Coercive control doesn’t start with bruises. It starts with rules. Restrictions. Apologies that don’t sound like apologies.

In this episode, we’re sitting down to talk about the kind of control that doesn’t always leave marks — but absolutely destroys lives.

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A missing grandmother, a secret buried in the Illinois woods, and a family story that twisted itself into something almost unbelievable.

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In this episode of Let’s Talk About Murder, we’re talking honestly about the red flags too many people miss… and the systems that still turn away from them. These are the patterns survivors describe, the behaviours families wish they’d known to name sooner, and the signs that should never be ignored.

It’s not an easy conversation — but it’s one that saves lives. Let’s talk about what family violence really looks like before the headline, before the crime scene, before the tragedy. Because recognizing the signs is how we break the cycle.

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Jackie Schwingel was bright, curious, and only two years old — still at that age where every day is a new discovery. But what unfolded made it devastatingly clear: this wasn’t a medical mystery. This wasn’t an accident. This was the result of one adult’s reckless, selfish, and utterly avoidable behaviour. Travis Ray Thompson didn’t just make a mistake — he made a choice. A choice that cost Jackie her life.

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The “Not Criminally Responsible” verdict. You’ve heard it in headlines, you’ve seen the outrage online, and maybe you’ve wondered how someone can admit to a violent act and still be found not responsible for it.

In this episode, we’re breaking down what NCR really is

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A 24-year-old from Alberta, moved thousands of miles to the remote Shetland Islands to live with someone she trusted — only to be murdered in the most brutal, isolating way imaginable. She died in a hot tub with more than 50 injuries inflicted.

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Today we’re digging into one of the justice system’s strangest little loopholes — the Alford plea. It’s that magical moment in court where someone stands up and says, “I’m innocent… but also, yes, I’ll take the conviction, thanks.”

It’s bizarre, it’s controversial, and it raises all kinds of questions about pressure, power, and what “justice” actually looks like when the truth gets negotiated. So grab your coffee — we’re unpacking why this plea exists.

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In the quiet suburban sprawl of Ottawa’s west end, Camille Cléroux blended in just enough to get away with the unthinkable. Three women. Three disappearances. And a man who thought he could rewrite their stories by burying the truth—literally. This is the case that shocked even seasoned detectives, a years-long trail of manipulation, violence, and secrets hidden beneath neatly kept garden beds.

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She thought it was just a normal Sunday drive. But when Katie Kenyon climbed into that van with her on again, off-again boyfriend, she didn’t know it would be her last trip.

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How murder is handled, charged and punished differs depending on your postal code. Grab your coffee, because this one is part legal nerd-out, part cultural reality check… and yes, I will absolutely be side-eyeing a few things along the way.

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