Report, were national bestsellers. He was recently referred to in a 2021 report to the Canadian Minister of Defense on UFOs in Canada as the person to which the government hands over reports of UFOs. He lives just outside Winnipeg.Sources:The Canadian UFO SurveyTwitter - Chris Rutkowski Facebook Page - Chris Rutkowski, WriterBlog - Chris Rutkowski Report a UFO in Canada - The Canadian UFO SurveyReport a Canadian UFO Sighting — The Nighttime PodcastThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS)UFO sightings: Canada’s defence minister briefed | CTV NewsThematic Guides - Unidentified Flying Objects - Library and Archives CanadaWhat does Canada do with reports of UFO sightings? — The Big StorySupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/darkpoutine

Episode 191: On the evening of July 30, 2008, Tim McLean, a 22-year-old Canadian carnival barker was returning home to Winnipeg riding a Greyhound bus when he was viciously stabbed, beheaded, and cannibalized by another passenger about 18 km west of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. After arriving on scene, RCMP watched for hours as the perpetrator, Vince Li, 40, desecrated Tim’s body inside the bus after the driver and remaining passengers had fled, powerless to stop the man’s frenzy. Less than a year later, Vince Li was found not criminally responsible (NCR) for Tim McLean’s slaying, but held in a Manitoba psychiatric institution from which he was released just 6 years later.Sources:Cold Facts of the Case – Tim’s LawYouTube — R.I.P Tim McLean - July 30, 2008 Greyhound Bus TragedyYouTube — TIMOTHY MCLEAN KILLING (CAROL DE DELLEY INTERVIEW) AFTERMATH OF MURDER: SURVIVOR STORIESJustice served with the absolute discharge of Vince Li – The ManitobanBOOK: Shrunk — Crime and Disorders of the Mind by LoreProceed with Extreme Caution: The Not Criminally Responsible Defence | CanLIIVincent Li found not criminally responsible for murder - Winnipeg Free PressDocumentCloud — Manitoba Criminal Code Review Board decisionTimeline of decisions in the case of Vince Li - Winnipeg | Globalnews.caVince Li Archives - Dying WordsYouTube — Vince Li — “Please, kill me.”YouTube — The Fifth Estate — Bus 1170 : Vince Li and the Greyhound Bus Murder (2011)Killing of Tim McLean - WikipediaVince Li | News, Videos & Articles | Globalnews.caLooking back at the Greyhound bus beheading a decade down the road | Globalnews.caNot Criminally Responsible Reform Act (backgrounder) — Canada News CentreNot Criminally Responsible Reform Acthttp://summit.sfu.ca/system/files/iritems1/16395/etd9553_TMiller.pdfTalk:Killing of Tim McLean - WikipediaHow to Be a Juggalo: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow FunA Conversation With Vince Li - Steinbachonline.comVince Li, man who beheaded Greyhound bus passenger, seeks absolute discharge | CBC NewsR.I.P Tim McLean — Facebook GroupMCLEAN TIMOTHY - Obituaries - Winnipeg Free Press PassagesTimeline to the Greyhound bus killing | CBC NewsVince Weiguang Li | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderersSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/darkpoutine

Episode 123 - Born during the Great Depression, Ken Leishman was a stylish, good looking guy with a Clark Gable moustache. A married father of 7, he was adventurous, smart, charismatic, creative and enterprising. He used his skill as a small aircraft pilot to earn cash first as a fly in mechanic on prairie farms, then as a king cookery salesman.  Ken was also deeply in debt, his sales business was failing and he craved an even more lavish lifestyle. To get what he wanted Ken wasn't above stealing it, but often got caught going back for more. After flying all the way to Toronto to rob banks on two separate occasions Ken was dubbed the Flying Bandit after getting caught during his second failed bank robbery. After Ken's release, he had an even more elaborate heist in mind - making off with a few hundred pounds of gold bullion in what would be the greatest gold theft in Canadian history. Sources: [Bandit - A portrait of Ken Leishman by Wayne Tefs]  [Lost: Unsolved Mysteries of Canadian Aviation by Shirlee Smith Matheson]  [In the Mind of a Mountie - Google Play] [This Was Manitoba: Kenneth Leishman - The Flying Bandit (UPDATED)] [Ottawa Citizen - Ken Leishman - Google News Archive Search] [Newspapers.com search - Ken Leishman + Canada] [Ken Leishman: The Flying Bandit - video dailymotion] [Ken Leishman: The Flying Bandit - YouTube] [Court Briefing for 1966 trial of Ken Leishman et al, Winnipeg Gold Heist] [The Flying Bandit - Winnipeg Free Press] [Canada history: Mar.1, 1966: the Great Winnipeg Gold Heist – RCI | English] [The Flying Bandit - Winnipeg Free Press] [The ‘flying bank robber’ died hard | Maclean’s | DECEMBER 29, 1980] Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/darkpoutine