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A newly released prison file offers the clearest picture yet of Joseph Phillips—and confirms he was intensively questioned by the RCMP about the murders of his in-laws. Meanwhile, Laura and Shauna receive significant news in their battle to uncover the long-hidden police file, raising new questions about what remains secret nearly 70 years later.

Note: Joseph's prison file was too long and too dense to include in its entirety in the episode. I have posted it on the Island Crime Facebook page if you want to see it in full.

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After months of searching, the police file on the 1959 murders of Curly and Lizzie Kostyniuk has finally arrived, but it's not what Shauna and I hoped for. Over 100 pages of heavily redacted administrative paperwork instead of the real investigative file. Still, buried inside: new names, hints of an undercover operation, and a suspect who may have still been alive years later.

Retired RCMP homicide detective Garry Rodgers joins host Laura Palmer to break down the crime scene, the killer's behaviour, and why this case may not be as cold as it seems.

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Janet Piper is the great-granddaughter of the victims, Lizzie and Curly Kostyniuk. In this episode, she speaks publicly for the first time about the man she believes committed the murders, a man who was her grandfather. A man who went to jail twice. A man who terrorized three generations of women and children. The episode delves into the intergenerational trauma of abuse, secrecy, and justice. Featuring survivor testimony and expert insights, it highlights the importance of uncovering hidden truths for healing and justice.

Note: This episode contains discussion of incest and other forms of familial abuse. Some listeners may find the material disturbing. Please take care while listening, and consider whether this episode is right for you or those around you.

This is a resource recommended by Professor Freyd.

https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/for-survivors-of-child-sexual-abuse/

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A double murder. A robbery motive that doesn't add up. And a family theory that's been passed down in whispers for decades.

In this episode, host Laura Palmer digs into the suspect, Shauna's family calls "Bad Grandpa" Joseph Charles Phillips, a convicted predator with a grudge, a motive, and, according to someone who knew him, sudden money after the killings. Through long-buried psychiatric records, jailhouse letters, and a remarkable conversation with an 85-year-old who knew both the victims and the suspect, the story of who may have killed Andrew "Curly" and Lizzie Kostyniuk comes into sharper focus.

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In 1959, South Wellington residents Andrew “Curly” Kosteniuk and his wife Lizzie are found stabbed to death, and the killer is never caught. Host Laura Palmer reexamines the case through archives and family memories. New details from Margaret Kostyniuk’s psychiatric records suggest escalating family conflict and a key suspect connected to secrets that never made the papers.

This series includes original news reports from the time, presented as radio news stories.

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In June 1959, newspapers pile up outside the Kostyniuk home in South Wellington until neighbours find the house ransacked, the phone line cut, and the bodies of Andrew “Curly” and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Kostyniuk in the bedroom. Police back then suspect robbery, but the coroner’s inquest and autopsies suggest a more complex story. 

I've posted the full Coroners Inquest report, including autopsies, on the Island Crime Facebook page.

And if you'd like to learn more about Dr. Crossland's life's work, check out his book: http://www.deathcalls.ca/

This series includes original news reports from the time, presented as radio news stories. As well, in this episode, you'll hear original witness testimony dramatized as all of the witnesses are now deceased.

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In the summer of 1959, Andrew and Elizabeth Kostyniuk, known to everyone in South Wellington, BC, as Curly and Lizzie, were stabbed to death in their own home. The case was never solved, and for 67 years, their names faded into silence.

Now, their great-great-granddaughter, Shauna, has asked host Laura Palmer to take on her coldest case yet. In this first episode, Laura travels to South Wellington to learn about the world Curly and Lizzie lived in, a quiet, close-knit Vancouver Island community where doors were left unlocked, and everyone knew everyone's business. On the night of June 26th, Curly heads to the local store to watch a world heavyweight championship fight. Lizzie walks home alone. It's the last time they see each other alive.

Was this a robbery gone wrong or something far more personal?

Note: This season's theme song is 'The Sunny Side of the Street.' You can listen to the full original recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEd7g_gc6No

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