Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Podcast

Caitlin Francois

True Crime podcast darkroastcaffeinecasefiles.substack.com

  1. Episode 20 - The Death of Rosalie New Grass

    3d ago

    Episode 20 - The Death of Rosalie New Grass

    Welcome back, Caffeine Casefilers. As Canadians Know - June is Indigenous History Month. A time to honor the original stewards of this land and their rich heritage. But as true crime storytellers, we have a responsibility to acknowledge that this history includes a painful legacy of systemic failure. So this June, we’re dedicating our episodes to the truth: that every Indigenous life is a story worth fighting for. ⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains detailed descriptions of extreme violence, sexual exploitation, and historical racism. Listener discretion is strongly advised. You pour the coffee. I pour the truth. In 1889, a Cree teenager named Rosalie New Grass walked into a Calgary saloon and never walked out. She was beaten. She was mutilated. And her killer — a blacksmith named William “Jumbo” Fisk — walked straight to the Mounted Police and confessed. Open and shut, right? Not when the victim is “only a squaw.” The first all-white, all-male jury said not guilty. A second trial finally convicted him, but the damage was done. The message had been sent: some lives are cheap. Some deaths don’t matter. That message echoed down the Highway of Tears, into the Winnipeg landfills where serial killer Jeremy Skibicki dumped four Indigenous women, and into every courtroom where a white man walked free for killing an Indigenous person. This is the murder that started it all. And you have never heard it like this before. In this episode, we cover: * The brutal murder of Rosalie New Grass inside Calgary’s Turf Club saloon * How the 1876 Indian Act erased Indigenous women’s legal personhood * The shocking first trial verdict — and the judge who declared a mistrial * Why this 1889 case is the origin story of Canada’s MMIWG genocide crisis * What the National Inquiry got right — and what they missed Resources & Support: * Hope for Wellness Helpline (24/7 for Indigenous peoples): 1-855-242-3310 * Native Women’s Association of Canada: nwac.ca * MMIWG National Inquiry Final Report: mmiwg-ffada.ca Follow & Support: Instagram: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Substack: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Facebook: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Podcast Spotify: Dark Roast Caffeine Casefiles Youtube: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Email: substack@caffeinecasefiles.com Web: Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois | Substack Rate and Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars and leave a review on Spotify. It helps other true crime and coffee lovers find the show. Get full access to Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois at darkroastcaffeinecasefiles.substack.com/subscribe

    34 min

  2. May 30

    Episode 19 - The Sweetest Little Girl Part 2

    Welcome Back Caffeine Casefilers! This is Part 2 of this series takes a deeper look into the tragic death of two-year-old Vienna Rose Irwin. In this episode, we cover the findings from the coroner’s report, and the details from the civil lawsuit filed by her family. If you missed the previous Episode, go back and listen Episode 6: The Sweetest Little Girl Key Details: * A two-year-old girl who was found dead in a septic tank on the property of her daycare. * The coroner’s inquest into the circumstances surrounding her death. * The family’s civil lawsuit seeking justice for their daughter. Content:On May 25, 2023, the life of two-year-old Vienna Rose Irwin was tragically cut short when she was found dead in a septic tank on the property of her daycare, Watch Me Grow Day Care, near Cobourg, Ontario. The circumstances surrounding her death have left the community searching for answers. In this episode, we examine the official coroner’s report and the findings from the investigation. We also detail the civil lawsuit filed by the Irwin family against the daycare, as they continue to fight for accountability and justice for their daughter. Tune in to hear the full story and learn about the ongoing legal battle. Listen now and subscribe for more updates Follow Dark Roast for weekly episodes Instagram: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Substack: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Facebook: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Podcast Spotify: Dark Roast Caffeine Casefiles Youtube: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Email: substack@caffeinecasefiles.com Web: Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois | Substack Rate and Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars and leave a review on Spotify. It helps other true crime and coffee lovers find the show. Get full access to Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois at darkroastcaffeinecasefiles.substack.com/subscribe

    26 min
  3. Episode 18 - The Fall of Murdaugh Country

    May 22

    Episode 18 - The Fall of Murdaugh Country

    Welcome Back Caffeine Casefilers! Grab your favourite choice of Caffeine, and buckle in… This week I’m talking about a family Dynasty that was the law in their county for 87 years - Until a murder investigation reveals the cracks and the truth crumbles the whole empire. The Rise and Fall of Murdaugh Country. June 7, 2021. A dirt road in rural South Carolina. A father calls 911 with a frantic, sobbing voice: “My wife and son… they’ve been shot.” For generations, the Murdaugh name was untouchable—a dynasty of power, legal supremacy, and Southern gothic secrets. But on that humid summer night, the illusion shattered. Pull up a chair. This isn’t just a true crime story. It’s a slow-burn tragedy of privilege, addiction, and the lies that built a empire of dirt. From the mysterious boat crash that claimed a young woman’s life, to the roadside assassination attempt that seemed too bizarre to believe, follow the twisted timeline that forced a grieving father to take the stand… and confess. How did the man who held all the power lose everything? And what was really hidden behind those iron gates? Listen to the unraveling. The boat. The guns. The billions missing. The verdict that stunned the world Follow Dark Roast for weekly episodes Instagram: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Substack: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Facebook: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Podcast Spotify: Dark Roast Caffeine Casefiles Youtube: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Email: substack@caffeinecasefiles.com Web: Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois | Substack Rate and Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars and leave a review on Spotify. It helps other true crime and coffee lovers find the show. Get full access to Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois at darkroastcaffeinecasefiles.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 1m
  4. Episode 17 - The Longest July

    May 17

    Episode 17 - The Longest July

    Welcome Back Caffeine Casefilers! In this weeks episode, I’m talking about the Unsolved Murder of Karen Woodcock - A Mother of 7 - who went missing, found dead by the roadside only 2 kilometers away from her home, whose murder is still unsolved to this day. It was Canada Day, 1973. Families across Peterborough, Ontario, were lighting barbecues and watching fireworks. But somewhere out on the quiet gravel of Villiers Line, the holiday ended in silence. Karen Woodcock—a 33-year-old mother of seven—never made it home. The next morning, her body was discovered along a rural stretch of Otonabee Township. No witness. No confession. No arrest. Just a family left with a void that five decades of searching hasn’t filled. This episode walks the dark shoulder of that lonely road. We’ll sift through the fragments of a cold case that still haunts the OPP—a $50,000 reward still on the table, a killer still unnamed, and seven children who grew up asking one question: Who took our mother? If you know the answer, police are waiting. But for everyone else… listen closely. Someone out there still remembers that night If you have any information about the murder of Karen Anne Woodcock, please contact the Peterborough County OPP at 705-742-0401, the Provincial Communication Centre at 1-888-310-1122, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS Follow Dark Roast for weekly episodes Instagram: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Substack: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Facebook: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Podcast Spotify: Dark Roast Caffeine Casefiles Youtube: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Email: substack@caffeinecasefiles.com Web: Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois | Substack Rate and Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars and leave a review on Spotify. It helps other true crime and coffee lovers find the show. Get full access to Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois at darkroastcaffeinecasefiles.substack.com/subscribe

    28 min
  5. Episode 16 - Pura Vida

    May 8

    Episode 16 - Pura Vida

    Episode 16 Welcome Back Caffeine Casefilers! In this weeks episode I talk about the mysterious disappearance of Jaclyn “ Jackie” Ferland Smith - Who walked out of her house in August 2021, never to return and yet to be found. Grab your favourite choice of Caffeine and sip slowly Pura Vida. It’s a phrase that promises a pure life, a slower pace, and a slice of paradise. For Canadian expats Jaclyn “Jackie” Ferland-Smith and her husband Sebastien, the sweeping Pacific coast of Playa del Coco, Costa Rica, was supposed to be that dream . But in 2021, the dream turned into a nightmare. Jackie vanished without a trace . In Season 10 of Someone Knows Something, award-winning documentarian David Ridgen travels to a paradise veiled in rumour and fear to investigate a case that has more questions than answers . What happened to Jackie? In this premiere episode, “Jackie,” David introduces us to the woman at the center of the mystery. We learn about her hopes for a fresh start and the family she left behind in Canada. But as David begins to dig beneath the surface of the idyllic beach town, the first cracks in the story begin to show. Why does Jackie’s family believe someone knows more than they are letting on? And how does a person simply disappear from a “perfect life”? This is a story about paradise lost, hidden secrets, and a family’s desperate fight for the truth. Listen to the trailer and subscribe now to follow the investigation. #TrueCrime #SomeoneKnowsSomething #CBCPodcasts #JaclynFerlandSmith #Disappearance #CostaRica Follow Dark Roast for weekly episodes Instagram: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Substack: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Facebook: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Podcast Spotify: Dark Roast Caffeine Casefiles Youtube: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Email: substack@caffeinecasefiles.com Web: Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois | Substack Rate and Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars and leave a review on Spotify. It helps other true crime and coffee lovers find the show. Get full access to Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois at darkroastcaffeinecasefiles.substack.com/subscribe

    27 min
  6. Episode 15 - The Beast of British Columbia

    May 1

    Episode 15 - The Beast of British Columbia

    Welcome back Caffeine Casefilers! Grab a mug, fill it with something dark and unforgiving, and let’s get started. In the summer of 1981, a shadow fell over British Columbia. Eleven children vanished. The man responsible was Clifford Olson—a compulsive liar, chronic criminal, and psychopath who would become one of Canada’s most notorious serial killers. But when police finally caught him, they didn’t just handcuff him. They made a deal with the devil: $100,000 for the location of his victims’ bodies. The “cash for bodies” deal sparked national outrage and forever stained the justice system. In this extended deep dive, we explore Olson’s troubled childhood in Richmond, his 24-year criminal career, and each of the 11 victims whose lives were stolen. We examine the infamous deal, his decades behind bars tormenting families from his cell, the “Olson Clause” that stripped him of pension benefits, and the unintended legacy—a victims’ rights movement that changed Canadian law forever. From his death from cancer in 2011 to the secret jailhouse recordings that still raise questions, this is the complete story of the Beast of British Columbia. Content Warning: This episode contains detailed discussions of violence, sexual assault, and murder. Discretion is advised. Follow Dark Roast for weekly episodes Instagram: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Substack: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Facebook: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Podcast Email: darkroast@caffeinecasefiles.com Web: Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois | Substack Rate and Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars and leave a review on Spotify. It helps other true crime and coffee lovers find the show Get full access to Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois at darkroastcaffeinecasefiles.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min
  7. Episode - 14 - The Piggy Palace

    Apr 24

    Episode - 14 - The Piggy Palace

    Welcome back Caffeine Casefilers Grab a mug, fill it with something dark and unforgiving, and let’s travel to British Columbia Robert Pickton was a quiet, unassuming pig farmer who hid in plain sight. While throwing raucous parties at his “Piggy Palace” and cruising the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, he was committing the worst serial killings in Canadian history. In this episode, we explore Pickton’s disturbing childhood, his systematic targeting of vulnerable women, and the shocking police failures that allowed him to kill for decades. We honor the lives of the women—Sarah, Marnie, Georgina, and so many more—whose names were nearly forgotten. A haunting look at evil, indifference, and the fight for justice. Follow Dark Roast for new episodes every week: Instagram: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Substack: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Facebook: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Podcast Email: darkroast@caffeinecasefiles.com Web: Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois | Substack Rate and Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars and leave a review on Spotify. It helps other true crime and coffee lovers find the show. Get full access to Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois at darkroastcaffeinecasefiles.substack.com/subscribe

    57 min
  8. Elizabeth Wettlaufer - Episode 13

    Apr 17

    Elizabeth Wettlaufer - Episode 13

    Welcome back Caffeine Casefilers. Grab a mug, fill it with something dark and unforgiving, and let’s get started. Between 2007 and 2016, residents of long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada, were dying. Nothing unusual there—elderly people with complex medical conditions pass away every day. But eight of those deaths were something else entirely. They were murders, committed by the one person everyone trusted: their nurse. Elizabeth Wettlaufer was a registered nurse, a quiet woman from rural Ontario who went to church on Sundays and worked the night shift. She was also a serial killer. For nearly a decade, she moved through the corridors of care homes injecting vulnerable seniors with lethal overdoses of insulin—and no one noticed. Not her employers, who fired her multiple times but gave her glowing references. Not the nursing regulator, who ignored red flags going back to 1995. Not the coroner, who refused to investigate because “no death in a nursing home is unexpected.” In this deep dive, we tell the full story of Wettlaufer’s crimes, with extended biographies of each victim: a WWII veteran who lied about his age to fight for Canada, a Hungarian refugee who escaped Soviet tanks with nothing but the clothes on his back, a seamstress who cried out for help for over an hour as she fought for her life. We examine the psychology of a killer who described “the red surge” and “euphoria” after murder, the systemic failures that allowed her to operate undetected for a decade, and the 2019 public inquiry that concluded she would never have been caught if she hadn’t confessed. Follow Dark Roast for new episodes every week : Instagram: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Substack: @darkroastcaffeinecasefiles Facebook: Dark Roast: Caffeine Casefiles Podcast Youtube: Dark Roast Caffeine Casefiles Email: darkroast@caffeinecasefiles.com Web: Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois | Substack Rate and Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars and leave a review on Spotify. It helps other true crime and coffee lovers find the show. Get full access to Dark Roast: Caffeine Case files by Caitlin Francois at darkroastcaffeinecasefiles.substack.com/subscribe

    52 min
See All (20)

About

True Crime podcast darkroastcaffeinecasefiles.substack.com

Information