The Introvert’s Guide to the Holiday Season
December 22, 2018
After you’ve spent most of December at Christmas Parties and work functions, the small talk can just dry up. Here are some conversational kickstarters to get you back on track over the holiday festivities and help you find your feet. The Story of the Severed Feet I was at a Christmas party last week when… Continue reading The Introvert’s Guide to the Holiday Season
The Murder of Albina Lequiea
December 15, 2018
On Sunday December 16, 1973, 96-year-old Albina Christiana Lequiea was found murdered in her bed. She lived on the second floor of the Sisters of Saint Paul School in North Vancouver. This story is from Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History and is also part of a Cold Case Canada Podcast The Convent:… Continue reading The Murder of Albina Lequiea
Lolly, CFUN, and the Brill Trolley Bus
December 8, 2018
Angus McIntyre was reading Murder by Milkshake when he stopped and took a closer look at a photo snapped by the Vancouver Sun’s Dan Scott in December 1966. Where I saw a rare photo of Lolly Miller leaving court during the murder trial of her lover, Rene Castellani—Angus was looking at the background. “I just noticed something… Continue reading Lolly, CFUN, and the Brill Trolley Bus
The East Cordova Street Murder Factory
July 8, 2017
When I was going through John Vance’s personal files for Blood, Sweat, and Fear, a small article torn from the pages of the long defunct Vancouver Star caught my eye. Vance’s handwriting dated it October 23, 1931 and it mentioned the murder of Naokichi Watanabe. Vance had clearly kept the clipping because he had testified… Continue reading The East Cordova Street Murder Factory
Inspector Vance and the Noir Magazines of the 1930s and ’40s
June 10, 2017
One of the many fascinating things that Inspector John Vance packed away when he retired from the Vancouver Police Department in 1949 were several true crime magazines. He appeared in all of them. Reporters were intrigued by this scientist who was able to convict criminals through the tiniest piece of trace evidence, or determine death… Continue reading Inspector Vance and the Noir Magazines of the 1930s and ’40s
The 100-year-old Unsolved Murder of Special Constable Charles Painter
October 22, 2016
Last year, Constable Graham Walker of the Metro Vancouver Transit Police was asked to research the history for their 10-year anniversary. Graham promptly fell down the rabbit hole and his journey has taken him to UBC Special Collections, City of Vancouver Archives, BC Hydro Archives, and the Vancouver Police Museum. Graham’s first surprise was that… Continue reading The 100-year-old Unsolved Murder of Special Constable Charles Painter
Who Killed Janet Smith?
July 23, 2016
On July 26, 1924, Janet Smith was found shot in the head by a .45 calibre automatic in the basement of a Shaughnessy house. The murder of the Scottish nanny rocked Vancouver. The murder touched on high-level police corruption, kidnapping, drugs, society orgies and rampant racism. This is a short excerpt from my book At… Continue reading Who Killed Janet Smith?
Murder in James Bay
October 30, 2015
The following story is an excerpt from Sensational Victoria: “Murders in the Capital.” A few years after the Bests’ bought their James Bay home, a young woman knocked on the door and asked if she could come and take a look inside. She told them that her grandparents had lived in the cottage in the… Continue reading Murder in James Bay
Cold Case Vancouver: The City’s Most Baffling Unsolved Murders
October 9, 2015
Cold Case Vancouver: The City’s Most Baffling Unsolved Murders Jennie Eldon Conroy: A few days after Cold Case Vancouver was finished and sent off for editing; I received an email from Daien Ide at the North Vancouver Museum and Archives. Daien had come into the possession of a family album with the owner’s name, Miss… Continue reading Cold Case Vancouver: The City’s Most Baffling Unsolved Murders
The unsolved murder of North Vancouver’s Jennie Eldon Conroy
July 25, 2015
Look for the full story of Jennie Eldon Conroy in Cold Case Vancouver: the city’s most baffling unsolved murders A couple of weeks ago, Daien Ide, reference historian at the North Vancouver Museum and Archives came into the possession of a photo album. At first she thought it was just a nice family photo album… Continue reading The unsolved murder of North Vancouver’s Jennie Eldon Conroy
The murder of Chief Malcolm MacLennan and nine year old George Robb
March 20, 2015
On March 20, 1917 Police Chief Malcolm MacLennan, 44, was killed in a shootout with a drug addict. This is an excerpt from Sensational Vancouver: Robert Tait, 32, a drug addict, police informant and pimp from Detroit lived in a rundown apartment over a grocery store at 522 East Georgia with his girlfriend Frankie Russell.… Continue reading The murder of Chief Malcolm MacLennan and nine year old George Robb