Crime Beat

On July 4, 2014, four days into an Amber Alert, a suspect was arrested in connection with the disappearance of Nathan O’Brien and his grandparents Alvin and Kathy Liknes. An RCMP emergency response team searched the farm where Douglas Garland lived with his parents. They didn’t find Nathan, Alvin and Kathy. At that time, there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Garland with kidnapping. Instead, he was arrested on unrelated fraud charges. In the meantime, investigators got a warrant and began an exhaustive search of the expansive 40-acre Garland property — one that would become the biggest in Calgary police history. A few days later, he was released on bail with the condition he would not return to his parents' farm as the search continued. The 54-year-old was under constant surveillance. Two days later, officers watched as he drove out to his parents' property. In Part Two of the Crime Beat series "Hunted by Evil," you’ll hear from the rookie officer who tracked Garland in the darkness and the forensic investigators who scoured the Garland property for months. More than 1,400 exhibits were seized — including the DNA of all three victims. Follow along as Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt explains how a petty grudge grew into a murderous plot and shares the disturbing evidence that police uncovered. -- If you enjoy Crime Beat, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and share the show with your friends. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2014, on the first long weekend of the summer, a Calgary mother went to her parents’ home to pick up her five-year-old son following a sleepover. When she got there, all three were missing. Who would kidnap a five-year-old child and his grandparents, and why? It was the start of one of the longest Amber Alerts in Canadian history and a race against the clock to find the missing trio. In part one of this two-part series of Crime Beat, ‘Hunted by Evil,’ Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares the unprecedented efforts that were made to find Nathan O’Brien and his grandparents Alvin and Kathy Liknes. Follow along as police uncover shocking forensic evidence and learn the twist that finally led investigators to identify a suspect. -- Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over her 25 year career as a crime reporter...each case she's covered stays with her…But...there are some... that haunt her. They’re heartbreaking and horrific…difficult to revisit...because to bring you these stories she goes through hundreds of photos, court exhibits... graphic evidence. This season on Crime Beat, we share the high-profile cases you’ve asked me about...and others that maybe you’re not as familiar with. Nancy Hixt, is a senior crime reporter with Global News…join her on season four of Crime Beat as she takes you beyond the headlines…  Introduces you to the people directly impacted by these crimes…and brings you the stories behind the stories… You’ll hear exclusive interviews with victims, families, investigators, prosecutors, and even jurors…voices that deserve to be heard. Season four begins October 19th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing Episode 1 of China Rising - Hostage Diplomacy On the first episode of China Rising, we examine the Chinese government's practice of detaining political prisoners, by hearing directly from Canadians who've become caught in the crossfire. Christian aid workers Julia and Kevin Garratt lived in China for 30 years before their arrest in 2014, when they were suddenly cast as pawns in a geopolitical chess match. The Garratts’ traumatic experience is eerily similar to the case of the 'Two Michaels,' Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, detained in China since December 2018. Using their stories and others as a guide, we'll investigate how Western countries, including Canada, should respond to China's so-called 'Hostage Diplomacy.' You can listen to more episodes here: https://link.chtbl.com/china-rising Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Global News crime reporter Nancy Hixt gives you a behind-the-scenes look at Crime Beat. From digging up stories to writing and putting together this podcast, join Nancy as she explains how it all comes together. In this episode, she shares insight on journalism, crime reporting and even answers some of your questions.   She also introduces you to the Crime Beat team -- which includes Chris Bassett, Dila Velazquez and Rob Johnston. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the summer of 1999, the RCMP in central Alberta investigated a horrific case involving two children. A father murdered his little girl and tried to kill his son. The case haunted investigators for decades. But it was particularly traumatic for one officer because it launched a completely unrelated series of events that ultimately led to him being wrongfully accused of sexual assault. It would leave his life torn in pieces. In part two of this special Crime Beat series, Global News crime reporter Nancy Hixt explains the mind-blowing twists and turns of this case. Learn what it’s been like for this veteran officer to live with the stigma of being wrongfully accused of a serious criminal offence in the conclusion of ‘Scarred but not broken.’  Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a cool rainy day in the summer of 1999, an old Chevy van was seen speeding on a highway from the backcountry eastbound towards Rocky Mountain House, Alta. There was a large piece of canvas attached to the bumper and it dragged behind the van. A short time later, the vehicle pulled into the ambulance bay at the Rocky Mountain House hospital. A man went in and identified himself as Brian Hogg. He was covered in blood and had lacerations to both of his wrists. Hogg asked the doctor to check on his son, who was still in the van. A little boy was found seated in the front passenger seat. He had blood on his neck, face, chest, arms and legs. His throat was cut, but he was responsive. The seven-year-old was rushed into the emergency room. But he wasn’t the only child inside the van. There was a little girl, unresponsive, on top of some sleeping bags. The doctor who made the horrific discovery noted the two-year-old was cold to the touch. She had no vital signs when was rushed into the emergency room and was later pronounced deceased by the local medical examiner. The case was now considered a homicide. In part one of this two-part series of Crime Beat, Global News crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares how this senseless crime continues to impact the officers who investigated the case. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In early 2007, a young widowed mother of two was just settling into a bigger home after living for several years in a cramped apartment with her extended family. Aset Magomadova was looking forward to spring because she finally had a backyard and was going to plant a garden. The family came to Calgary as refugees from war-torn Chechnya where they experienced imprisonment, homelessness, severe injuries and loss. Arriving in Canada brought new hope. This was the place her dreams were supposed to come true. But on a cold snowy day in February 2007, all those plans came to an abrupt end.  In the latest episode of the Global News podcast, Crime Beat, crime reporter Nancy Hixt highlights the importance of knowing the full story before rushing to judgment because we never know what people have gone through. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fall of 1996, the Canadian sports world was rocked by a major sex abuse scandal. NHL player Sheldon Kennedy courageously went forward to police to reveal he suffered years of abuse at the hands of his childhood coach, Graham James. When Kennedy broke his silence, it started an important conversation around sexual assault and opened the door for others to do the same. In 1997, James pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two former players -- including Kennedy. He admitted to sexually assaulting the boys hundreds of times. Since then, according to the Parole Board of Canada, there are six victims named on his record but the board notes he’s “admitted to have had sexual intercourse with around 20 hockey players he was coaching ... using manipulation, control and his position of trust and authority to facilitate the assaults.” One of the other hockey players James has admitted to sexually assaulting, is former NHL star Theo Fleury. In this episode of the Global News podcast, Crime Beat, crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares the stories of four men who James abused as boys. Learn the shocking details of how signs were ignored -- so were outright requests for help from hockey officials. These men now work every day to empower victims and take control back from their abusers. Hear their inspiring stories in “the scars that last a lifetime.” Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Global News podcast Crime Beat, crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares a story of one young man’s grit and determination despite a massive loss.  On Jan. 25, 2012, police were called to a residential community in downtown Calgary. They found a man lying outside of a home.  Gatleak Thor Metkurjock, 20, was breathing but unconscious. His face was swollen, he had blood by his nose and mouth, and he had hypothermia. Metkurjock was rushed to hospital by ambulance but died the next day. An autopsy showed he died from blunt force trauma. Meanwhile, across town, the events of that night would change the life of another young man forever. Learn the shocking tragedies and obstacles that led up to this fateful night — and how those events have shaped the boy with the heart of a lion. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices