Crime Story

For more than three decades, Peter Walaschek has been on the run. In the late 1980’s, during the Iran-Iraq war, Walaschek admitted to selling illegal chemicals used to make mustard gas to the Iranian regime. But he wasn’t a professional weapons dealer or a career criminal. He was a pharmacist who happened to really hate his office job. Reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou joins Crime Story to explain what it was like sitting across from the international fugitive, and how, Walaschek says, he went from working in a pharmacy in Germany to visiting the battlefields of Iran. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca. Hear Crime Story episodes a week early, and ad-free, by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

In 2012, Edmonton police released audio of Amber Tuccaro, a young woman from Mikisew Cree First Nation who went missing a year and a half earlier. On the tape, you hear Amber speaking to someone as they drive. And even more eerie, you hear the voice of the man that most people believe murdered her. Reporter Jana Pruden joins Crime Story to discuss why hearing that haunting tape drove her to investigate Amber’s story. If you enjoyed this episode, check out Crime Story’s first conversation with Jana Pruden, titled 'In Her Defence: When the accused is also a victim.' Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

In the winter of 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency received an anonymous tip: somebody had seen bones on a property in Noble, Georgia, and they thought they might be human. Eventually, a police investigation would unearth the remains of more than 300 people. In a different kind of story, this property might belong to America’s most prolific serial killer. But none of these people were murdered – they had been sent there to be cremated. In his podcast Noble, Shaun Raviv tries to understand what happened more than two decades ago at Tri State Crematory and wrestles with the question: what do the living owe the dead? For early, ad-free access to Crime Story, become a subscriber of CBC True Crime Premium on Apple Podcasts. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

Carl Miller had spent most of his career at a think tank in London, writing reports and giving lectures – the stuff most academics do. Then, a few years ago, Carl got a call that would change his life forever. The caller, an old colleague, had stumbled upon something that scared him: an online marketplace where you could hire a hitman. Suddenly, Carl was looking at a list of hundreds of names. A list of people that somebody, somewhere wanted dead. So Carl started calling them. For early, ad-free access to Crime Story, become a subscriber of CBC True Crime Premium on Apple Podcasts. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

Ruby Franke rose to online fame by vlogging the lives of her six children and her husband, Kevin. Millions of people tuned in to the 8 Passengers YouTube channel every day for a snapshot of domestic bliss. But then, viewers began noticing something seemed off about the Utah family's idyllic life. Their suspicions lead to a shocking truth. Note: This episode contains details of child abuse. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca. For ad-free listening to Crime Story and early access to episodes, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on Apple Podcasts.

Between 1973 and 1986, entire neighbourhoods in California often went to bed thinking about one man. His crimes earned him many names: the Cordova Cat Burglar, the East Area Rapist and of course, the Golden State Killer. For years, he broke into hundreds of homes, sexually assaulting more than 45 women and murdering 13 people, before disappearing into the night. This week on Crime Story, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Paige St. John reveals why it took more than 40 years for victims of the Golden State Killer to learn his true identity. Note: This episode contains details of sexual violence. For ad-free listening to Crime Story and early access to episodes, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on Apple Podcasts. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

Christine Harron didn’t feel well on May 18, 1993, and stayed home from school — but eventually her mother insisted that she get to afternoon class. Chrissy left, slamming the door, and would never be seen again. How can someone simply vanish, and did the local police find anything of use in their investigation? Subscribers of CBC True Crime Premium can binge all episodes of Someone Knows Something Season 9 right now.

In the Spring of 1993, 15-year-old Christine Harron said goodbye to her mom and left for school. She was never seen again. More than 30 years later, there’s still no sign of her. In the latest season of his hit podcast Someone Knows Something, investigative journalist David Ridgen picks up Christine’s case and comes face to face with the prime suspect in her disappearance. Watch this full interview on YouTube. You can hear Episode 1 of the Christine Harron investigation right now via CBC True Crime Premium on Apple Podcasts or on YouTube.

Debra Newell was ready to give up on love. By the fall of 2014, she’d been married and divorced four times and was reeling from a string of bad dates. But then she met John Meehan, and it seemed like her luck was finally changing. Meehan was a handsome doctor who doted on Newell. She fell in love almost immediately. Two months later, they were married. But Newell would eventually discover that Meehan wasn’t a charming doctor at all – he was a serial con artist with a violent past. Los Angeles Times reporter Christopher Goffard joins Crime Story to take us behind the scenes of Dirty John, one of the most popular true crime podcasts of all time. For ad-free listening to Crime Story, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on Apple Podcasts. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

On January 21 2020, Wenbo Jin woke up just after 4 a.m. to the sounds of two men ransacking his apartment. The 24-year-old had left his home in China to study statistics at the University of Toronto. That night, Wenbo lay there, terrified, as his dream of higher education in Canada turned into a nightmare at the hands of criminals with a diabolical scheme. This week on Crime Story, journalist Simon Lewsen takes us inside Wenbo Jin’s apartment and reveals the surprising reason kidnappers are targeting international students. For ad-free listening to Crime Story, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on Apple Podcasts. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

In 2015, the small town of Oxford, Michigan became the scene of a uniquely American nightmare: a school shooting. It was, tragically, like many of the mass shootings that had come before it. A lonely young man with access to guns and a history of mental illness. A number of warning signs that went unnoticed. But then, something happened that had never been done before: the prosecutors charged the shooter's parents, too. This week on Crime Story, I speak with Jessica Lowther, who unpacks this story in her new podcast Sins of the Child. For ad-free listening to Crime Story, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on Apple Podcasts. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

Management company 7M represents some of TikTok’s most viral dancers. But beyond the polished choreography and idyllic Hollywood sets, a new documentary alleges these young stars are being controlled by a cult-like leader. When one family comes forward with their story, they learn that allegations of financial, psychological and sexual abuse go back decades. Today we’re joined by Derek Doneen, the director of Netflix’s hit documentary Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult. For ad-free listening and early access to episodes of Crime Story, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on Apple Podcasts. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

Pope John Paul I was only 33 days into the job when he was found dead. While the Vatican insists he died of a heart attack, they have never been able to shake rumours of murder and conspiracy. Now, one man with ties to the mafia has come forward alleging that he knows the pope was murdered — because he was there. The question is: do you believe him? This week on Crime Story, we discuss The Confessions of Anthony Raimondi with host Marc Smerling. For ad-free listening and early access to episodes of Crime Story, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on Apple Podcasts. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

When Pamela Hargan and her youngest daughter Helen were found dead in their home, it was a shock of the highest order. From the outside looking in, Pamela, a millionaire business woman, and her close knit family had it all. But as investigators puzzled over the bizarre crime scene, a very different picture would emerge. Journalist Peter Van Sant sheds light on this American tragedy in his hit podcast Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings. For ad-free listening to Crime Story, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on Apple Podcasts. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

When Shannon Gilbert went missing in Long Island, her disappearance was largely ignored by the media and police. That is, until months later when the remains of other sex workers were discovered nearby — but none of them were Shannon. What happened to her? Who was targeting these women? And why weren't police doing more? Journalist Bob Kolker, author of Lost Girls, investigated Shannon Gilbert's story and the institutional failings that plagued these women's cases. He joins us this week on Crime Story, providing updates on the investigation, including a recent arrest. For ad-free listening to Crime Story, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on Apple Podcasts. Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.

Crime Story is back with all-new episodes starting next week. Before then, we’re bringing you episode 1 of The No Good, Terribly Kind, Wonderful Lives and Tragic Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman, a podcast about the mysterious deaths of billionaire Canadian pharma giant Barry Sherman and his philanthropist wife Honey. Hosted by our very own Kathleen Goldhar, we just found out the final episode was the most downloaded Canadian podcast episode of 2023! If you like what you hear, you can binge the entire series here.

Sharon Johnson’s family has spent decades coping with her brutal murder. But what if the story they were told is a lie? What if the man imprisoned for her murder is innocent? In season two of Jason Moon’s hit podcast Bear Brook, he investigates the case of convicted killer Jason Carroll. At 19, Carroll confessed to Johnson’s murder, but recanted a few hours later. Carroll has been in prison for 35 years, and still maintains his innocence. In this fascinating conversation, we go behind the scenes with Bear Brook host Jason Moon and explore the growing science of wrongful confessions. Why do they happen and who among us is most vulnerable? Crime Story is taking a quick summer break. We're back in September with all new episodes.

In the early 2000s, Bikram Yoga spread across North America like wildfire. It was a multi-billion dollar business, spurred on by its eccentric founder, Bikram Choudhury. Choudhury was as close to yoga royalty as you could get and was unafraid to hide it. But according to some of his own students, his empire was built upon blood, sweat and tears – as well as a few critical lies. Reporter Julia Lowrie Henderson practiced Bikram Yoga for nearly a decade and joins Crime Story to discuss the scandal that rocked her yoga community. Note: This episode contains difficult subject matter, including references to sexual assault. Crime Story is taking a quick summer break. We're back in September with all new episodes.

For nearly 50 years, Bill Cosby charmed America. But behind the scenes, there were rumours of something sinister – that Cosby was drugging and assaulting women. Nicole Weisensee Egan was the first reporter to dig into the claims against Cosby, when many journalists were afraid to do so. Her book and podcast, Chasing Cosby, is the definitive take on the rise and fall of Bill Cosby. Note: This episode contains difficult subject matter, including details of sexual assault. Crime Story is taking a quick summer break. We're back in September with all new episodes.

When Carole Fisher met Bob Bierenbaum in 1989, he seemed like a catch. He was a Jewish doctor who spoke five languages, a gourmand who loved skiing, and a New Yorker who could fly planes. He was every Jewish mother’s dream. But there was something off about Bob. He could fly into a sudden rage and be distant and controlling. Carole sensed he was hiding something. More than 30 years after Carole and Bob broke up, she uncovers his dark and sordid past in a podcast called The Girlfriends. Crime Story is taking a quick summer break. We're back in September with all new episodes.