273 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
    • 4.6 • 3.3K Ratings

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

    The Murder of Pamela Gail Bischoff

    The Murder of Pamela Gail Bischoff

    Episode 269: On April 12, 1991, a group of teens attended a woodland party near Oromocto, New Brunswick, involving alcohol and drugs, including LSD. Pamela Gail Bischoff, 14, and William Wayne Dale (Billy) Stillman, 17, left the gathering together, marking the last sighting of Pamela Bischoff alive. Stillman returned home later, wet from the thighs down, cold, shaking, and sporting a cut above his eye with mud and grass on his pants.
    Six days later, Pamela’s body was discovered in the Oromocto River, a short distance from the party site. The time of death correlated to the evening she had left with Billy Stillman. Eyewitnesses confirmed seeing a male accompanying Pamela near the discovery site, and Stillman was seen departing the area, his pants muddied. An autopsy showed that Pamela’s death resulted from head wounds, and there was evidence of sexual assault, which included semen inside her body.
    Billy Stillman was arrested, released, arrested again and eventually charged and convicted in Pamela’s murder. Stillman’s appeals were based on alleged inappropriate conduct by the RCMP officers collecting important DNA evidence. This resulted in the case being heard and decided in Canada’s highest court in 1997, and a new trial was ordered.
    Sources:
    1995 CanLII 5579 (NB CA) | R. v. Stillman | CanLII
    R. v. Stillman (W.W.D.) (1997), 192 N.B.R.(2d) 298 (TD | vLex Justis
    1997 CanLII 384 (SCC) | R. v. Stillman | CanLII
    Pamela Gail Bischoff – Life Through My Eyes
    Pamela Gail Bischoff 1976-1991 - Ancestry®
    The Constitution Act, 1982, Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c 11 | Federal Statutes
    Oromocto — Deer Park
    The Vancouver Sun 21 Mar 1997, page 7 - Newspapers.com
    The New Brunswick Telegraph Journal 22 Sep 1992, page 3 - Newspapers.com
    YouTube — What Happened To 14-Year-Old Pamela Bischoff? | Dark Waters Of Crime | Real Crime
    ARCHIVED - Kingsclear Investigation Report | Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP
    ROBERT FREDERICK BISCHOFF: obituary and death notice on InMemoriam
    Criminal AND Civil LAW Assignment - Regina vs. Stillman Criminal and Civil Law - Case Law Assignment - StuDocu
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    • 1 hr 2 min
    Long Time Gone: The Murders of Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook

    Long Time Gone: The Murders of Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook

    Episode 268: On November 18, 1987, Jay Cook, 20, and Tanya Van Cuylenborg, 18, a young couple from Vancouver Island, went on a road trip to Seattle, Washington. Unfortunately, they were never seen alive again.
    Their bodies were discovered weeks later in separate locations. Tanya had been raped, shot, and left in a ditch in Skagit County. Jay was found strangled in the woods near Monroe, about 60 miles away.
    The case went unsolved for over three decades until 2018, when authorities were able to use genetic genealogy to identify a suspect. He was arrested and charged with the murders. The man pleaded not guilty. In 2021, after his trial, the man was the first to be convicted using genetic genealogy. The couple’s killer was subsequently sentenced to life behind bars.
    Sources:
    The Murder of Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg - Unsolved Mysteries
    The disappearance of Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook: Following a decades-old cold case - CBS News
    Sheriff’s Office Seeks Information for Unsolved 1987 Murders | Snohomish County, WA
    Sheriff’s Office Detectives Seek the Public’s Help to Identify Suspect in 1987 Double Homicide Cold Case | Snohomish County, WA
    Arrest Made in 1987 Double Homicide Cold Case | Snohomish County, WA
    2018 Annual Report | Skagit County Sheriff’s Office
    Suspect arrested in 1987 deaths of a young couple from BC | HeraldNet.com
    My cousin, the killer: Her DNA cracked a 1987 double murder - Victoria News
    Parabon NanoLabs: Engineering DNA for Next-Generation Nanotech, Analytics, and Forensics
    GENSCO | Home
    Chelsea Rustad | AMA : IAmA
    How DNA Expert CeCe Moore Solved 109 Cold Cases
    Is murder in your DNA? - The Fifth Estate season premiere - YouTube
    Killer of Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook Sentenced | CBC News
    Life in prison for 1987 killer of young Canadian couple | Seattle Weekly
    Man convicted in the murder of Saanich couple left DNA on zip tie in 1987 – Victoria News
    Man appealing genetic genealogy murder conviction was a violent child, his family told police | CBC News
    State Of Washington, Respondent V. William Earl Talbott II
    Conviction for 1987 murders of Tanya van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook overturned | CBC News)
    Guilty verdict in 1987 killings of Saanich couple restored | CTV News
    The Forever Witness by Edward Humes
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    • 1 hr 7 min
    The Canadian Caper: Canada’s Role in the Iran Hostage Crisis

    The Canadian Caper: Canada’s Role in the Iran Hostage Crisis

    Episode 267: On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants attacked the US embassy in Tehran, Iran, taking 66 diplomats and staff members hostage. Remarkably, six diplomats managed to slip away unnoticed. These individuals were Robert Anders, Cora Lijek, Mark Lijek, Joseph Stafford, Kathleen Stafford, and Lee Schatz. Schatz sought refuge at the Swedish embassy, while the others went to the British embassy. However, upon nearing the embassy, they encountered a large crowd of protestors obstructing their path. Consequently, they decided to take shelter at Anders’ residence and devise their next steps. After six harrowing days, the six American diplomats sought refuge at the Canadian embassy. 
    The Canadian Ambassador to Iran, Ken Taylor, and his team provided shelter to the American diplomats and false Canadian passports. The Canadian government played a critical role in the mission to rescue them. The then-Canadian Prime Minister, Joe Clark, approved the operation and fully supported Ambassador Taylor and his team. 
    The rescue mission, known as the “Canadian Caper,” involved the creation of a fake movie production company called “Studio Six” and the production of a fake science fiction film called “Argo.” The Canadian embassy staff, along with the American diplomats, managed to escape from Iran using a combination of air travel and ground transportation. They were safely evacuated from Iran on January 28, 1980. The role played by Canada in the hostage crisis was highly appreciated by the US government and earned Canada international recognition for helping resolve the crisis.
    Sources:
    How the Shah’s Cancer May Have Changed History
    The Iranian Revolution — A timeline of events
    Ken Taylor and the Canadian Caper
    Our Man In Tehran by Robert Wright — Ebook | Scribd
    The Canadian Caper — Pelletier, Jean | Internet Archive
    Ken Taylor and the “Canadian Caper” | The Canadian Encyclopedia
    Canada history: Jan 27, 1980 — The famous “Canadian Caper” rescue – RCI | English
    What you won’t see in Argo — Macleans.ca
    Argo, F**k Yourself: Iran and the Oscars – The Diplomat
    ‘We lost a true hero’: Ken Taylor, 1934-2015 - Macleans.ca
    Tony Mendez, former CIA officer and inspiration for ‘Argo,’ dies at 78 - National | Globalnews.ca
    Ken Taylor satisfied with Affleck’s shoutout to Canada during Oscar speech | Globalnews.ca
    Canada and Iran
    U.S. Relations With Iran - United States Department of State
    Iran - The CIA World Factbook
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    • 1 hr 12 min
    Hollow Man — The Crimes of Mark Twitchell (Part 2)

    Hollow Man — The Crimes of Mark Twitchell (Part 2)

    In October 2008, the friends and family of 38-year-old Johnny Altinger were worried. Although emails and social media messages had indicated Johnny had run away on the spur of the moment with an unknown woman he’d just met, things didn’t add up. The messages did not have the same feel as Johnny’s typical fare, and he wasn’t known for his spontaneity. Police had already spoken with the tenant at the Edmonton garage that Johnny was directed to on the night he disappeared. They’d seen some things that concerned them, but there was no sign of Johnny. Something seemed off with the 29-year-old filmmaker Mark Andrew Twitchell, the man they’d spoken to. Little did the police know that only a week before Johnny vanished, another man, Gilles Tetreault, had suffered a bizarre attack at Twitchell’s hands after being lured to the same garage.
    NOTE: This is part two of an updated, two-part expanded REDO of an earlier episode with which we thought we could have done better. We plan to update several more historical episodes to provide a better listener experience, more in line with the tone of our show.
    Sources:
    2010 ABQB 693 (CanLII) | R. v. Twitchell | CanLII
    Edmonton Journal | Mark Twitchell’s First Statement To Police | Scribd
    Edmonton Sun | Twitchell Agreed Statement 1 | Scribd
    Edmonton Sun | Second Agreed Statement of Facts in Twitchell Case | Scribd
    Edmonton Sun | Garage and Evidence Photos
    Edmonton Sun | Video Evidence of Garage | YouTube
    A Transcript of Police Interview with Mark Twitchell From Oct. 20, 2008 | Scribd
    Alleged Diary from Mark Twitchell’s Computer | Scribd
    Twitchell DNA Report | Scribd
    Live Blog of Twitchell Trial | Scribd 
    Edmonton Journal | E-Mail Exchange Between Mark Twitchell & a Facebook Friend | Scribd
    Edmonton Journal | Mark Twitchell’s Notice of Appeal | Scribd
    Mark Twitchell case: Inside the mind of “The Dexter Killer” - CBS News
    Gilles Tetreault | Author | The One Who Got Away
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    • 49 min
    Hollow Man — The Crimes of Mark Twitchell (Part 1)

    Hollow Man — The Crimes of Mark Twitchell (Part 1)

    Episode 265: In October 2008, 38-year-old Johnny Altinger was looking for love online and, thinking he’d found it, was lured to his death in a dingy south Edmonton, Alberta garage. Johnny believed he would meet the girl of his dreams, but a Star Wars and Dexter-Morgan-obsessed serial killer wannabe and 29-year-old amateur filmmaker named Mark Andrew Twitchell awaited him in the garage’s darkness.
    NOTE: This is part one of an updated, two-part expanded REDO of an earlier episode with which we thought we could have done better. We plan to update several more historical episodes to provide a better listener experience, more in line with the tone of our show.
    Sources:
    2010 ABQB 693 (CanLII) | R. v. Twitchell | CanLII
    Edmonton Journal | Mark Twitchell’s First Statement To Police | Scribd
    Edmonton Sun | Twitchell Agreed Statement 1 | Scribd
    Edmonton Sun | Second Agreed Statement of Facts in Twitchell Case | Scribd
    Edmonton Sun | Garage and Evidence Photos
    Edmonton Sun | Video Evidence of Garage | YouTube
    A Transcript of Police Interview with Mark Twitchell From Oct. 20, 2008 | Scribd
    Alleged Diary from Mark Twitchell’s Computer | Scribd
    Twitchell DNA Report | Scribd
    Live Blog of Twitchell Trial | Scribd 
    Edmonton Journal | E-Mail Exchange Between Mark Twitchell & a Facebook Friend | Scribd
    Edmonton Journal | Mark Twitchell’s Notice of Appeal | Scribd
    Mark Twitchell case: Inside the mind of “The Dexter Killer” - CBS News
    Gilles Tetreault | Author | The One Who Got Away
    That Taxi Podcast | a podcast by Thomas & Taxi David
    Edmonton Journal | Johnny Altinger BIO
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    • 55 min
    The Burning of Montreal: Angélique and the Fire of 1734

    The Burning of Montreal: Angélique and the Fire of 1734

    Episode 264: In Montreal, Quebec on the evening of April 10, 1734, a fire broke out in the home of Madame de Francheville on Rue Saint-Paul and quickly spread throughout the city. Raging for hours, it destroyed over 46 buildings, primarily residential homes, and the Hôtel-Dieu, a hospital that provided medical care to soldiers and people who were too poor to care for at home. There were rumours that Madame de Francheville’s Portuguese-born black enslaved woman, Marie-Josèphe dite Angélique, started the fire as an act of rebellion on learning she was to be sold and sent away from her lover, a white man and salt trafficker named Claude Thibault. Angélique was arrested and subsequently tortured until she confessed to setting the fire. She was then convicted of arson and hanged on June 21, 1734. The fire significantly impacted Montreal’s development and created new building codes and fire prevention measures. The event remains integral to Montreal’s cultural and historical heritage and yet another dark spot in Canada’s history. Some have called Angélique a heroine, others a scapegoat. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is lost to time.
    Sources:
    Torture and Truth: Angélique and the Burning of Montreal
    The Hanging Of Angelique by Afua Cooper - Ebook | Scribd
    Marie-Josèphe-Angélique | Mémoires des Montréalais
    Le procès de Marie-Josèphe-Angélique | Mémoires des Montréalais
    A Canadian Slavery Story — CANADIANA web series
    Biography – MARIE-JOSEPH-ANGÉLIQUE — Dictionary of Canadian Biography
    Biography – POULIN DE FRANCHEVILLE, FRANÇOIS — Dictionary of Canadian Biography
    Marie-Joseph Angélique | The Canadian Encyclopedia
    The role of seigneur in New France — The French-Canadian Genealogist
    Old Montreal fire: Questions raised about safety of building | CP24.com
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    • 1 hr 3 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
3.3K Ratings

3.3K Ratings

mandybeeeeeee ,

Love it!

I just started listening after my boyfriend bought me Mike’s book, and I’m hooked. I love the Canadian content, I love the honesty and banter, and I love hearing stories that I haven’t heard from a million other podcasts. I wish I found this podcast sooner but I’m happy to have 5 years to binge-listen to while I’m at work!

B_Hatter ,

Quality has decreased

Oh man I used to love this one, it got me hooked from the first episode. I understand the reasons behind Scott’s departure, so, fine. But Mathew adds nothing to the show, he’s pompous and arrogant and always wants to talk about himself. Even Mike who used to be engaging now sounds so monotone and just reads from a script. Not to mention the editing issues in most episodes. I thought I could overlook them, but they are becoming more commonplace. If this was an off-the-side-of-his-desk podcast I could maybe understand, but this is Mike’s full time job now and it just feels like the quality is much worse now than when it was a side gig. I’ve seen other comments about Mathew but I don’t think Mike is taking them seriously. Sorry - can’t listen anymore :( From a Canadian who desperately wants to support other Canadians.

SVanDerVoort ,

I am absolutely addicted!

I’ve started from Episode 1! And I’m up to about 50! I listen to this everyday at work. And man alive does it ever make a shift fly! Keep on cooking up that Dark Poutine!

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