True North True Crime

In August 1982, David William Shearing murdered six members of the Johnson and Bentley families while they were on a camping trip near Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia. George and Edith Bentley, their daughter Jackie Johnson, her husband Bob Johnson, and the couple’s two young daughters Janet, thirteen, and Karen, eleven, were killed in one of the most disturbing crimes in Canadian history. Shearing pleaded guilty in 1984 to six counts of second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for twenty-five years. In 1994 he legally changed his name to David Ennis.

He has applied for parole multiple times. He has never been released. And now, in 2026, he has waived his right to an in-person hearing — meaning the surviving family will not be permitted to attend, speak, or read their victim impact statements when his next application is reviewed this August.

In this episode of True North True Crime, we speak with Shelley Bowden, niece of Bob and Jackie Johnson, about the murders, the decades-long fight to keep Shearing behind bars, and what the family is facing now. We also cover the investigation, the confession, the trial, and the parole hearings that have forced the family to relive this crime again and again for nearly twenty years.

To sign the petition to keep David Shearing incarcerated, visit: https://www.change.org/p/deny-parole-in-2026-for-convicted-mass-murderer-david-ennis-aka-david-shearing

PLEASE READ: Some TNTC+ episodes may be released publicly in the future. TNTC+ subscribers will always get first access.

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Music Composed by: Sayer Roberts - https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 // shorturl.at/mFPZ0

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In this episode, we speak with the family of missing 22-year-old Liam Toman — his father Chris, mother Kathleen, and stepmother Lara.

Liam disappeared during a ski trip to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, in the early morning hours of February 2, 2025. He was last seen walking back toward his hotel in the resort village after a night out with friends, but he never made it back. Since then, his family has been searching tirelessly for answers while navigating the unimaginable reality of having a loved one vanish without explanation.

In this conversation, Liam’s family shares who Liam is beyond the headlines, the emotional toll of his disappearance, and why they continue fighting to keep his story in the public eye. They also discuss the ongoing investigation, their advocacy efforts in Mont-Tremblant, and the hope that someone, somewhere, may still hold the key to bringing Liam home.

A $50,000 reward is currently being offered for information that leads to answers in Liam’s disappearance.

If you have any information related to Liam Toman’s disappearance, please contact the Sûreté du Québec at 1-800-659-4264 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

PLEASE VISIT: https://www.liamtoman.com/

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Music Composed by: Sayer Roberts - https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 // shorturl.at/mFPZ0

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Hours after being convicted of assaulting his wife Bailey McCourt, James Plover walked out of a Kelowna courthouse on existing bail. Within three hours, she was dead, killed in a parking lot in broad daylight in front of witnesses. She was 32 years old and a mother of two.

This is Part 2 of a two-part series on the Bailey McCourt case. In this episode we cover the July 4th attack, the questions it raised about how the justice system handles intimate partner violence, and the national push for legislative change that followed. We spoke directly with members of Bailey's family, who have been advocating for Bailey's Law, Bill C-225, which passed second reading in the House of Commons with a unanimous 325 to zero vote. If you have not listened to Part 1, start there.

PLEASE READ: Some TNTC+ episodes may be released publicly in the future. TNTC+ subscribers will always get first access.

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Music Composed by: Sayer Roberts - https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 // shorturl.at/mFPZ0

Subscribe to TNTC+ on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/TNTC

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Bailey McCourt was a 32-year-old mother of two from Kelowna, British Columbia. In June of 2024, her husband, James Plover, assaulted her inside their home, grabbing her by the throat and threatening to kill her. Bailey called 911.

Plover was charged with assault by choking and uttering threats. She cooperated with police, sat through a trial, and waited nearly a year for a verdict. On July 4th, 2025, he was found guilty. Hours later, Bailey was dead.

In this episode, joined by members of Bailey’s family, we tell her story, who she was, the intimate partner violence she endured, the court case, and the conviction that should have protected her.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series on the Bailey McCourt case. Part 2 drops April 30th.

PLEASE READ: Some TNTC+ episodes may be released publicly in the future. TNTC+ subscribers will always get first access.

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Music Composed by: Sayer Roberts - https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 // shorturl.at/mFPZ0

Subscribe to TNTC+ on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/TNTC

Join our Patreon: www.patreon.com/tntcpod

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Sebastian Moore was seventeen years old when he was stabbed and killed in Terrace, British Columbia on the night of November 26th, 2023. A youth was taken into custody but after more than a year of investigation, Crown Counsel declined to approve charges, determining the incident met the legal definition of self-defence.

Sebastian was a member of Kitselas Nation along the Skeena River in northwestern B.C. His family called him Boots. He was training to become an electrician. He was an uncle. He was seventeen.

In this episode, we speak with his brother Oscar and grandmother Debbie about who he was, and what his family has faced since.

His case has been raised in the BC legislature. His community has marched for him. His family is still fighting.

Sebastian's story is part of the documented pattern of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Men and Boys, MMIMB, in Canada.

To follow updates or support the family, join the Justice for Seb Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Jf2MnTDRf/

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PLEASE READ: Some TNTC+ episodes may be released publicly in the future. TNTC+ subscribers will always get first access.

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Music Composed by: Sayer Roberts - https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 // shorturl.at/mFPZ0

Subscribe to TNTC+ on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/TNTC

Join our Patreon: www.patreon.com/tntcpod

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UPDATE: Since the release of this episode, Deeanna Erickson has been located. Calgary Police have stated that the case is non-criminal and have not released further details. Her sister has shared that Deeanna has passed away.

We extend our condolences to Shelby and to all those who knew and loved Deeanna.

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On the night of June 6th, 2025, 31-year-old Deeanna Erickson boarded a Calgary Transit bus and began travelling across the city.

Surveillance footage later captured her visibly distressed during the ride. Just after 11 p.m., the bus stopped near a shopping plaza in the southeast Calgary community of Walden, and Deeanna suddenly got off.

She has not been seen since.

In this episode of True North True Crime, we examine the disappearance of Deeanna Erickson through the perspective of the person who knows her best, her sister Shelby.

Shelby describes Deeanna as a deeply caring person who had worked hard to rebuild her life after years of challenges. At the time she vanished, Deeanna had recently secured stable housing near her sister and was beginning to look toward the future again.

Investigators were able to trace much of Deeanna’s movements through Calgary’s transit system that night, but after she left the bus in Walden, the trail went cold.

Nearly a year later, Deeanna Erickson remains missing.

If you have any information about Deeanna’s disappearance, please contact the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234, referencing case number CA25242727, or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers.

FB PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/help.bring.deeanna.erickson.home

PLEASE READ: Some TNTC+ episodes may be released publicly in the future. TNTC+ subscribers will always get first access.

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Music Composed by: Sayer Roberts - https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 // shorturl.at/mFPZ0

Subscribe to TNTC+ on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/TNTC

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On December 18, 2022, a mass shooting event inside Bellaria Tower II in Vaughan, Ontario left five people dead.

Francesco Villi, a 73-year-old resident of the Bellaria condominium at 9235 Jane Street, carried out the attack after years of escalating legal disputes with the condo board. Within minutes, five residents were killed: Rita Camilleri, Vittorio Panza, Russell Manock, Helen “Lorraine” Manock, and Naveed Dada. Doreen Di Nino survived her injuries.

In this episode, we examine the timeline of the Vaughan condo shooting, Villi’s documented grievances, his final video, the police response, and the Ontario Special Investigations Unit findings.

Content warning: This episode discusses violence and a mass shooting event.

PLEASE READ: Some TNTC+ episodes may be released publicly in the future. TNTC+ subscribers will always get first access.

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Music Composed by: Sayer Roberts - https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 // shorturl.at/mFPZ0

Subscribe to TNTC+ on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/TNTC

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In this episode, we examine the 1984 murder of 13-year-old Candace Derksen in Winnipeg. Candace vanished on her way home from school in November of that year. Weeks later, her body was discovered in a storage shed, bound and left in the cold.

We trace the investigation, the arrest and trial, and the acquittal that continues to shape how this case is remembered. Along the way, we look at how the murder impacted the Derksen family, the Winnipeg community, and the broader conversation around evidence, justice, and accountability.

Episode Update (January 2026):

In January 2026, Mark Edward Grant — who was acquitted in Candace Derksen’s murder — appeared briefly in a Vancouver courtroom facing new charges that are unrelated to Candace Derksen’s case. The charges include unlawful confinement, sexual assault, assault with a weapon, and uttering threats. Grant has consented to remain in custody while a bail plan is discussed. Details of the matter are currently under a publication ban, and he is subject to a no-contact order with the alleged victim.

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Music Composed by: Sayer Roberts - https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 // shorturl.at/mFPZ0

Subscribe to TNTC+ on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/TNTC

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In the summer of 2020, 20-year-old Shane Eric James Smith vanished in Calgary. He was last seen on June 6, and within days police believed he had been shot and killed by a friend at a southeast Calgary residence.

In the weeks that followed, the Calgary Police Service charged Ian Charles Abercrombie with homicide, and two others with offences related to the handling of Shane’s body, which has never been recovered.

Abercrombie later pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death and indignity to a human body in connection with Shane’s death — a conviction that left many feeling the sentence didn’t match the loss.

Shane’s family, friends, and volunteers have spent years searching the Bow River and surrounding areas, desperate for answers and for the chance to lay Shane to rest.

In this episode, we speak with Shane’s sister, Cassandra, about who Shane was, the painful search for his remains, and the emotional toll of a case that still leaves far more questions than closure.

PLEASE READ: Some TNTC+ episodes may be released publicly in the future. TNTC+ subscribers will always get first access.

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Music Composed by: Sayer Roberts - https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 // shorturl.at/mFPZ0

Subscribe to TNTC+ on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/TNTC

Join our Patreon: www.patreon.com/tntcpod

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In this previously TNTC+ episode, we sit down with Gillian Millam, former Metropolitan Police officer from the U.K. and current Executive Director of British Columbia Crime Stoppers. Gillian began working with Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers in 2015 and went on to coordinate one of the province’s most successful programs before stepping into her current provincial role.

We discuss how the program operates, how it has changed over time, and how it fits into community safety across British Columbia, Canada. Gillian also shares her perspective on crime trends in Canada, the realities of tip management, and the key elements that make a tip truly valuable.

A clear, candid look at Crime Stoppers from someone who has been shaping the program for many years. Thank you for joining us to celebrate CrimeStoppers month!

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Music Composed by: Sayer Roberts - https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 // shorturl.at/mFPZ0

Subscribe to TNTC+ on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/TNTC

Join our Patreon: www.patreon.com/tntcpod

Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/true-north-true-crime?ref_id=24376

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tntcpod/

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