Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast

Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast - The Country Boy Killer: Cody Legebokoff | Free Listening on Podbean App The Country Boy Killer: Cody Legebokoff A Small-Town Facade Hides a Monster   In the wild, untamed heart of northern British Columbia , Cody Legebokoff was the all-Canadian boy next door. Raised amid rugged landscapes and tight-knit communities, he was a popular kid who loved hockey, snowboarding, and the outdoors. To friends and family, he was kind-hearted and carefree—a mechanic with a bright future. But behind this charming mask simmered a chilling evil that would mark him as one of Canada’s youngest serial killers .   Between 2009 and 2010, while barely out of his teens, Legebokoff unleashed a reign of terror that claimed four lives: Jill Stacey Stuchenko, a vibrant mother of six; Natasha Lynn Montgomery , a young mom whose body remains lost to this day; Cynthia Frances Maas, a resilient woman battling life’s hardships; and Loren Dawn Leslie , a trusting 15-...

Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast - Ancaster's Unanswered Shot: The Murder of Carman Ward | Free Listening on Podbean App Ancaster's Unanswered Shot: The Murder of Carman Ward A quiet suburban Christmas shattered. A father gunned down in his own home. And a mystery that has haunted a community for nearly a decade. On a cold December night in 2015, two frantic 911 calls pierced the peaceful calm of Ancaster, Ontario. Inside, Carman "Bud" Ward, a 60-year-old father with a black belt in jiu-jitsu, was fighting for his life and the lives of his sons, Joshua and Brandon, against two masked invaders. He was shot, tragically succumbing to his injuries, while his son Brandon suffered cuts to his head from a bladed weapon. Join Jay Nicoll of Nicoll Investigations as Ontario Cold Cases delves into this chilling unsolved murder. Was it a drug deal gone wrong, or were the masked assailants after something else entirely, like the casino winnings Bud had recently celebrated? Police ...

Ancaster's Unanswered Shot: The Murder of Carman Ward (Trailer) - YouTube Ancaster's Unanswered Shot: The Murder of Carman Ward, coming this Sunday, August 10th: It’s just days before Christmas. The quiet, peaceful streets of Ancaster, Ontario. Then, a sudden, brutal home invasion. Two separate males inside the home were reporting a terrifying home invasion... Their father, Carman Ward, had been shot. On December 21st, 2015, 60-year-old Carman "Bud" Ward, a man with a black belt in jiu-jitsu , fought to protect his sons from masked intruders. But in the chaos, a single shot rang out, silencing him forever. This was no random act. Police say it was a targeted attack. But why Carman Ward? Was it about the drugs found on the property, or the casino winnings he'd recently celebrated? Two masked men, one possibly injured in the face, armed with a handgun and a brutal bladed weapon, left a family shattered and a community in fear. And security footage reveals a mysteri...

  A Scream in West Cork The Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier (Part 2) The Killer's Shadow Emerges. Or Does It? The brutal murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier shattered the serene beauty of West Cork . As local Gardaí grappled with a compromised crime scene and the quiet community reeled, a new and unsettling figure begins to dominate the investigation. In Part 2, we delve into the crucial early witness accounts: the farmer who saw a man near Sophie's cottage in the dead of night, and the local shopkeeper whose shifting testimony would become a lightning rod for controversy. But it's the strange, almost theatrical presence of Ian Bailey , a British freelance journalist , that casts the longest shadow. Why did Bailey seem to know details of the murder before they were publicly released? Why did he have suspicious cuts and scratches, offering shifting explanations for their origin? And why would a man allegedly confess to such a horrific crime, only to veh...

The Lighthouse Job | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Lighthouse Job 
A Mick & Mack Mystery There are places on the map where the light’s always been more suggestion than promise—windswept shores, lonely harbors, and crumbling towers whose lanterns once guided ships through fog as thick as fate. And sometimes, when that light goes out, it’s not the bulb that’s broken… it’s the story behind it. When Toronto harbor patrol shrugs off a darkened lighthouse east of the city, one man refuses to ignore it. Declan “Brick” Malloy—retired military sergeant, waterfront legend, and the loudest thing in any pub—knows something is wrong at Point Stoddart. But getting to the truth will take more than guts and gumption. It’ll take Mick McCathie, Mack MacNeely, and a boat that probably leaks. Smugglers. Silence. Storms. And a keeper who may not want to be found. Welcome to The Lighthouse Job—a mystery soaked in fog, brine, and secrets better left submerged. Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Cr...

Episode 3: Aftermath and Legacy of The Gardener’s Grim Harvest: The Bruce McArthur Story | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast Episode 3: Aftermath and Legacy of The Gardener’s Grim Harvest: The Bruce McArthur Story The Final Chapter of a City’s Resilience in The Gardener’s Grim Harvest: The Bruce McArthur Story In Toronto’s Gay Village, a community once defined by joy and sanctuary was left shattered. Bruce McArthur, a trusted landscaper, betrayed those who welcomed him, stealing eight lives—Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, Dean Lisowick, Selim Esen, and Andrew Kinsman—and hiding their remains in the soil he tended. His arrest and conviction brought a measure of justice, but the wounds he inflicted lingered, challenging a community to rebuild from grief. In the gripping finale of The Gardener’s Grim Harvest: The Bruce McArthur Story, Episode 3 of Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Crime Podcast explores the profound afte...

The Unsolved Murder of Karen Woodcock | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Unsolved Murder of Karen Woodcock On a quiet summer morning in 1973, a mother of seven with a new college diploma and dreams of a fresh start vanished into the pre-dawn hours of Peterborough, Ontario. Just a few hours later, her nude body was found on a rural road—beaten, left to be discovered, but with no blood at the scene and no sign of the sexual assault or robbery one might expect. Her last hours are a fragmented puzzle of drinking, transient movements, and a mysterious phone call. A crime that appears personal, controlled, and deeply malicious, it has haunted the community for over five decades. Who was the last person to see Karen Woodcock alive? And what hidden motive lies behind a murder so baffling that it continues to defy justice? Join private investigator Jay Nicoll on Ontario Cold Cases - Canada's True Crime Podcast as he peels back the layers of this unsolved mystery, seeking the truth for a...

Trailer - The Unsolved Murder of Karen Woodcock | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Unsolved Murder of Karen Woodcock Hello, I’m Jay Nicoll of Nicoll Investigations inviting you to join us on Sunday, August 3rd, as Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Crime Podcast revisits a case that has haunted a community for over fifty years. In the summer of 1973, Karen Anne Woodcock, a mother of seven, was on the verge of a new life. Just two days after graduating from college, she disappeared into the night. Hours later, her body was found on a quiet country road. The crime scene was a puzzle of brutal contradictions: repeated blows to the head, but no blood. A nude body, but no sign of sexual assault. Her purse left intact, but her shoes and dress were gone forever. The only motive apparent was a controlled and deeply malicious act. Who did Karen call in her final hours? Why was her body moved, and where is the real crime scene? Tune in this Sunday, August 3rd, as we delve into the unsolved h...

Part 1 - A Scream in West Cork - The Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast (Part 1) A Scream in West Cork The Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier  She sought solace. She found terror. In the tranquil, wild beauty of West Cork, Ireland, French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier found her idyllic escape. A place for peace, for writing, for quiet contemplation amidst the rugged landscape. But on the cold morning of December 23, 1996, that serene dream shattered into a horrifying nightmare. Discovered brutalized in her own laneway, dressed in nightwear, Sophie's murder plunged a quiet community into shock and ignited a decades-long international mystery. Who would commit such a savage act in such a remote haven? Join us as we journey to the very beginning of this perplexing cold case. We delve into Sophie's life, her connection to Ireland, and the harrowing discovery that launched a major homicide investigation. From the initial, frantic calls ...

Murder on the Island Ferry | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast Murder on the Island Ferry A Mick & Mack Mysteries Novel She boarded the ferry. She never made it to shore. When a woman vanishes during a routine ferry crossing to Toronto’s Ward’s Island and later washes up drowned near Snake Island, it looks like a tragic accident—until the bruises tell a different story. Jeanette Everly wasn’t just a quiet island resident—she was a voice of resistance, rallying her community against powerful forces trying to buy up their homes and pave over their peace. And someone wanted that voice silenced. Detectives Mick McCathie and Mack MacNeely are sent to investigate, but what begins as a simple case of foul play soon unravels into a tangled web of land grabs, forged signatures, and hidden alliances. From cranky dockmasters to retired nuns, slick developers to spurned lovers, everyone on the island has something to hide—and someone to protect. As Mick navigates a storm of secrets and Mack bat...

Episode 2 - The Gardener’s Grim Harvest - The Bruce McArthur Story | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast Uncover the Hunt for a Killer in “The Gardener’s Grim Harvest: The Bruce McArthur Story” Episode 2: Investigation and Trial In the shadowed streets of Toronto’s Gay Village, a community gripped by fear demanded answers. Eight men—Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, Dean Lisowick, Selim Esen, and Andrew Kinsman—had vanished, their faces haunting posters and whispered conversations. Behind the disappearances lurked Bruce McArthur, a landscaper whose tools of trade concealed a gruesome secret: the remains of his victims, buried in the very soil he tended. In Episode 2 of The Gardener’s Grim Harvest: The Bruce McArthur Story, host Jay Nicoll of Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Crime Podcast takes you inside the investigation that unmasked a monster and the trial that delivered a bittersweet reckoning. From missed clues to a...

Shadows of the Past: Toronto's Gay Village Murders of the 1970s and Early 1980s | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast Shadows of the Past: Toronto's Gay Village Murders of the 1970s and Early 1980s In the heart of Toronto’s vibrant gay village, a sinister shadow fell across the 1970s and early 1980s—a string of brutal, unsolved murders that left a community gripped by fear and a city haunted by questions. Seven men—Arthur, Fred, Jim, Doug, Brian, Sandy, and Billy—met horrific ends, their lives cut short in a wave of violence marked by frenzied stabbings, strangulation, and chilling “overkill.” From the blood-soaked floors of modest apartments to the crowded washroom of the St. Charles Tavern, these crimes painted a grim portrait of a time when prejudice silenced justice and the vulnerable were left defenseless. Join Jay Nicoll, private investigator and host of Ontario Cold Cases: Canada’s True Crime Podcast, as he unravels the chilling details of these forgotten murders. Step into...

Trailer - Shadows of the Past - Toronto's Gay Village Murders of the 1970s and Early 1980s | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast Shadows of the Past - Toronto's Gay Village Murders of the 1970s and Early 1980s This Sunday, July 27, on Ontario Cold Cases: Canada’s True Crime Podcast, we step into the shadows of Toronto’s past—a city pulsing with life, but hiding a deadly secret.   In the 1970s, Toronto’s gay village was a sanctuary… until it became a hunting ground. Seven men—Arthur, Fred, Jim, Doug, Brian, Sandy, Billy—brutally murdered. Stabbed, beaten, strangled, their lives stolen in blood-soaked apartments and barroom corners.   I’m Jay Nicoll, private investigator, and I’m digging into these cold cases—unsolved, untouched for decades. The St. Charles Tavern, a neon-lit refuge, was their last stop. Graffiti in the bathrooms screamed, “Who’s next?”   Was it one killer stalking the night? Or a wave of hate that silenced a community? And then… a chilling ques...

Episode 4 - The Gardner Museum Heist | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Gardner Museum Heist  Episode 4: Current Status and Ongoing Efforts Will the Stolen Masterpieces Ever Return? The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist—a $500 million theft that shocked the world—remains unsolved, but hope burns eternal. In Episode 4: Current Status and Ongoing Efforts, the gripping finale of Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Crime Podcast’s World True Crime Thursday series, host Jay Nicoll of Nicoll Investigations brings you to July 2025, where the search for 13 stolen masterpieces continues.  From the mafia’s deadly grip to dead-end leads, the trail of Rembrandt’s “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” and Vermeer’s “The Concert” has gone cold. Yet, new clues—a 2015 video hinting at guard Rick Abath’s role, retired FBI agent Geoff Kelly’s 2024 sightings, and Anthony Amore’s upcoming book “The Rembrandt Heist”—keep the mystery alive. With a $10 million reward and the museum’s relentless c...

Who Is She? | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast Who Is She? A Mick & Mack Mystery
 Inspired by a True Story Toronto, 1949.
 When a young wife and mother vanishes after her shift at a Danforth Avenue diner, detectives Mick McCathie and Mack MacNeely are called in to investigate. What begins as a routine missing persons case quickly turns into something darker: whispers of a man in a brown delivery truck, a suitcase found in the Don Valley, and a local mechanic who flees town without a trace. The deeper they dig, the colder the trail becomes—until all that's left is a map of unanswered questions and a feeling in Mick’s gut that something terrible was buried… somewhere close. With no body, no suspect, and no way to prove what they suspect, the case is shelved. Forgotten by most. But not by Mick. Toronto, 1995.
 Demolition crews tear up the concrete floor of an old car dealership—poured in 1949—and discover what was hidden beneath it for nearly half a century: a woman’s bones, red-b...

The Gardener's Grim Harvest: The Bruce McArthur Story | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Gardener's Grim Harvest: The Bruce McArthur Story Episode 1: McArthur and the Victims In the heart of Toronto’s Gay Village, a sanctuary turned sinister. Men began to vanish—fathers, dreamers, friends—leaving behind only whispers and weathered posters fluttering on lampposts. Unseen, a predator thrived among them: Bruce McArthur, the jovial landscaper whose hands shaped gardens and hid horrors. By day, he trimmed lawns with precision. By night, he stole lives with chilling intent. Eight men—Skanda, Abdulbasir, Majeed, Soroush, Kirushna, Dean, Selim, and Andrew—fell to his shadow, their remains buried in the soil of the very community that embraced him. For years, the Village trembled with unease, its trust eroding as the disappearances mounted. But the truth couldn’t stay buried forever. When one loss struck too close, a community’s cries pierced the silence, forcing a reluctant investi...

38 Years of Silence: The Hunt for Margaret McWilliam’s Killer | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast 38 Years of Silence: The Hunt for Margaret McWilliam’s Killer A Routine Jog. A Brutal Attack. A Mystery That Refuses to Die. On a warm August evening in 1987, 21-year-old Margaret McWilliam laced up her running shoes and stepped out for a jog in Toronto’s Warden Woods Park. It was a routine she knew well—a moment of peace in her busy life as a student and part-time worker. But that night, she wouldn’t return. Somewhere along the familiar path, a predator was waiting. Ambushed, dragged into the shadows, and subjected to a vicious assault, Margaret fought for her life. Her body was discovered the next morning, leaving behind a crime scene that would haunt investigators for decades. A distinctive shoe print from a rare Korean-made runner—sold only at Bata Shoe Stores—earned the case its chilling nickname: the “Cinderella Murder.” Yet, despite this clue and a DNA profile extracted years later, ...

  38 Years of Silence: The Hunt for Margaret McWilliam’s Killer A Routine Jog. A Brutal Attack. A Mystery That Refuses to Die.   August 27, 1987. A warm Toronto evening. Margaret McWilliam, a 21-year-old student with a bright future, laces up her running shoes for a jog in Warden Woods Park. It’s a routine she knows well—until it becomes her last. Ambushed. Dragged into the shadows. Brutally murdered. Nearly four decades later, her killer remains a phantom. I’m Jay Nicoll of Nicoll Investigations, and join us this Sunday July 20th on Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Crime Podcast. Step into the haunting mystery of the “Cinderella Murder”—a case defined by a single shoe print, a DNA clue with no name, and a family’s unrelenting search for answers. A distinctive Korean-made runner. Skin cells on her sweater holding the killer’s identity. A witness spotting a man fleeing the scene—red hat, muscular build, gone into the night. Suspects like Paul Bernardo and Russell Williams cam...

Episode 3 - The Gardner Museum Heist - The Mafia Connection | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Gardner Museum Heist Episode 3: The Mafia Connection  Uncover the Mob’s Secrets in the Gardner Museum Heist! Dive into the shadowy underworld of 1990s Boston with Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Crime Podcast as we continue our World True Crime Thursday series. In Episode 3: The Mafia Connection, host Jay Nicoll of Nicoll Investigations pulls you into the heart of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist—the $500 million theft that left the art world reeling.  The trail of 13 stolen masterpieces—Rembrandt’s stormy seascapes, Vermeer’s priceless The Concert, Degas’ delicate sketches—has gone cold. Early suspects like guard Rick Abath and crime lord Whitey Bulger led nowhere, but a new theory emerges: the Boston mafia, with its iron grip on the city, might hold the key. From Robert Donati’s rumored plan to trade the art for a mobster’s freedom to Carmello Merlino’s failed 1999 ...

The Restorer’s Redemption | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Restorer’s Redemption
 A Mick & Mack Mystery “A forged past. A burning truth. And a ghost who never died…” When a priceless medieval manuscript is revealed to be a forgery during a glittering Toronto gallery gala, famed art restorer Nicholas Hawthorne becomes the prime suspect in a scandal that could destroy his career—and his freedom. But Nick insists the manuscript was real when it left his hands. Someone switched it. Someone who knows his secrets. Enter Detectives Mick McCathie and Mack MacNeely, two sharp-witted investigators with a knack for uncovering the rot beneath the varnish. As they dig into the origins of the piece, a sinister signature reemerges: a symbol used during World War II by a master forger known only as Ordo—a ghost from Nick’s past, presumed dead in Prague. Teaming up with the brilliant and enigmatic Eve Whitmore, and rare book dealer Edward Thornton, Mick and Mack follow a trail of elegant forg...

The Unsolved Mystery of Superman's Fall: The Death of George Reeves | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Unsolved Mystery of Superman's Fall: The Death of George Reeves The Man of Steel. The Hollywood Dream. The Unsolved Murder. On a quiet summer morning in June 1959, Hollywood reeled from an impossible headline: Superman was dead. Not the invincible hero, but George Reeves, the beloved actor who brought him to life for millions. His death, officially ruled a suicide, quickly became Tinseltown's most enduring and unsettling mystery—a cold case that continues to baffle and divide.  But how could the Man of Steel fall? Beneath the official verdict lies a web of shocking inconsistencies: a gun wiped clean of fingerprints, no gunpowder residue, conflicting reports of one shot heard versus three bullets fired, and a shell casing found in an impossible location.  Unexplained bruises on Reeves' body hint at a struggle, while the 45-minute delay in calling police screams of a...

The Bloody Palm Print: Unmasking the Killer of Lawrence Cowan | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Bloody Palm Print: Unmasking the Killer of Lawrence Cowan In 1976, the quiet, close-knit community of Smiths Falls, Ontario, was shattered by a brutal act of violence. Lawrence Cowan, the beloved owner of Cowan's Dairy Bar—a cherished local landmark—was senselessly murdered during a masked armed robbery. The perpetrator vanished into the night, leaving behind a scene of horror and a single, chilling clue: a bloody palm print on a door frame. For nearly five decades, this print has held the key to a profound mystery, a silent testament to a killer who walked free. The town grieved, a young witness was forever scarred, and a family was forced to leave their home, all while justice remained elusive. Now, with the astonishing advancements in forensic technology, that solitary clue offers a glimmer of hope. Can modern science finally unmask the killer? Will the enduring silence surroundi...

The Bloody Palm Print: Unmasking the Killer of Lawrence Cowan (Trailer) | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Bloody Palm Print: Unmasking the Killer of Lawrence Cowan (Trailer) In the quiet heart of Smiths Falls, Ontario, a chilling secret has festered for nearly five decades. September 3rd, 1976. A beloved local figure, Lawrence Cowan, owner of the iconic Cowan's Dairy Bar, is brutally gunned down during a masked robbery. The killer vanishes, leaving behind a scene of unspeakable horror... and one crucial, blood-soaked clue. A single, bloody palm print. The sole tangible link to a phantom assailant. For years, it was a dead end, a silent testament to a killer who walked free, while a family grieved and a town remained gripped by fear. But time changes everything. Decades later, the relentless march of forensic science offers a glimmer of hope. Can cutting-edge technology finally crack a case thought long cold? Will this single print, buried in history, finally reveal the face of...

Episode 2 - Early Leads and Suspects - The Gardner Museum Heist | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Gardner Museum Heist Episode 2: Early Leads and Suspects The Hunt for Stolen Masterpieces Begins! In the dead of night, they struck—a daring heist that stripped the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of $500 million in art. Now, the chase is on. Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Crime Podcast takes you back to 1990 Boston in Episode 2: Early Leads and Suspects of our World True Crime Thursday series, hosted by Jay Nicoll of Nicoll Investigations. The FBI scrambles to unravel a crime with no fingerprints, no footage, and a trail gone cold. Was it Rick Abath, the guard with a suspicious door-opening stunt? Whitey Bulger, Boston’s untouchable crime lord? Or Robert Donati, a mobster whose murder hints at deadly secrets? A mysterious 1994 letter teases hope, but every clue crumbles. Join us as we navigate a web of suspects, dead ends, and tantalizing what-ifs in this gripping four-part serie...

The Private Investigators Convention | Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast The Private Investigators Convention A Mick & Mack Mystery
 As heard on Ontario Cold Cases – Canada’s True Crime Podcast They came to toast the best in the business. One of them came to kill. Toronto, 1950. The chandeliers of the Royal York Hotel gleam, the band plays smooth jazz, and the world’s greatest private eyes gather for a convention of crime-solvers, cloak-and-dagger panels, and one very prestigious award. But when a famous publisher is found murdered in a locked suite—shot through the heart with no weapon in sight—suspicion turns inward. Every guest is a suspect. Every alibi is questionable. And the one thing harder than solving a perfect murder… is solving it in a ballroom full of detectives. Enter Mick McCathie and Mack MacNeely—Toronto’s finest (and most reluctant) gumshoes—dragged into the fray as egos clash, secrets surface, and silk scarves start turning up in all the wrong places. When Vicky La...