Episode 314: Ezra Allen Miner, more commonly known as Bill Miner, was an infamous American stagecoach and train robber born in Michigan in 1846. Bill Miner’s criminal career included an early arrest on April 3, 1866, for robbery, leading to a three-year sentence at San Quentin. Over thirty-five years, Miner was incarcerated for a cumulative total of nearly 30 years, experiencing two official releases and making five escapes from custody. He became infamous in Canada for robbing the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and securing his status as a legendary figure in Canadian outlaw lore, which included an escape from the B.C. Penitentiary in New Westminster.
Known by nicknames such as “The Grey Fox” and the “Gentleman Bandit,” Miner was celebrated for his courteous demeanour during his heists. Furthermore, he is often credited with popularizing the now-iconic command during robberies, “Hands up!”; however, this may be hyperbole. Miner’s blend of politeness and notoriety helped cement his legacy in the annals of Canadian criminal folklore.
Sources:
This Week in History: 1906 – The legendary outlaw Bill Miner robs a train near Kamloops
Bill Miner | Canadian Cowboy Country Magazine
Bill Miner | The Canadian Encyclopedia
The Grey Fox (1982 film) | The Canadian Encyclopedia
“The Grey Fox” (1982) – Movie on Bill Miner – Western Stagecoach Robber | YouTube
The Grey Fox: The True Story of Bill Miner – Last of the Old-Time Bandits
Bill Miner | Historica Canada Education Portal
Bill Miner | BC Penitentiary Collection
Bill Miner – The Gentleman Outlaw – Golden BC Museum
Old Bill Miner: Last of the Famous Western Bandits
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Episode 313: Douglas Donald Moore, known in Meadowvale, Ontario, as a drug supplier for young teens, gained notoriety in Mississauga for killing three young men before taking his own life in his jail cell while awaiting trial on 11 charges for sexual assaults on three boys. Peel Regional Police assert that Robert Grewal, 22, of Meadowvale, and Giuseppe (Joseph) Manchisi, 20, of Milton, who were close friends, were killed in 2003 by Moore. After Moore’s death, he was named the prime suspect in the murders of Grewal and Manchisi. Additionally, police believe Moore was responsible for killing Rene Charlebois, 15, also of Meadowvale.
All three victims disappeared in late 2003, and their bodies were discovered in spring 2004. Charlebois’ remains were found in an Orangeville landfill, while Grewal and Manchisi’s remains were located in wooded areas near Montreal. In 2005, Moore’s former common-law wife and an unidentified 16-year-old were convicted of accessory to murder after the fact. The teen assisted in disposing of evidence, including driving with Moore to Quebec to bury the bodies of Grewal and Manchisi. Moore believed the two men had stolen drugs and cash from him, but it was later revealed that the 16-year-old was responsible for the robbery. The police have never disclosed the motive behind the killing of Rene Charlebois.
Sources:
Mississauga | Canadian Encyclopedia
History of Mississauga | MIssissauga.ca
Canada’s most notorious murder case happened in Mississauga in the 1970s
Improbable Cause: The Harrison Family Murders
Search: Douglas Donald Moore | Newspapers.com
Youth appealing in Manchisi case
Murder victim’s grieving mother still has questions
Dad seeks slain son’s body parts | Toronto Star
Douglas Donald Moore (1968-2004)
Cold North Killers by Lee Mellor | Everand
Douglas Donald Moore | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
Opinion: The horrifying path of Douglas Moore
Ontario Newsroom | Coroner’s Inquest
50TH ANNIVERSARY: Notorious Meadowvale serial killer left suicide note
Didn’t know killer’s background, doctor testifies | The Star
Spree killer feared dangerous-offender status | The Star
`I’m sorry … I’m finally free’: Killer | The Star
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Episode 312: In a home in Shediac, New Brunswick, on February 13, 1805, Amos Babcock, driven by delusions of divine mission, subjected his family to a horrifying ordeal. He gathered his wife, children and sister, Mercy, instilling fear with his erratic behaviour and unsettling declarations. Spurred by imagined threats and seeing himself as an instrument of God, Amos prepared for a sacrificial act, treating his family with cruelty dressed up as a religious ritual. His deep descent into madness was evident as he inflicted violence upon his loved ones, sparing none from his erratic wrath. Babcock’s final act of brutality saw him murder his sister, Mercy Babcock Hall, whom he saw as demonic, in a brutal frenzy of madness, bringing a tragic end to a night of unspeakable horror.
Sources:
Amos Babcock (1764-1805) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree
Squash, Pumpkin Pie and Mercy… | Part 1
Squash, Pumpkin Pie and Mercy… | Part 2
New Brunswick — History and Culture
The Babcock Tragedy, a Story of Madness and Murder
Amos Babcock… Crazed Murderer, or…?
Full text of “The New Brunswick magazine”
Mar 08, 1939, page 14 – The Montreal Star at Newspapers.com
Apr 13, 1939, page 15 – The Kingston Whig-Standard at Newspapers.com
Jan 18, 1993, page 25 – The Leader-Post at Newspapers.com
Apr 20, 2013, page 79 – National Post at Newspapers.com
The Ballad of Jacob Peck by Debra Komar (Ebook)
Great Awakening – First, Second & Definition
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Episode 311: On October 21, 2021, a tragic accident occurred on the set of the low-budget old-west movie Rust, filmed on a New Mexico ranch. Wife, mother and Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was fatally shot, and writer/director Joel Souza, 48, was injured. It was the lead actor and producer, Alec Baldwin, who was holding the prop gun that killed Hutchins and wounded Souza. Somehow, it contained a live round. Investigations also revealed other live rounds on set, which is never supposed to happen.
Baldwin and the film’s inexperienced armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Dave Halls, 63, serving as the first assistant director on the film, entered a no-contest plea per a deal made with prosecutors, accepting responsibility for the misdemeanour offence of negligent use of a deadly weapon linked to the death of Halyna Hutchins. Numerous civil suits have also been filed, with accusations of negligence being levelled against several parties, including the production company, Hannah Gutierrez and actor Alec Baldwin.
Sources:
Hannah Gutierrez Reed Probable Cause Statement | DocumentCloud
Halyna Hutchins Post Mortem — 62fc0b327d166.pdf
Alec Baldwin – Halyna Hutchins – FBI and Medical Examiner Reports (Aug 2022)
American Cinematographer January 2022 Ac0122 | PDF | Pixel | Signal Processing
The moment Alec Baldwin is told of the death of his colleague Halyna Hutchins
The New Mexico Film Office Announces Rust is Currently Filming in New Mexico
The day Alec Baldwin shot Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza
Search warrant reveals grim details of ‘Rust’ shooting and Halyna Hutchins’ final minutes
A Timeline of the ‘Rust’ Shooting and Investigation
‘Rust’ timeline: Key events in the Alec Baldwin on-set shooting
Rust trial: How events unfolded after fatal shooting on Alec Baldwin film set
Raise Funds In Memory of Halyna Hutchins, organized by ICG Local 600
‘Rust’ Camera Assistant on Safety Issues, Pay Irregularities and Producer Behavior on “Brutal” Set
Gun in Fatal Rust Shooting Used in Target Practice that Morning
FULL Alec Baldwin Police Interview About Rust Shooting Incident
Bodycam Released in Alec Baldwin Set Shooting
Alec Baldwin, ‘Rust’ producers reach settlement with slain cinematographer’s estate – National
Video shows ‘Rust’ rehearsal, Baldwin speak to officers after shooting | NewsNation
Halyna Hutchins’s Death on the Set of Rust Was “Not a Freak Accident”
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In the summer of 2006, a young Calgary woman was on top of the world. She had a supportive family, amazing friends and a great job. But life as she knew it came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the night on August 6, 2006. In this episode, Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares details of a violent attack- a story that’s every woman’s worst fear.
http://www.calgarycrimestoppers.org – reference case # 06274598
https://newsroom.calgary.ca/sexual-assault-case-from-2006-has-new-lead/
Contact:
Instagram: @nancy.hixt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/
Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca
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Episode 310: On October 21, 2021, a tragic accident occurred on the set of the low-budget old-west movie Rust, filmed on a New Mexico ranch. Wife, mother and Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was fatally shot, and writer/director Joel Souza, 48, was injured. It was the lead actor and producer, Alec Baldwin, who was holding the prop gun that killed Hutchins and wounded Souza. Somehow, it contained a live round. Investigations also revealed other live rounds on set, which is never supposed to happen.
Baldwin and the film’s inexperienced armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Dave Halls, 63, serving as the first assistant director on the film, entered a no-contest plea in accordance with a deal made with prosecutors, accepting responsibility for the misdemeanour offence of negligent use of a deadly weapon linked to the death of Halyna Hutchins. Numerous civil suits have also been filed, with accusations of negligence being levelled against several parties, including the production company itself, Hannah Gutierrez and actor Alec Baldwin.
In this first of two parts, you will learn about the tragic trail of events leading up to the shooting.
Sources:
Alec Baldwin “Rust” shooting: A timeline of events in Halyna Hutchins’ death | CBS News
Rust shooting ‘43rd fatal incident on US film set since 1990’
Film set fatalities rise in last decade as production booms
On-set deaths from prop guns are rare — but not unheard of
Safety Bulletins – Contract Services
02_safety_bltn_live_ammunition
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Episode 309: In Mike’s first book, Murder, Madness and Mayhem, he wrote about an unknown man whose body was found on Somerton Park beach near Adelaide, Australia, by two trainee jockeys who’d been out with their horses on the morning of December 1, 1948. Lying in peaceful repose, the man wore a suit, overdressed for the warm Australian summer, and had no wallet or identification. He was unknown to anyone locally. The labels of his clothing had been ripped out.
Some enigmatic leads proved fruitless, including the discovery of a book, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, believed to have belonged to the stranger. In that book, what appeared to be coded writing was found. Experts have yet to decrypt the supposed message. Some believe the man was a spy, possibly murdered for what he knew.
Called by many Somerton Man, the stranger’s identity has remained unknown for decades until recently, when two separate groups came forward claiming they had information about who he was, leading to further speculation and even more questions.
Sources:
Murder Madness and Mayhem by Mike Browne
The Unknown Man by Gerald Feltus
Archived Newspaper Articles | Trove
Final Report/Thesis 2015 – Derek Abbott
Code Cracking: Who Murdered the Somerton Man | Prof. Derek Abbott
‘Truth to come out’: Fresh claims emerge on Somerton Man
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Episode 308: Kimberly Lynn Hallgarth was the 33-year-old mother of one and involved with former CFL football player Joshua Joseph Boden when. she was found brutally murdered at her residence in Burnaby, British Columbia, in March 2009. Her death was covered extensively in the media due to its connection with Boden, who had a long history of legal entanglements and was the main suspect in her killing. After years of awaiting a resolution, Kimberly’s family finally got a whiff of justice, when in 2018, Boden was charged with her murder. There had been a witness to the crime, and she was willing to testify.
Sources:
Kimberly Hallgarth (1975-2009)
CSO – Search Traffic/Criminal By Participant Name
Josh Boden | Global News, Videos & Articles
2011 BCPC 366 (CanLII) | R. v. Boden | CanLII
2012 BCPC 331 (CanLII) | R. v. Boden | CanLII
2014 BCSC 66 (CanLII) | R. v. Boden | CanLII
2021 BCSC 79 (CanLII) | R. v Boden | CanLII
2024 BCCA 6 (CanLII) | R. v. Boden | CanLII
The Province 15 Aug 2008, page 19
The Province 17 Mar 2009, page 7
The Vancouver Sun 25 Sep 2009, page 4
The Vancouver Sun 03 Oct 2009, page 7
The Vancouver Sun 25 Sep 2009, page 4
The Vancouver Sun 05 Aug 2010, page 5
The Province 19 Dec 2010, page 12
The Province 05 Nov 2018, page A4
The Province 04 Nov 2020, page AS10
The Vancouver Sun 17 Jun 2022, page A7
St Vincent and the Grenadines — Government
Murder of young mom still ‘unfathomable’
Woman found dead in Burnaby worked as escort
Police ID woman found dead in Burnaby home | CBC News
Former BC Lion Josh Boden handed 14-year minimum sentence for ex-girlfriend’s murder
The Province 14 Jan 2024, page A3
Ex-girlfriend to testify via CCTV against former BC Lion accused in Burnaby murder
Former BC Lion Joshua Boden found guilty of second-degree murder
Josh Boden trial: Key Crown witness breaks down in tears during cross-examination
Witness testifies about football player’s alleged deadly attack on former girlfriend
Former B.C. Lion Josh Boden’s murder of ex-girlfriend was ‘horrific and brutal’
Former BC Lions player killed ex-girlfriend in Burnaby for ruining football career: Crown
Court upholds murder conviction for ex-B.C. Lion Joshua Boden | SportseNet
Court dismisses appeal of former B.C. Lions player convicted of ex-girlfriend’s murder
Josh Boden football Statistics on StatsCrew.com
Joshua (Josh) Joseph Boden | Wikipedia
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Episode 307: On Friday, July 10th, 1970, around 7 a.m., near Ludlow, Maine, 45 kilometres from the border with Canada, the crew aboard a northbound Bangor & Aroostook Railway train noticed something lying on the tracks ahead. They thought at first it might be trash but reacted quickly regardless. Despite the immediate application of the brakes, the locomotive, towing 19 heavy boxcars, could not stop in time to avoid a collision. The objects on the tracks were sleeping bags containing three young males. All appeared to be in their teens or early twenties. The bodies were found without official identification, and among them, they carried just over 5 dollars in Canadian cash. After a very brief investigation, the Aroostook County Sheriff, Darrell Crandall, said he considered the deaths either accidental or a group suicide pact.
The young men were soon identified as Kenny Novak (fifteen) and David Burrows (seventeen), both from Sydney River and Terry Burt (twenty) of Whitney Pier, in Sydney, Nova Scotia. It was discovered that they had hitchhiked to the location, but they were a long way from home. Their families initially had no idea why they would cross the border. There were no indications that any of the three were suicidal. Why were they there? If their deaths were accidental, how had they not heard the train approaching? And why would they have chosen to sleep on the train tracks?
Information soon came to light that there may have been a darker reason for their journey, leading to speculation that the three might have been murdered and placed on the tracks to make their deaths appear accidental.
Their families and friends are still looking for answers.
Sources:
The Standard 11 Jul 1970, page 1
Death Notices — The Bangor Daily News 13 Jul 1970, page 26
Biddeford-Saco Journal 13 Jul 1970, page 10
The Bangor Daily News 19 Jul 1970, page 34
Remembering a Mysterious Summer of ’70 Tragedy by Ken Jessome
Who Killed the Three Cape Breton Boys on the Tracks? by Ken Jessome
“An Unfortunate Mishap”: Three Cape Breton Deaths by Ken Jessome
“Sleeping Victims”: A Cape Breton True Crime Story? By Ken Jessome
QUEST FOR JUSTICE: The Cape Breton 3 (Interview with Lorne Novak)
Cape Breton Three: The Boys on the Tracks — Murder, She Told: Maine & New England True Crime
The Three Cape Breton Boys on the Tracks — Nighttime Podcast
S1 E2 The Cape Breton Boys on the Track — Locating the Lost
Federal Railroad Administration
Rail-HwyGXing_Accidents– DEC. 31, 1972
The Mysterious Deaths of Don Henry & Kevin Ives – Unsolved Mysteries
SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS: the 1970 deaths of 3 Cape Breton Youth in Maine | Facebook
Aroostook County Murder Mystery | Facebook
Petition to Re-Open the Investigation — Change.org
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Episode 306: This week, we discuss the shooting death of American Mark Harshbarger during a 2006 hunting trip to Newfoundland. The Meshoppen, Pennsylvania, man was shot by his wife, Mary Beth Harshbarger, who claims she thought he was a black bear. In 2010, Harshbarger was extradited to Newfoundland, where she stood trial for criminal negligence causing death. The prosecution cited insurance money as Mary Beth’s motive for the killing. After two weeks of hearings in September, the presiding judge found her not guilty.
The shooting death of Mark Harshbarger has been a source of controversy since it occurred. Some people believe that Mary Beth Harshbarger was guilty of first-degree murder, while others believe that she was justified in shooting her husband because she thought he was a bear.
It is important to remember that this topic is very sensitive for many people. The family and friends of Mark Harshbarger are still grieving his death, and Mary Beth Harshbarger has gone through a great deal. Mark’s children have lost their father. We aim to be respectful of all parties involved when discussing this case.
Sources:
Hunting | The Canadian Encyclopedia
Fur Trade in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia
Town of Buchans Newfoundland & Labrador
Guide describes fatal shot in U.S. hunter’s trial | CBC News
Official Newfoundland Hunter Safety Course | HunterCourse.com
Inside The Harshbarger Family Case | CBC — True Crime Canada
Public Advisory: 2023-24 Hunting and Trapping Guide Available Online – News Releases
Regulation Summaries – 2022-23 Hunting and Trapping Guide
Mark Harshbarger (1963-2006) | Find-a-Grave
2010 NLTD 152 (CanLII) | R. v. Harshbarger | CanLII
Another Fine Day Afield | Outdoor Canada
Extradition looms for hunter who shot husband | Outdoor Canada
Harshbarger’s father speaks out about widow’s upcoming shooting trial – News – The Times-Tribune
Judge throws out PFA order that had been lodged against Mary Beth Harshbarger – News – Daily Review
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