Latest Episodes

Episode 373: In the shadowy annals of North American crime, few names evoke as much dread as H.H. Holmes, a master manipulator, a conman, and a predator who thrived in the…

Episode 368: Here, we delve into the life and crimes of Brigitte Denise Cleroux, examining how she repeatedly evaded regulatory scrutiny, the suffering she caused, and the systemic failures that…

Episode 366: On a cold night, March 14, 1980, the city of Toronto was shaken by an act of violence that would leave a deep scar on its police force…

Episode 362: On the morning of May 29, 2010, gunshots shattered the quiet of a rural property just outside Cranbrook, British Columbia. By the time police arrived at the scene,…

Episode 361: On October 4, 1957, as the world’s eyes turned skyward to witness the launch of Sputnik 1, another technological marvel was about to be unveiled in a hangar…

On May 18, 1966, Paul Joseph Chartier, among other things, a disillusioned and unemployed security guard and former truck driver, attempted a deadly act of terrorism on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Chartier planned to throw a homemade dynamite bomb into the House of Commons chamber, targeting politicians he blamed for societal injustices and his personal failures. However, the bomb detonated prematurely in a washroom, killing only Chartier himself. This tragic incident drew significant attention at the time, leading to investigations by the RCMP and led to a federal inquiry.

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, 21 June 1950, the tranquil tobacco farming community of Langton, of Langton, Ontario, was shattered by a violent crime that would leave an indelible mark on Canadian history. Joseph Herbert McAuliffe, a World War II veteran turned counterfeiter, walked into the Imperial Bank of Canada with robbery on his mind. In less than half an hour, two innocent men lay dead at the robber’s hands, Arthur Lierman and William Goddyn, their bodies riddled with bullets, and a community was gripped by fear. For three harrowing days, Norfolk County held its breath as McAuliffe, armed and desperate, evaded capture in the surrounding woods. The manhunt that ensued would reveal a tale of tragic childhood, wartime heroism, and a descent into criminality that culminated in a botched robbery and senseless killings. As the story unfolded, it exposed the raw nerves of a nation grappling with questions of justice, redemption, and the ultimate price of crime.

In this episode, we explore a phenomenon that blurs the line between consciousness and culpability: homicidal somnambulism. Can a person be held responsible for murder if they commit the act while sleepwalking? We'll examine two haunting cases that have grappled with this very question. First, we'll unravel the infamous story of Kenneth Parks, who, in 1987, drove 23 kilometres from his home in Pickering to Scarborough, Ontario, where he brutally attacked his in-laws, Dennis and Barbara Woods, killing his mother-in-law. Then, we'll turn our attention to the lesser-known case of Clayton John Vickberg, who attempted to kill his friend Hugh Heglin in Victoria. B.C., in 1996, while allegedly in a state of automatism. These cases challenge our understanding of criminal intent and raise unsettling questions about the nature of consciousness itself.

On April 23, 2018, a bright spring afternoon turned into a nightmare when a rented van plowed through pedestrians along Yonge Street in North York, a Toronto neighbourhood. In just minutes, 10 lives were tragically lost, and 16 others were injured; one of those later passed away from her injuries, bringing the death toll to 11. The community was left mourning, and the country grappled with questions of how and why such a senseless act could occur. The man behind the wheel was 25-year-old Alec Minassian, a self-proclaimed member of the so-called "incel" community—short for "involuntary celibate." This online subculture, rooted in misogyny and resentment, has been linked to acts of violence, often targeting women. Minassian’s actions that day were not random; they were a calculated act of terror fueled by a toxic ideology that glorifies hatred and violence against those perceived as rejecting or oppressing men like him.

On the evening of February 14, 1985, Valentine’s Day, at around 6:00 p.m., Bryan Hart of Colborne, Ontario, came home to a quiet house after work. He looked around the house for his wife, Betty, but could not find her. The couple’s 19-year-old son had already been home for an hour and a half. Michael said he hadn’t seen his mom but had noticed a pair of glasses she wore sitting on the landing leading into the basement. Thinking his mother was out somewhere, Michael picked up the glasses and put them on top of the refrigerator in the kitchen for safekeeping. On learning about the glasses from Michael, Bryan felt compelled to check the basement. It was the only place he hadn’t checked yet. In the cellar, Bryan discovered Betty lying on her side in a vast pool of blood. She was unresponsive. Bryan raced back upstairs and told his son to call an ambulance. Marguerite Elizabeth (Betty) Hart, 46, was dead. Among Betty’s many injuries, her throat had been slashed. Early on, the OPP presumed Betty’s wounds to be self-inflicted, but not all was as it appeared.