[Part 3 of 3] A surprise witness comes forward to testify against Colin Thatcher.

His own contribution from the stand? Deny, deny, deny.

Even after the jury reaches a verdict, Thatcher continues to make headlines for decades to come...

*Additional content warning: this episode contains mentions of domestic abuse.

— This three-part series is a carefully selected replay from our archive. We'll be back with new episodes in late April.

Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:

See the page for this episode at https://www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/135

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Part 2 of 3] As she recovers from her gunshot wound, JoAnn Wilson decides to back down from the custody fight with her former husband.

Colin Thatcher has won this battle, but his fixation is far from over. A series of witnesses would later come forward with information almost impossible to believe...

*Additional content warning: this episode contains mentions of domestic abuse.

— This three-part series is a carefully selected replay from our archive. Part 3 will be released tomorrow. We'll be back with new episodes in late April.

Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:

See the page for this episode at https://www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/135

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A man walking home from work suddenly hears screams coming from a house... then a single sharp crack.

He follows the sound to the garage, where he finds a woman bleeding out on the floor.   

It's JoAnn Wilson, mother of three and ex-wife of Colin Thatcher, a high-profile Saskatchewan politician. 

Her murder was the tip of the iceberg of a decades-long saga that gripped the nation and drew comparison to the show Dallas — but would prove far darker than anything on TV.

*Additional content warning: this episode contains mentions of domestic abuse.

— This three-part series is a carefully selected replay from our archive. Parts 2 and 3 will be released over the next next two days. We'll be back with new episodes in late April.

Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:

See the page for this episode at https://www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/135

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Part 2 of 2] After picking up his pregnant wife from Saskatoon train station, Sergeant John Wilson drives them north to their new home.

They just have one stop to make on the way to take care of some "police business"...

*Additional content warning: brief details of an attempted suicide at approx. timestamp 29:00 to 30:30. Please take care when listening.

Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:

See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A gripping, action-packed miniseries about a mountie who finds himself at the centre of a sordid love triangle.

Pieced together from a treasure trove of real love letters, forged letters and police and court memos, this series paints a vivid snapshot of Canada as World War I raged on.

— This two-part series is a carefully selected replay from our archive, and was originally titled The Murderous Mountie. Part 2 available tomorrow. We'll be back with new episodes in April.

Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:

See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A quick update and some thanks!

Over the past 12 months... Canadian True Crime has had the opportunity to take on several meaningful projects alongside the usual podcast production. These included the CBC documentary Breaking Idol, the co-founding of Beyond The Verdict survivor-led advocacy group, and in-depth coverage of the 2025 Hockey Canada trial. While incredibly rewarding, the extra activities made for a very intense year behind the scenes. After the recent Robert Pickton series ended, it became clear we needed to pause, step back and reset things.

Your support by listening to the podcast is what makes all of this work possible, so this year we're focusing on getting the podcast back into balance for sustainability.

New episodes will return in April. Until then, we'll be replaying a few carefully selected episodes from our archive with new personal introductions from Kristi.

Thank you again for listening and supporting the show! Your patience and understanding is appreciated.

Mentioned in this episode:

Breaking Idol - new CBC TV documentary

Beyond The Verdict - new survivor-led advocacy group

Mysterious letter - Beverley Rowbotham's family believes it could shed light on the case (25th anniversary)

Guest appearances:

CTV – The Social - with co-hosts Melissa Grelo and Jess Allan about survivor-centered storytelling, deep research, and the Jacob Hoggard case

The Soundoff Podcast - with host Matt Cundill about the business side of podcasting and more

Broadcast Dialogue - Kristi shares the ups and downs of her podcasting journey with host Connie Thiessen, including managing burnout and perfectionism...

Special thanks to Castbox and Apple Podcasts.

More information about Canadian True Crime: 

Visit canadiantruecrime.ca or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 5 - The Final Episode.

*Thanks for your patience - it's a long one

CONTENT WARNING: Graphic and disturbing details.

WATCH:

Robert “Willie” Pickton — Prolific serial killer’s jailhouse confession to undercover cop - The Mob Reporter, YouTube

READ/LISTEN:

On The Farm by Stevie Cameron

WHAT TO LISTEN TO NEXT:

The Shedden Massacre - our three part series

The Trail Went Cold

The Canadian Gothic

Crisis referral services:

Free National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: call 1-866-925-4419 toll free

Hope for Wellness free chatline - 1-800-721-0066 or using the chat box on the website

Government of Canada Crisis and Mental Health support  

Resources for Sexual assault survivors

Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. 

Proceeds from this series are being donated to the WISH Drop-in Centre Society, supporting street-based sex workers on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside since 1984.

Full list of resources, information sources, and more:

www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Part 4 of 5] A single tip-off finally leads police to raid the Pickton farm with a search warrant for illegal firearms. What they stumble into instead would unravel one of the most devastating investigations in Canadian history, connecting Robert Pickton to dozens of women who vanished from the Downtown Eastside.

* Part 5 - Robert Pickton's final chapter will be coming later this week. Thanks for your patience!

CONTENT WARNING: mention of sexual assault, Indigenous issues, child abuse and an in-episode TW for animal abuse and neglect.

Crisis referral services:

Free National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: call 1-866-925-4419 toll free

Hope for Wellness free chatline - 1-800-721-0066 or using the chat box on the website

Government of Canada Crisis and Mental Health support  

Resources for Sexual assault survivors

Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. 

Proceeds from this series are being donated to the WISH Drop-in Centre Society, supporting street-based sex workers on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside since 1984.

Full list of resources, information sources, and more:

www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Part 3 of 4] One night, a woman living on the Pickton farm witnesses an act so disturbing it prompts repeated warnings to police. A search warrant should have followed, but through another cascade of devastating missed opportunities, Robert Pickton slips through the cracks once again...

CONTENT WARNING: this series includes graphic details that will be distressing for many listeners to hear, including mention of sexual assault, residential schools, Indigenous issues, child abuse and suicide. 

Crisis referral services:

Free National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: call 1-866-925-4419 toll free

Hope for Wellness free chatline - 1-800-721-0066 or using the chat box on the website

Government of Canada Crisis and Mental Health support  

Resources for Sexual assault survivors

Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice.

Proceeds from this series are being donated to the WISH Drop-in Centre Society, supporting street-based sex workers on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside since 1984.

Full list of resources, information sources, and more:

www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Part 2 of 4] The Pickton brothers become officially wealthy, and open the infamous party venue known as Piggy’s Palace. There’s an alarming spike in vulnerable women vanishing from the Downtown Eastside - but two would live to tell their stories. 

Look out for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts, Patreon and Supercast.

CONTENT WARNING: this series includes graphic details that will be distressing for many listeners to hear, including mention of sexual assault, residential schools, Indigenous issues, child abuse and suicide. 

Crisis referral services:

Free National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: call 1-866-925-4419 toll free

Hope for Wellness free chatline - 1-800-721-0066 or using the chat box on the website

Government of Canada Crisis and Mental Health support  

Resources for Sexual assault survivors

Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice.

Proceeds from this series are being donated to the WISH Drop-in Centre Society, supporting street-based sex workers on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside since 1984.

Full list of resources, information sources, and more:

www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.