319 episodes

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

Dark Poutine - True Crime and Dark History Curiouscast

    • True Crime
    • 4.7 • 2.1K Ratings

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

    Introducing... Crime Beat | Out of the dark

    Introducing... Crime Beat | Out of the dark

    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.
    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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    • 38 min
    Away Game: Reckless Rust — The Death of Halyna Hutchins (Part 1)

    Away Game: Reckless Rust — The Death of Halyna Hutchins (Part 1)

    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 incident
    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 for Sarah
    Directors Guild of Canada
    Safety Bulletins – Contract Services
    01_safety_bltn_firearms
    02_safety_bltn_live_ammunition
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    • 1 hr 10 min
    Away Game: More to the Puzzle — Somerton Man Updates

    Away Game: More to the Puzzle — Somerton Man Updates

    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
    How to Solve Ciphers
    Cryptography Hints
    2602UMSAU — The Doe Network
    ‘Truth to come out’: Fresh claims emerge on Somerton Man
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    • 59 min
    Apex Predator: The Murder of Kim Hallgarth

    Apex Predator: The Murder of Kim Hallgarth

    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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    • 1 hr 3 min
    Three on the Tracks: Kenny Novak, David Burrows and Terry Burt

    Three on the Tracks: Kenny Novak, David Burrows and Terry Burt

    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
    Ingonish Beach and Freshwater Lake – Cape Breton Highlands National Park | Tourism Nova Scotia, Canada
    Petition to Re-Open the Investigation — Change.org
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    • 57 min
    The Tragic Death of Mark Harshbarger

    The Tragic Death of Mark Harshbarger

    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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    • 1 hr 4 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
2.1K Ratings

2.1K Ratings

makechgs4me_deb ,

Always a solid show and entertaining as heck!

I ADORE this show. I’ve been listening for 5 years now and figured it’s about time to leave a review. It’s my favorite true crime podcast. I look forward to Monday mornings at work because I get to listen to “my guys” Mike and Matthew. Not only is it well researched, the presentation is always professional and respectful. Mike is very knowledgeable, seasoned and just seems like a good eg. I find Matthew’s input is often a perspective that I hadn’t thought of and it makes me think outside of the box. Oh and I love Steve stories too! I appreciate the friendship between these two men and how well they interact. I wish I could give them more stars. Bravo on an excellent podcast gentlemen. I’m never disappointed.

katharinkat ,

Canadians live in igloos and everyone is nice

As a Canadian living in New York City, I love hearing these stories of home and learning Canadian history from people who have a healthy amount of skepticism around the colonial lens traditionally taught in the school system. Thoughtful, caring and humorous. What else can a true crime loving gal ask for?

Napeocles Jucunda ,

4 Stars

Apparently 4 stars… cause… Edmonton Oilers.

But seriously, it’s nice to hear stories and the accents from the homeland. Grown in Alberta, living in South Dakota since 2010. Some of these news stories didn’t show up in my feeds. Interesting listening to them when all has settled and not in the height of the emotions.

Found out about you guys from The Morbid Podcast.

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