Canadian True Crime

When a woman receives a text message from a wrong number, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with a man who says he’s a construction contractor. They develop a close relationship over five years – until a single, offhand remark gives her pause. Is this man really who he says he is? Her search for the truth reveals something far more disturbing than she ever expected - and she realizes she isn’t the only one. It triggers a reckoning inside the local police department along with serious questions about privacy, consent, police accountability and whether the justice system is equipped to recognize the harm these women experienced. For this special episode, Kristi Lee sits down with award‑winning investigative journalist Jana G. Pruden to unpack the harrowing story behind the latest season of her acclaimed narrative podcast: In Her Defence: Breach of Trust. LISTEN to the full story now Find In Her Defence on your favourite podcast app or platform: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. READ Jana Pruden's reporting for The Globe and Mail Victims of ex-Regina officer describe feeling violated as judge weighs conditional sentence Ex-Regina officer sentenced to two-year conditional sentence in community, house arrest Women targeted by Regina police sergeant file sexual assault lawsuits The man behind the wrong number Special thanks to Jana G. Pruden and producer Kasia Mychajlowycz from The Globe and Mail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most Albertans don't want the province to separate from Canada, according to the polls. So how did a once-fringe movement gain enough momentum to put independence on the ballot (sort of)? With just ten days to go until the Alberta referendum, join award-winning independent journalists Danielle Paradis and Tim Querengesser as they travel across the province, meeting ordinary Albertans and finding out what they think about the prospect of separating from Canada. Who are the separatists? What do they actually want? And what happens to the rest of Canada if they get it? --------------------------------------- We're proud to present the first episode of this five-part investigative series Separation Anxiety: The Alberta Referendum, completely AD-FREE. Thanks to Canadian True Crime listeners like you, we've been able to help fund this independent investigation by two Alberta journalists. At a time when local newsrooms are shrinking, grassroots, on-the-ground reporting is more important than ever, especially when an issue that seems provincial could have consequences for the entire country. In this Episode 1: Among the Separatists, you'll hear from people waving flags on a freeway overpass in Edmonton, at an Alberta Day celebration in Mirror, AB and in a Baptist church in Calgary. Episodes 2 and 3 are also available now. Find Separation Anxiety: The Alberta Referendum on your favourite podcast player. Follow Separation Anxiety's substack for the latest. Produced with the support of Canadian True Crime. *Additional sources re introduction: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-alberta-separatism-canada-united-states-republican/ https://thewalrus.ca/is-it-treason-to-ask-america-to-help-break-up-canada/ https://globalnews.ca/news/12088176/alberta-separatism-republicans-report? https://globalnews.ca/news/12087080/alberta-first-nations-referendum/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three hunters head deep into the rugged wilderness of Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula for a 10-day trip, but fail to return home. A search turns up their abandoned truck, followed by something far more disturbing. As investigators try to piece together what happened, attention turns to a local man named Wilbert Coffin, one of the last people known to have crossed paths with the missing men. This case would go on to trigger years of controversy with questions about police tunnel vision, political interference and the nature of justice itself. More information: Listen to The Coffin Affair: A Miscarriage of Justice Revisited by Kathryn M. Campbell. The intention of this episode is to revisit a criminal case that became a major chapter in Canadian legal history, examine how the investigation and prosecution unfolded, and explore why the questions surrounding it have endured for generations. --------------------- Separation Anxiety: The Alberta Referendum A five part investigative series wherever you get your podcasts. Episode 2 available now. --------------------- Canadian true crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated to the Association for Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared (AFPAD). Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon. Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits: See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/222 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a referendum in Alberta this fall, and independence is on the ballot — sort of. Who are the separatists? What do they actually want? And what happens to the rest of Canada if they get it? Canadian True Crime is proud to support the local independent journalism behind Separation Anxiety, a new five-part investigative podcast series about Alberta’s modern separatist movement in the lead up to the October 19 referendum question. Join award-winning Alberta journalists Danielle Paradis and Tim Querengesser as they travel around Alberta, following separatist organizers into church boardrooms and hot‑dog picnics to examine the influences, ideas and grievances fuelling Alberta’s modern separatist movement. From its century-old roots to the anti-lockdown protests, trucker convoy and political upheaval that brought Danielle Smith to power, Separation Anxiety also traces the separatist movement’s evolution — and why it is now tied to accusations of criminal treason and treaty‑rights violations. Separation Anxiety is a five-part podcast series releasing weekly starting September 2026. Episode 1 available now. SUBSCRIBE NOW Find Separation Anxiety: The Alberta Referendum on your favourite podcast player https://pod.link/6811266682 Follow Separation Anxiety's substack for the latest. Produced with the support of Canadian True Crime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One cold March Saturday night in Montreal, 16-year-old Sharron Prior sets off for a five minute walk to the local pizzeria to meet friends. She never arrives. Three days later, a local beekeeper makes a devastating discovery in an isolated field: Sharron Prior has been brutally murdered. Who was responsible? And could it be the same man who attacked another local woman that same night? This is the story of a case that haunted Québec for decades, the family who refused to give up, and the breakthrough that finally brought the answers they were looking for. --------------------- The intention of this episode is to take a look back at a high-profile crime sensationalized through headlines, explain how it was solved, and how it impacted the local community. Please respect the privacy of the people involved in this case. Additional content warning: this crime is murder and sexual assault of a teenage girl. Minimal graphic details will be given. Please take care when listening. More information: Resources for victims/survivors: Ending violence CanadaSharron Prior website - http://sharronprior.com Watch “Finding Sharron’s Killer", CTV’s W5 series on YouTube:Part 1: Montreal Teen Murdered in 1975 Part 2: DNA Evidence Unlocks the Mystery Canadian true crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated to the Association for Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared (AFPAD) Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon. Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits: See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/221 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.