On a beautiful September night in 2008, a young couple went out for dinner in downtown Calgary. They walked through a park on their way home and sat down on a bench to soak in the warm, late summer air. Around them, the trees were changing colours . Never once did it cross their mind that it would be the last time, as a couple, they would see those vibrant fall colours again. Moments later, the sound of screaming filled the air followed by sirens as police and EMS rushed to the...

A story of deadly infatuation. Join Nancy Hixt as she explains how a young woman was targeted — simply because she spurned a young man’s advances. Nadia El-Dib’s family said Nadia had broken things off with Adam Bettahar, and her body was found in a Calgary woman’s backyard March 25, 2018. She was stabbed dozens of times and shot twice. Police called her death an “execution.” Anyone needing help with violence or abuse in an intimate relationship is encouraged to reach out for help by...

On April 14, 2022, two senior police officers– Sgt. Brian Topham and Cpl. Brandon Tobin received the highest honour that’s bestowed by the RCMP. The commissioner’s commendation for bravery recognizes outstanding courage in the face of dangerous circumstances… But the award came at a cost.  Join Nancy Hixt, a senior crime reporter for Global News as she shares how two officers, both diagnosed with PTSD, are working to heal and raise awareness about the trauma they’re living with in ‘The...

Elias Tarabay remembers Aug. 4, 2020, clearly. He arrived home after having a late lunch with a friend. He was living in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. His house had a balcony that looked out at the city’s ports. Just as he settled in, he heard a loud explosion. Tarabay was working as an editor for a local newspaper at the time and he thought he would take the video to send back to his office. Then a second large explosion rocked the Beirut port. The explosion killed at least 214...

In the summer of 2020, a listener reached out and asked how Crime Beat stories are selected. She said she was seeking justice for something that happened to her decades earlier when she was a teenager. That was the starting point of this episode. Join Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt as she shares how one woman’s bravery cracked open one of the most high profile sex assault cases in Calgary’s history.  Learn exclusive new details of the police investigation in ‘Mr. Gregory’s...

On this special episode of Crime Beat, Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt  takes you behind the scenes with a crime analyst. Learn how she uses data and technology to help solve cases as she works alongside homicide detectives. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a cold, snowy winter night in January 2008, an officer was on patrol when a confusing call came in to 911.  A hardworking mother of five disappeared while on her way home from work. To make matters worse, the call indicated that she was being attacked. Investigators raced against the clock to find Arcelie Laoagan.  On the latest episode of Crime Beat, Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares details of the frantic search and the horrific discovery that haunts both the officer...

On a cold, snowy evening in the fall of 2012, a series of 911 calls led Calgary police to multiple scenes. At one of those locations, investigators made a disturbing discovery — the body of Lacey Jones-McKnight. As homicide investigators took over the case, they learned the killer made shocking admissions to several people that night. Follow along on the latest episode of Crime Beat as Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares the painstaking lengths forensic investigators went...

In  movies and TV police interviews with suspects look simple enough, but in reality there’s a lot more to them. Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt takes you behind-the-scenes for a special look at forensic interviewing with veteran investigator Det.Mike Shute.. Find out what it’s really like to be across from a suspect in search of the truth when the stakes are...

In the summer of 2018, a young Calgary woman disappeared. For nearly a week her family held out hope she would be found safe. Instead, a call to 911 sparked a major investigation and led officers to multiple scenes where they uncovered a killing spree. Join Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt as she explains how this triple-murder investigation unfolded in the latest episode of Crime Beat....

In the middle of the night on Sept. 24, 1981, a two-year-old girl was rescued by police. She was found outside of a post office in a small town north of Calgary. She was cold, crying, and wearing only her pyjamas. What happened that fateful night changed the course of a little girl’s life forever. Decades later, Global News Crime Reporter Nancy Hixt met that victim — just as the offender who kidnapped her was released from prison in 1998. She’s followed the case for more than two...

On this episode of Crime Beat we introduce you to another Global News podcast called What happened to…? where host and reporter Erica Vella ,speaks with Ted Williams and Doral Chenoweth and the 2011, 90-second video, that launched Ted Williams, a man who was experiencing homelessness, into fame. In the video, Williams was standing at the side of a road in Columbus, Ohio; he was holding a sign that read in part, “I have a God-given gift of voice.” Doral Chenoweth, a photojournalist with The...

A heartbreaking anniversary highlights a decade of missed opportunities, a killer tries to fight his conviction – again, and a disgraced doctor faces new charges. On this special year-end episode senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt brings you  several updates on cases we’ve shared. This is the 2021 edition of “the story is never finished.” Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for...

In the fall of 2016, the CFL season was well underway and the Calgary Stampeders were on fire. When the Stamps beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sept. 24 of that year, the team set a record winning streak. After the game, the team went out to celebrate. What should have been a fun night on the town, was instead marred by tragedy. A simple, accidental brush into the wrong person set the tone for the rest of the evening. In the latest episode of Crime Beat podcast, Global news senior crime...

It’s arguably one of the highest profile multiple murder cases in Canadian history. Douglas Garland was convicted of the first-degree murder of five-year-old Nathan O’Brien and his grandparents Alvin and Kathy Liknes. For nearly five weeks, jurors were shown graphic forensic evidence gathered from the Liknes home and the farm where Garland lived with his parents. Now, for the first time, two of the 12 jurors who decided Garland’s fate, are speaking out about the ongoing impact of hearing...

On July 4, 2014, four days into an Amber Alert, a suspect was arrested in connection with the disappearance of Nathan O’Brien and his grandparents Alvin and Kathy Liknes. An RCMP emergency response team searched the farm where Douglas Garland lived with his parents. They didn’t find Nathan, Alvin and Kathy. At that time, there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Garland with kidnapping. Instead, he was arrested on unrelated fraud charges. In the meantime, investigators got a warrant and...

In 2014, on the first long weekend of the summer, a Calgary mother went to her parents’ home to pick up her five-year-old son following a sleepover. When she got there, all three were missing. Who would kidnap a five-year-old child and his grandparents, and why? It was the start of one of the longest Amber Alerts in Canadian history and a race against the clock to find the missing trio. In part one of this two-part series of Crime Beat, ‘Hunted by Evil,’ Global News senior crime reporter...

Over her 25 year career as a crime reporter...each case she's covered stays with her…But...there are some... that haunt her. They’re heartbreaking and horrific…difficult to revisit...because to bring you these stories she goes through hundreds of photos, court exhibits... graphic evidence. This season on Crime Beat, we share the high-profile cases you’ve asked me about...and others that maybe you’re not as familiar with. Nancy Hixt, is a senior crime reporter with Global News…join her on...

Introducing Episode 1 of China Rising - Hostage Diplomacy On the first episode of China Rising, we examine  the Chinese government's practice of detaining political prisoners, by hearing directly from Canadians who've become caught in the crossfire. Christian aid workers Julia and Kevin Garratt lived in China for 30 years before their arrest in 2014, when they were suddenly cast as pawns in a geopolitical chess match. The Garratts’ traumatic experience is eerily similar to the case of the...

Global News crime reporter Nancy Hixt gives you a behind-the-scenes look at Crime Beat. From digging up stories to writing and putting together this podcast, join Nancy as she explains how it all comes together. In this episode, she shares insight on journalism, crime reporting and even answers some of your questions.   She also introduces you to the Crime Beat team -- which includes Chris Bassett, Dila Velazquez and Rob...

In the summer of 1999, the RCMP in central Alberta investigated a horrific case involving two children. A father murdered his little girl and tried to kill his son. The case haunted investigators for decades. But it was particularly traumatic for one officer because it launched a completely unrelated series of events that ultimately led to him being wrongfully accused of sexual assault. It would leave his life torn in pieces. In part two of this special Crime Beat series, Global News...

On a cool rainy day in the summer of 1999, an old Chevy van was seen speeding on a highway from the backcountry eastbound towards Rocky Mountain House, Alta. There was a large piece of canvas attached to the bumper and it dragged behind the van. A short time later, the vehicle pulled into the ambulance bay at the Rocky Mountain House hospital. A man went in and identified himself as Brian Hogg. He was covered in blood and had lacerations to both of his wrists. Hogg asked the doctor to...

In early 2007, a young widowed mother of two was just settling into a bigger home after living for several years in a cramped apartment with her extended family. Aset Magomadova was looking forward to spring because she finally had a backyard and was going to plant a garden. The family came to Calgary as refugees from war-torn Chechnya where they experienced imprisonment, homelessness, severe injuries and loss. Arriving in Canada brought new hope. This was the place her dreams were...

In the fall of 1996, the Canadian sports world was rocked by a major sex abuse scandal. NHL player Sheldon Kennedy courageously went forward to police to reveal he suffered years of abuse at the hands of his childhood coach, Graham James. When Kennedy broke his silence, it started an important conversation around sexual assault and opened the door for others to do the same. In 1997, James pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two former players -- including Kennedy. He admitted to sexually...

On this episode of the Global News podcast Crime Beat, crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares a story of one young man’s grit and determination despite a massive loss.  On Jan. 25, 2012, police were called to a residential community in downtown Calgary. They found a man lying outside of a home.  Gatleak Thor Metkurjock, 20, was breathing but unconscious. His face was swollen, he had blood by his nose and mouth, and he had hypothermia. Metkurjock was rushed to hospital by ambulance but died the...