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Dark Poutine – True Crime and Dark History — History
Dark Poutine – True Crime and Dark History

True crime, legends, folklore, dark history and other creepy topics from the perspective of real Canadians.

Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/darkpoutine

Copyright: © 2021 Corus Radio

Latest Episodes:

Two Flavours of Justice — Part 1: The Murders of Michael Knott and Trevor Brewster Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

Episode 371: In early May 2007, Nova Scotia was shaken by a series of brutal murders that would eventually be linked to a single man: Glen Douglas Race. Over the course of just over a week, two well-liked men — Paul Michael Knott and Trevor Charles Brewster — were killed in separate, violent attacks. The case would expose not only the horror of the crimes but also the tragic intersection of untreated mental illness, the vulnerability of marginalized communities, and the failures of the system meant to protect both the public and those suffering from severe psychiatric disorders.

This episode will delve into the lives of the Nova Scotia victims, the chilling details of their deaths, and the complex psychological landscape that shaped Glen Race’s descent into violence and his subsequent flight across the border into the United States, where he killed again before being caught.

Sources:
2014 NSSC 6 (CanLII) | R. v. Race | CanLII
Glen Race Hearing's Agreed Statement of Facts | PDF | Psychosis | Psychiatry
Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia: 2007-05 Murders
Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia: Michael Paul Knott
Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia: Trevor Charles Brewster
Halifax LGBTQ2S+ history: Cruising Citadel Hill - Nova Scotia Advocate
Before the parade
Michael Paul Knott | Obituary
Man charged with murder of Halifax-area gay men
Nov 2013: Details of Halifax stabbing deaths told
‘I will always need you, Daddy’
Nov 2013: Details of Halifax stabbing deaths told

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Summer of Fear: The Carlos Rivera and Regier Family Murders Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

Episode 370: In this episode, we journey into the chilling case of Jesse Imeson—a man whose troubled past and violent crimes left a deep scar on Southwestern Ontario. In the summer of 2007, Imeson's name became synonymous with fear as he embarked on a deadly spree, taking three innocent lives. The victims were Carlos Rivera, 25, of Windsor and Helene Regier, 72, and her husband, Bill Regier, 73, near the community of Grand Bend. The discovery of the murders sparked a 12-day nationwide manhunt and led to the capture of the killer in Portage-du-Forte, Quebec, near the Ontario border.

However, behind the headlines lies a story of trauma, addiction, and claims of childhood abuse that may have shaped the path to his horrific acts.

Sources:

⁠Man who killed elderly couple and bartender has appeal rejected by Supreme Court | CBC News⁠⁠

Carlos Rivera - Search - Newspapers.com™

⁠⁠Family of victims lash out as smirking killer gets life sentence⁠⁠

Supreme Court of Canada | 38467⁠⁠

Windsor murderer's claim of sexual abuse hits legal setback⁠⁠

2021 ONSC 5289 (CanLII) | Imeson v. Maryvale | CanLII⁠⁠

2018 ONCA 888 (CanLII) | Imeson v. Maryvale (Maryvale Adolescent and Family Services) | CanLII⁠⁠

2017 ONSC 1906 (CanLII) | Imeson v. Maryvale | CanLII⁠⁠2016 ONSC 6020 (CanLII) | Imeson v Maryvale | CanLII⁠⁠

Murder suspect Jesse Imeson captured in Quebec⁠⁠Suspect in 3 Ontario slayings appears in Windsor court | CBC News⁠⁠

Ont. man pleads guilty in 3 'savage' slayings, sentenced to life | CBC News⁠⁠

LFP Archives: The hunt for, and truth about, spree killer Jesse Imeson⁠⁠

Inadmissible evidence could lead to new trial⁠⁠

Obituary of Helene Marie Regier | T. Harry Hoffman & Sons Funeral Home⁠⁠

So, why did he do it? - Grand Bend Strip community newspaper⁠⁠

America's Most Wanted joins hunt for Ontario fugitive | CBC News⁠

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Final Justice: The Murder of Guylaine Potvin Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

Episode 369: In the quiet city of Jonquière, Quebec, the brutal 2000 murder of 19-year-old Guylaine Potvin sent shockwaves through her community and left investigators baffled for over two decades. For years, the case grew cold, with few leads and little hope for justice. But in 2022, a remarkable breakthrough in forensic science and persistent detective work finally led to the arrest of Marc-André Grenon, a man whose name had lingered on the periphery of the investigation for years. This episode takes you inside the investigation, the science that cracked the case, and the long-awaited trial that brought answers to a grieving family.

Sources:⁠2024 QCCS 551 (CanLII) | R. c. Grenon | CanLII⁠⁠2023 QCCS 5152 (CanLII) | Grenon c. R. | CanLII⁠⁠Indigenous Tourism Quebec - Region - Saguenay, Lac-Saint-Jean⁠⁠Jonquière | Saguenay River, Fjord, Pulp & Paper | Britannica⁠⁠Jonquière, Québec, Canada genealogy project⁠⁠Jonquière | Wikipedia⁠⁠Crown, defence agree accused killed teen in cold case from 2000 but disagree on intent | CBC News⁠⁠WyndhamForensic_Presentation_DNAAnalysis⁠⁠The scientific reinvention of forensic science⁠⁠The False Promise of DNA Testing⁠⁠Procès de Marc-André Grenon : l’accusé ciblé en raison de son nom de famille⁠⁠Quebec cold case murder trial: Crime scene photos show 19-year-old victim's life⁠⁠Quebec police officer sat beside cold case suspect in movie theatre to get his DNA, trial hears | CBC News⁠⁠Crown says suspect in Quebec cold case murder tracked down by Y chromosome project⁠⁠Après 22 ans, un homme sera accusé du meurtre de Guylaine Potvin à Jonquière⁠⁠Project Surname | The Canadian Encyclopedia⁠⁠35 ans après Polytechnique : la sœur de Guylaine Potvin veut qu’on se souvienne⁠⁠Marc-André Grenon admet avoir causé la mort de Guylaine Potvin⁠⁠Meurtre de Guylaine Potvin | Marc-André Grenon a sévi une seconde fois en 2000⁠⁠Condamné pour le meurtre de Guylaine Potvin: Marc-André Grenon reconnaît avoir frappé une deuxième fois en 2000⁠

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Playing Nurse: The Life and Crimes of Brigette Cleroux May 26, 2025

Show notes

Episode 368: Here, we delve into the life and crimes of Brigitte Denise Cleroux, examining how she repeatedly evaded regulatory scrutiny, the suffering she caused, and the systemic failures that enabled her persistence for so long. This story is a chilling tale of deception, exploitation, and the profound breach of trust within Canada’s health-care system. Cleroux masqueraded as a nurse for years in multiple provinces — British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec. She treated hundreds of patients, administering drugs and even performing medical procedures, all without a single legitimate credential. Her actions left a trail of traumatized patients, betrayed colleagues, and a health system forced to reckon with the vulnerabilities she so ruthlessly exploited.

Source:

⁠She worked as a nurse for decades. She wasn't who she said she was.⁠⁠2024 BCSC 2435 (CanLII) | R. v Cleroux | CanLII⁠⁠2023 BCSC 1275 (CanLII) | Massie v Provincial Health Services Authority | CanLII⁠⁠2022 ONCJ 188 (CanLII) | R. v. Cleroux | CanLII⁠⁠2022 QCCQ 8569 (CanLII) | R. c. Vallée Baillargeon | CanLII⁠⁠2011 ABPC 182 (CanLII) | R. v. Marier | CanLII⁠⁠Unlicensed BC Nurse Class Action⁠⁠Cleroux (PHSA) BC | Class Action | Murphy Battista LLP⁠⁠Bogus nurse lawsuits continue to mount against B.C. health authorities⁠⁠Assault with a weapon: Fake nurse pleads guilty to assaulting B.C. patients by IV injection | CBC News⁠⁠West Shore RCMP - Nurse impersonator sentenced to 7 years in prison⁠⁠Fake nurse sentenced 7 years for impersonation, using needles on patients in Ottawa | CBC News⁠⁠B.C. ‘fake nurse’ Brigitte Cleroux sentenced to 7 years in prison⁠⁠Fake nurse Brigitte Cleroux apologizes in court | CBC News⁠⁠Woman who worked as a fake nurse in B.C. makes tearful statement in court⁠⁠Dozens of B.C. civil lawsuits filed in alleged bogus nurse case⁠⁠Public advisory: Melanie Smith is not a registrant of BCCNM⁠⁠Fake nurse’s ’deep seated dishonesty’ adds four more years to prison term: B.C. judge⁠⁠Serial Imposter Works as a FAKE Nurse For Two Decades | The Case of Brigitte Cleroux⁠⁠Alleged B.C. nurse impersonator needs yet another lawyer⁠

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Road Trip: The Murder of Reeva Steenkamp May 19, 2025

Show notes

Episode 367: In the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013, the world awoke to the shocking news that South African Olympic and Paralympic hero Oscar Pistorius had shot and killed his girlfriend, a 29-year-old paralegal and model Reeva Steenkamp, inside his Pretoria home. Pistorius, celebrated for overcoming the loss of his legs to become a global sporting icon, now stood accused of a crime that would grip and divide a nation. The ensuing investigation and trial, marked by intense media scrutiny, conflicting testimonies, and a dramatic courtroom battle, would raise questions about celebrity, violence, and the quality of justice in South Africa.

Sources:

Reeva: A Mother's Story | Indigo.ca
Remembering Reeva Steenkamp: Her inspiring life and tragic death
Reeva Steenkamp, my friend, shot by Oscar Pistorius
Here is Reeva Steenkamp, not just Oscar's girlfriend
The Reeva I knew
An untold story: all about Reeva Steenkamp
1983 - The O'Malley Archives
South Africa — Forced Removals | Overcoming Apartheid
Formation and launch of the UDF | South African History Online
MAJOR NEWS IN SUMMARY; Changing South Africa 1983 (Published 1986)
Oscar Pistorius | Biography, Olympics, Conviction, & Facts | Britannica
Oscar Pistorius: The strange and dangerous world of the blade runner | MacLeans
Oscar Pistorius - Athletics | Paralympic Athlete Profile
Oscar PISTORIUS | Olympic Athlete Profile
The Pistorius Case and South Africa’s Gun Problem
Timeline - The trial of 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius
Reeva's Death 'Ruined' Steenkamp Family, Cousin Says
Family of Reeva Steenkamp searching for answers about shooting
Oscar Pistorius trial SABC News on YouTube
Director of Public Prosecutions, Gauteng v Pistorius (950/2016) [2017] ZASCA 158; 2018 (1) SACR 115 (SCA); [2018] 1 All SA 336 (SCA) (24 November 2017)
S v Pistorius (CC113/2013) [2016] ZAGPPHC 724 (6 July 2016)
Director of Public Prosecutions, Gauteng v Pistorius (96/2015) [2015] ZASCA 204; [2016] 1 All SA 346 (SCA); 2016 (2) SA 317 (SCA); 2016 (1) SACR 431 (SCA) (3 December 2015)
S v Pistorius (CC113/2013) [2014] ZAGPPHC 924 (21 October 2014)
S v Pistorius (CC113/2013) [2014] ZAGPPHC 793 (12 September 2014)
Inside the Oscar Pistorius trial
Reeva Steenkamp shooting | The Guardian
Reeva Steenkamp | Wikipedia
Trial of Oscar Pistorius | Wikipedia
Where Is Oscar Pistorius Now? Inside the Olympian’s Life After Murder Conviction

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Merciless: The Murder of Constable Michael Sweet May 12, 2025

Show notes

Episode 366: On a cold night, March 14, 1980, the city of Toronto was shaken by an act of violence that would leave a deep scar on its police force and forever change the lives of one family. It was the kind of crime that, decades later, still echoes in the halls of justice and the memories of those who lived through it. This is the story of Constable Michael Sweet, a dedicated police officer, loving husband, and devoted father of three young girls, all under ten years old, who lost his life in the line of duty at the hands of two brothers whose names would become synonymous with brutality: Craig Alfred Munro, 28, and his 21-year-old brother, James Scott Munro.

Sources:

⁠1983 CanLII 3542 (ON CA) | R. v. Munro | CanLII⁠⁠1984 CanLII 3608 (QC CA) | R. v. Vaillancourt | CanLII⁠⁠Oct 20, 1983, page 19 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Oct 28, 1980, page 3 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Mar 21, 1980, page 9 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Mar 19, 1980, page 3 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Mar 17, 1980, page 14 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Mar 15, 1980, page 1 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Mar 15, 1980, page 9 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com⁠

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Beneath the Roots: The Murder of Mary Ann Frauzel Mailman May 05, 2025

Show notes

Episode 365: On a humid August morning in 1873, the quiet, tight-knit community of Baker’s Settlement outside of Bridgewater in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, was shattered by a crime so shocking that it would echo for generations. This is the story of Mary Ann Frauzel Mailman—a woman described by her contemporaries as strikingly beautiful, and by all accounts, a devoted mother—whose life ended violently at the hands of her husband, Peter Mailman. The murder and its aftermath would become one of the most infamous cases in the province’s history, both for its brutality and for the chilling window it offered into the darkness that can lurk behind closed doors.

Sources:

⁠cihm_09620⁠⁠The trial of Peter Mailman for the murder of hi...⁠⁠Mary Ann Frauzel Mailman (1826-1873) - Find a...⁠⁠Bloodshed among the berries - 1873 Lunenburg, Nova Scotia⁠⁠Large Fierce Mammal: The Trial of Peter Mailman⁠⁠Capital case, Peter Mailman tried before [Minister of] Justice DesBarnes at Lunenburg⁠⁠Hamilton Spectator -- Deaths, 1873⁠⁠Dec 30, 1873, page 1 - The New York Times at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Dec 10, 1873, page 3 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Dec 05, 1873, page 2 - The Hamilton Spectator at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Nov 27, 1873, page 2 - The Montreal Star at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Oct 24, 1873, page 3 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Oct 21, 1873, page 3 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Aug 26, 1873, page 1 - The Rutland Daily Globe at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Aug 25, 1873, page 2 - The Spirit of Democracy at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Aug 22, 1873, page 1 - Democrat and Chronicle at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Aug 22, 1873, page 3 - Hartford Courant at Newspapers.com⁠⁠Aug 19, 1873, page 3 - The San Francisco Examiner at Newspapers.com

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The Collapse of the Second Narrows Bridge: A Tragedy in Steel Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

Episode 364: On June 17, 1958, a warm summer afternoon in Vancouver, British Columbia, the bustling construction site of the Second Narrows Bridge was alive with activity. Seventy-nine workers, including ironworkers, engineers, and painters, were perched high above the waters of Burrard Inlet, labouring to connect Vancouver to the North Shore. Little did they know that in mere moments, their world would come crashing down in what would become the worst industrial disaster in Vancouver's history. Several bridge spans suddenly collapsed as they attempted to join two chords of the unfinished arch. The disaster sent all the bridge builders on shift plummeting 30 meters into the waters below. Tragically, 18 workers lost their lives instantly or shortly after, possibly due to drowning from their heavy tool belts. The death toll rose to 19 when a diver searching for bodies also drowned in the days following the collapse.

Sources:

Collapse of the Second Narrows Bridge during Construction | Proceedings | Vol , No

1958 – BC Infrastructure Disaster – Ironworkers Memorial Bridge – Vancouver 1958

Time Traveller: 19 die in 1958 Second Narrows Bridge collapse and ensuing rescue

Second Narrows Bridge Collapse

Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing

The Lions Gate Bridge

The Lions Gate Bridge - And The Lions Who Guard It

Building a Vancouver Icon: The Lions Gate Bridge - Introduction - MONOVA

Jun 18, 1958, page 35 - The Province at Newspapers.com

Last living survivor of Second Narrows Bridge disaster won't let pandemic stop him from honouring dead | CBC News

Check out this historical video report on the 1958 collapse of the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing (VIDEO)

Tragedy at Second Narrows: The Story of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge

Time Traveller: 19 die in 1958 Second Narrows Bridge collapse and ensuing rescue

This Week in History: 1896: The Point Ellice Bridge collapses in Victoria, killing 55

Looking Back: 126 years since 55 killed in catastrophic Victoria bridge collapse

The Point Ellice Bridge Failure

The Point Ellice Bridge Disaster

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Shattered Innocence: The Murders Leanne McFarlane and Jeffrey Taylor Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

Episode 362: On the morning of May 29, 2010, gunshots shattered the quiet of a rural property just outside Cranbrook, British Columbia. By the time police arrived at the scene, two lives had been tragically cut short in an apparent case of mistaken identity.

The victims were Jeffrey Todd Taylor, 42, and Leanne Laura MacFarlane, 43, a couple who had been renting half of a duplex on a large piece of land for about three months. They had no connection to the criminal underworld and appeared to have been innocent victims caught in the crossfire of a drug gang dispute.

Over the last 15 years, authorities and the couple’s family and friends have fought to bring their killers to justice.

Source:

Obituary of Leanne MacFarlane | McPherson Funeral Service - Cranbrook

Remembering the life of Jeffrey Taylor.

City of Cranbrook - Our City

Cranbrook BC | The Canadian Encyclopedia

The Ktunaxa First Nation

4 charged in alleged B.C. murder conspiracy | CBC News

B.C. Court of Appeal orders new trial in Cranbrook double homicide | CBC News

Charges laid 8 years after innocent B.C. pair were killed in targeted shooting | CBC News

Four charged in murder plot that saw innocent Cranbrook couple executed

Masked man held gun to head of slain woman's sister-in-law, court hears

Daughter of Cranbrook woman slain in mistaken identity murders shocked at not guilty verdict

2013 BCSC 828 (CanLII) | R. v. Adams | CanLII

2016 BCCA 330 (CanLII) | R. v. Correia | CanLII

2020 BCSC 608 (CanLII) | R. v Correia | CanLII

2022 BCSC 647 (CanLII) | R. v Correia | CanLII

2024 BCCA 361 (CanLII) | R. v. Correia | CanLII

2025 BCSC 372 (CanLII) | R. v Correia | CanLII

Man who killed 2 in case of mistaken identity sentenced to life in prison | CBC News

Man pleads guilty to Cranbrook mistaken identity murders

Man who killed 2 in case of mistaken identity sentenced to life in prison

Life sentence for man who killed B.C. couple in 2010 mistaken-identity murders

Second person charged in Brampton shooting that killed unintended target

Kingston man killed in Ottawa in what his family believes was a case of mistaken identity

Shooting Of Sikh Family In Canada Case Of Mistaken Identity: Police

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POWs in Canada and the Murders at Camp 132 Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

Episode 362: We explore chilling events that unfolded at POW Camp 132 in Medicine Hat, Alberta, during World War II. This prisoner-of-war camp, one of many scattered across Canada, became the site of two brutal murders that shocked even hardened veterans and led to Canada's last mass execution.

In the summer of 1943, August Plaszek, a former French Foreign Legion soldier forcibly integrated into the German army, met a gruesome end at the hands of Nazi hardliners within the camp. Just over a year later, in September 1944, Karl Lehmann, a university professor turned Luftwaffe interpreter, suffered a similar fate for daring to share news of Germany's failing war effort with his fellow prisoners. These murders, born from the complex dynamics of a “little piece of Germany” transplanted to the Canadian prairies, would set in motion a series of dramatic trials that tested the limits of Canadian justice and international law.

Sources:

Protected persons: Prisoners of war and detainees | Red Cross

Prisoners of war: What you need to know | Red Cross

The Geneva Conventions: 160 years of history | Genève internationale

Geneva Conventions | International Humanitarian Law, Protections & History | Britannica

Prisoners of War - Historical Sheet - Second World War - History - Veterans Affairs Canada

Normandy Massacres | Nazi War Crimes, Allied Retaliation & Impact | Britannica

Canadian Prisoners of War

In Enemy Hands | CM Archive

Abbaye d'Ardenne - Veterans Affairs Canada

Three survivors on how they endured oppression, cruelty and abuse as prisoners in Japan during WW II

Camp 132 – Medicine Hat

Illegitimate trials. PoW hangings. A miniature Nazi state on the Prairie. | The Star

When was it unjust to kill seven Nazi soldiers? When it happened in Canada | Globe & Mail

Hanged in Medicine Hat - Sutherland House Publishing

Gestapo PoWs | Legion Magazine

Ideological Battles in Medicine Hat By Danial Duda

Murders in a Nazi Prisoner-of-War Camp - And Canada's Last Mass Execution | History is Now

POW Camp 132 in Medicine Hat, Alberta

Camp 132 by Robin Warren Stotz

POW and Internment Camps in Alberta: WWII | Alberta Historic Places

World War II Prisoner of War Camp in Medicine Hat | Shaw TV Medicine Hat

Prisoner of War Camps in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia

Internment Camps

Thematic Guides - Internment Camps in Canada during the First and Second World Wars - Library and Archives Canada

Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Geneva, 27 July 1929

Name, Rank, and Serial Number: The Legacy of the 1929 Geneva Convention | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans

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