Measured reporting from inside Canadian case files.
Crime Beat treats Canadian crime reporting as a patient reconstruction of evidence, impact, and accountability. Cases move from rural ditches and Calgary offices to medical examiner work, parole board proceedings, genetic genealogy, and the long wait families endure.
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Crime Beat is built on the premise that criminal cases are not just mysteries but public records of harm, evidence, delay, and consequence. The series focuses on Canadian investigations, some of them tied to Calgary, Alberta, and the surrounding communities. It moves with the patience of crime reporting rather than the rush of entertainment. A case may begin with a body found in a rural ditch, a man shot inside a downtown Calgary office, or a convicted murderer who vanishes from an Alberta prison. The first facts are usually stark. Then the reporting widens. Families describe the moment ordinary life stopped. Detectives explain what mattered in the first hours, what was missed, and what could not be known at the time. Forensic specialists describe the medical and scientific work that turns injury, timing, and biological evidence into findings that can stand up in an investigation. The show is especially attentive to cold cases. It returns to files where families waited years for answers and where newer tools, including investigative genetic genealogy, changed what investigators could prove. In one arc, the deaths of young women and girls from the 1970s are reframed after a profile is uploaded to genealogical databases and investigators identify a serial killer. That procedural clarity sits beside grief. Crime Beat does not treat victims as plot devices; their relatives are given room to explain absence, fear, anger, and the exhausting hope that someone will be held accountable. The courtroom and parole system matter too. Episodes track not only investigations but also the renewed trauma families face when a killer seeks release or a case has to be lived through again. Nancy Hixt, a senior crime reporter for Global News, anchors the series with concise narration and a restrained sense of authority. She sets scenes, names the stakes, and then often steps back so investigators, family members, and specialists can explain what happened in their own terms. The show’s strongest moments come from that balance: detailed enough for listeners who care about evidence, measured enough to avoid sensationalism, and human enough to keep every file connected to the people who cannot put it away.
Made for: For true-crime listeners who prefer evidence, procedure, and victim-centered reporting over dramatized storytelling. It also fits audiences interested in cold cases, forensic science, and the Canadian justice system.
What sets it apart: Crime Beat stands apart through its newsroom cadence and access to investigators, family members, forensic specialists, and case records. The series treats each file as reporting work, not folklore.
People know their hometowns by streets, a favourite restaurant or the local mall. Crime Reporter Nancy Hixt knows hers by the crime scenes she's been to over the past 20 years. Journey deep inside some of Canada’s most high-profile criminal cases. Each episode will take you inside the story to give you details you didn't hear on the news. Winner of the 2020 & 2023 Edward R. Murrow Award (RTDNA). Nominated as Best International Podcast at the 2026 iHeart Podcast Awards.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Crime Beat connects the human consequences of Canadian cases with clear accounts of how investigators, emergency workers and correctional staff do their jobs.
Crime Beat follows Canadian cases through witness accounts, family interviews and the practical work of investigators. Nancy Hixt brings a reporter's clarity to subjects as different as an Alberta correctional facility and the fatal Calgary fire examined in "Incendiary…
A shattered window meets a cell-tower trail, and your casual listen becomes an evidence board.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A sober look at organized crime in eastern Quebec that treats violence as something to document, not dramatize.
Crime Beat Most Wanted tracks the conflict around Al Boivin in eastern Quebec, where gang alliances, police raids, and rising violence all narrow toward one missing man.
A measured true-crime story that gives grief and investigation equal weight.
Crime Beat Most Wanted follows a Toronto Greektown shooting with a steady, unsentimental hand. It moves from late-night Danforth Avenue noise to Shamar's final night, then into the grief left behind, keeping the focus on names, places, and the facts that matter.
A wanted-man search built around a deadly match and the family left behind.
This episode follows a wanted-man search through the violence of a Thanksgiving weekend futsal shooting, and it keeps its focus on the case instead of pushing for spectacle.
A Toronto homicide is covered with restrained, reporter-led reporting.
Crime Beat Most Wanted tracks a Toronto shooting with restrained, reporter-led coverage, giving room to police response, resident reaction, and the search for answers in an open investigation.
A restrained true-crime episode that keeps grief, police work, and neighborhood memory in view.
Crime Beat keeps the Regent Park shooting tied to its human cost, following the death of 27-year-old community center youth worker Thayne Murray and the search for Jabril Elmi and Rajayden Angus Campbell.
A restrained manhunt story that leans on detail instead of drama.
Crime Beat sticks close to the facts of a deadly daytime shooting in Saskatoon, and that is where it has the most force. The quiet neighborhood, the 911 calls, the surveillance trail, and the police effort to piece together the suspects' movements give the episode a clean,…
A procedural true crime episode that is strongest when it sticks to the two wanted-man cases.
Crime Beat Most Wanted is at its best when it stays close to the casework: the Toronto midtown shooting, the Ottawa shopping plaza attack, the names, places, and physical details that make the stakes feel real.
A measured manhunt report that stays with the file even when the pacing gets interrupted.
Crime Beat Most Wanted tracks the hunt for an escaped criminal linked to two cold-blooded killings, moving from the January 17, 2012 Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver to search warrants in Quebec and then on to an Interpol notice.
NHPR's Jason Moon investigates the Bear Brook barrel murders and a New Hampshire wrongful-conviction case.
Payne Lindsey's season-long investigation into two disappearances from Nome, Alaska.
CBC's true crime feed tracing Cleo's case into cold cases across its investigative podcast network.
Journalists chase a decades-long trail through a coronial inquest and Rick Bloom's dozens of aliases.
A New York Times reporter reinvestigates Laramie's unsolved 1985 murder of Shelley Wiley.
A chilling narrative about a frightened child who must reveal a painful secret on tape before it's too late, capturing the last traces of his memory.
This episode investigates the cold case of Sonia, a pediatric nurse whose blood-stained car was found abandoned in Orangeville, Ontario in 2010.
This episode previews the upcoming season of Crime Beat, where host Nancy Hixt, a senior crime reporter, shares shocking true crime stories about senseless violence and unresolved murders.
A crime reporter interviews a colleague about a survivor's harrowing experience with serial killer Bruce MacArthur, who preyed on gay and bisexual men in Toronto.
This episode investigates the murder of 64-year-old Annie Chu in Toronto, exploring how it became one of Canada's first terrorist murder prosecutions.
This episode discusses new leads and tips in the unsolved homicide case of Kelly Cook, as reported by crime reporter Nancy Hixt.
This episode investigates the mysterious disappearance of Audrey, a hospital worker whose absence from work and unusual circumstances lead police to suspect foul play after forensic evidence is found in her home.
This episode explores the 2007 murder of 15-year-old Jordan Manners, the first student killed inside a Toronto school, and its impact on the community and school safety.
This episode concludes the investigation into the 1990 murder of taxi driver Lucy Turmel in Banff, focusing on how police used DNA evidence and groundbreaking techniques to track her killer despite challenges with tourist suspects.
This episode continues the investigation into Talal Amer, a man wanted for killing a mother of five in a violent crash, as part of a true crime series on Canada's most wanted criminals.
This episode investigates the case of Talal Amer, a fugitive wanted for a fatal collision in Calgary, as part of Crime Beat Most Wanted's coverage of open serious crime investigations.
This episode investigates a violent shootout at a historic Toronto pub in 2008, exploring the details and impact of the crime through journalistic reporting.
Crime Beat Most Wanted hosts Tracy Tong and reporter Morgan Black reconstruct a mass shooting at the Ertale Lounge in Edmonton's Englewood neighbourhood on March 12, 2022, in which four masked gunmen fired more than 70 rounds into a crowd of club-goers, killing 28-year-old Imbert George and wounding six others; police believe George and the other victims were innocent bystanders caught in a targeted attack.
A crime reporter recounts a childhood kidnapping case in Alberta where a young girl vanished while babysitting, sparking community-wide search efforts and personal trauma.
This episode concludes the story of chef Christoph Herblin, who was murdered before opening his restaurant, exploring the impact on his family and the investigation into his death.
This episode follows Calgary police investigating a 2006 rumor about a woman's torture and murder at a notorious rooming house, uncovering evidence through witness interviews and a dumpster search that leads to a proposed landfill excavation.
A senior crime reporter investigates a perplexing case where police weren't sure if a crime had been committed or if the victim even existed, exploring rumors and missing persons files in Calgary.
A crime reporter recounts the story of an innocent man who encountered pure evil after being in the wrong place at the wrong time, based on a 2010 police investigation.
A veteran crime journalist describes her decades-long experience attending parole board hearings in prisons, detailing the security protocols, emotional testimonies from victims' families, and close-quarters interactions with convicted offenders.
This episode explores a violent murder that disrupted the peaceful setting of Banff National Park in 1990, where a woman was stabbed 17 times.
This episode follows the police investigation into gunrunner Kamar Cunningham and Project Patton's efforts to intercept illegal firearms destined for violent street gangs in Toronto.
This episode explores the 1990 murder in Banff National Park and how emerging DNA technology helped solve the case, featuring interviews with forensic pioneers and investigative team members.
This episode examines the life of serial killer Gary Sreri, whose DNA linked him to multiple murders in Calgary, and explores his use of aliases and impact on his family.
This episode explores missing persons cases in Calgary, featuring insights from a police superintendent about investigation procedures, common misconceptions like the 24-hour rule, and the emotional impact on families.
This episode follows Alex Jelinek's journey from aspiring emergency medical responder to a Calgary police officer, highlighting a traumatic early call that impacted his life and career.
This episode explores how forensic science helped Toronto police finally solve a decades-old double murder case from 1983, bringing closure to victims' families.
This true crime episode explores the 2005 disappearance of 25-year-old Alicia Ross from her family's Thornhill, Ontario home, featuring interviews with her mother and investigative reporting.
This is a promotional announcement for a special series of the Crime Beat podcast featuring journalist Katherine McDonald exploring crime cases with insights from families, investigators, and witnesses.
This episode explores the unsolved 1980 disappearance of Kelly Cook, a teenage babysitter from Alberta, through the perspective of crime reporter Nancy Hixt who grew up nearby and now covers the case.
This episode examines how DNA testing in 2003 linked two 1970s murders in Calgary to the same unknown male offender, revealing a serial killer case that then stalled for another 20 years.
This episode investigates the 1976 disappearance and murder of two teenage girls in Calgary, exploring how the case stalled and its connection to a potential serial killer.
Crime Beat Most Wanted host Tracy Tong and reporter Jules Knox detail the May 19, 2022 daytime shooting at 710 Melrose Avenue in Saskatoon that killed 29-year-old Brandon Baxendall, who was found in a parking lot with duct tape on his face and multiple gunshot wounds.
This episode investigates the 2021 shooting in Toronto's Regent Park that killed 27-year-old youth worker Thayne Murray and injured two others.
This episode investigates the 2023 daylight shooting of Mohamed Ahmed in Toronto's Moss Park, detailing how police used video surveillance to identify suspects Mohammed Abdullahi and Yasser Mohammed.
This episode follows the investigation into the murder of Shamar Powell Flowers in Toronto's Greektown, detailing the police hunt for suspect Michael Beebe, who is eventually arrested in Prince Edward Island with the help of public tips and the BOLO program.
November 18, 2004 starts with breaking glass around 1.30 in the morning.
Two killings drive the hunt.
At about 1.30, shattered glass woke Salma.
Tracy Tong investigates the unsolved murder of Edwin Alvarado, a 49-year-old Colombian-Canadian futsal referee shot and killed by a spectator during a Thanksgiving weekend match in Toronto in 2022.
Russell Sahadeo was steps from home when the night changed.
On Trudell Court, screaming came first.
This episode investigates the hunt for Al Boivin, Canada's most wanted suspect, who leads a gang in Quebec's Saguenay region and is waging a violent war against the Hells Angels over drug taxation.
Two daylight shootings connect.
A firearm is still missing.
Crime Beat host Nancy Hixt interviews Patty Cole, who spent 36 years in the Alberta Provincial Correctional System from age 19 in 1986, including managing high-risk sex offenders and serving as deputy director of programs and director of professional standards at multiple provincial facilities.
This episode of Crime Beat investigates a violent incident in Toronto where witnesses discovered a chaotic scene after a vehicle jumped the curb, focusing on the story of Elvie Sigaud and her daughter Angelica.
This episode explores the chilling case of a convicted double murderer who escaped from an Alberta prison in the early 2000s, sparking an international manhunt and leaving a hit list that terrified victims and law enforcement.
This podcast previews a three-part series investigating cold-case murders from the 1970s where detectives used genetic genealogy to identify a serial killer, featuring exclusive interviews with the killer's family.
This episode previews the upcoming season of Crime Beat, where host Nancy Hixt, a senior crime reporter, will explore Canadian crime cases from crime scenes to courtrooms, including high-profile and lesser-known stories, and cover parole hearings that force families to relive trauma.
This trailer promotes a new true crime podcast series called Crime Beat Most Wanted, which investigates Canada's most wanted fugitives and the police efforts to bring them to justice.
This episode explores the real-world role of forensic pathologists through an interview with Dr.
The episode recounts the 2002 murder of Adrian McCall and her family's long journey for justice.
A senior crime reporter shares the devastating impact on a family when a murder case goes cold in a small Canadian town.
Investigators unravel the murder of a Calgary businessman shot in his office, focusing on a client with a conflict.
A Calgary financier reports safety concerns to police but is murdered a month later; the episode investigates his killing.
A 10-year update on the Brentwood Five massacre in Calgary, detailing the crime and its ongoing impact on families.
A 911 call leads police to a man attempting suicide and a murder scene, beginning a complex investigation.
This episode of Crime Beat provides a behind-the-scenes look at criminal investigations by sharing police interviews with suspects, 911 calls, and court exhibits to offer insight into violent crimes.
A crime reporter interviews a police officer about the difficult task of informing families of homicide victims.
A crime reporter recounts the story of a two-year-old girl found wandering in 1981 and the lifelong impact of a sexual assault case.
This episode introduces Erica Vela's podcast 'What Happened To?', which revisits major news events and interviews key figures like Ted Williams, the man with the golden voice.
The host introduces the show and reflects on a past case of a murdered six-year-old girl, highlighting the lasting impact on her family.
A young professional football player's life is shattered by a violent crime, and the episode explores the case and its aftermath.
A crime reporter introduces a series about the stress of jury duty in a high-profile murder trial.
Aerial photos accidentally capture evidence of a murder plot in Alberta, leading to a trial.
A Calgary mother finds her son and parents missing after a sleepover, leading to an Amber Alert and one of Canada's most horrific cases.
A Canadian crime reporter narrates a high-profile case involving a couple detained in China.
A crime reporter provides behind-the-scenes insights into high-profile Canadian criminal cases.
A crime reporter recounts a case where a father murdered his daughter and attempted to kill his son, leading to a police officer being wrongfully accused of rape.
A crime reporter recounts a disturbing case from 1999 involving a speeding van and a hospital visit, introducing a two-part story about a former Mountie.
A crime reporter recounts the story of a widowed mother whose dreams were cut short, emphasizing the importance of understanding the full story before judging.
This episode examines the Graham James sexual abuse scandal and its impact on Canadian sports.
A crime reporter shares the powerful story of Chateem Thor Kerjok, who overcame immense trauma and depression after a violent incident in Calgary, highlighting themes of resilience and personal recovery.
This episode explores the use of composite sketches in historical criminal investigations, from Jack the Ripper to the Golden State Killer.
This episode explores new leads and tips in the unsolved homicide case of Kelly Cook, decades after her death.
This episode features patients speaking out about a disgraced doctor who violated their trust and care, exploring themes of betrayal by a medical authority figure.