Ontario Cold Cases - The Podcast

THE MAKING OF A MONSTER: H.H. Holmes’ Early Life and Criminal Beginnings (Part 1)

THE MAKING OF A MONSTER: H.H. Holmes’ Early Life and Criminal Beginnings (Part 1)
Before the Murder Castle.
Before the Chicago World’s Fair.
Before he became America’s first documented serial killer.

He was just Herman Webster Mudgett—a brilliant but disturbed boy growing up in small-town New Hampshire.
From a young age, there were signs of something… off about him. The stories would later become legend: a frightened child locked in a room with a human skeleton, a boy dissecting animals instead of playing with friends, a teenager charming his way out of trouble while secretly plotting his next deception. But was he born a monster, or was he made into one?
In this gripping first episode of Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Crime Podcast, we trace the origins of H.H. Holmes—his strict upbringing, his first taste of fraud, and the early crimes that set him on the path to becoming one of history’s most terrifying killers.
Inside this episode:* The Skeleton Incident – How a childhood encounter with death may have shaped Holmes' obsession with control.* The First Signs of a Predator – Animal cruelty, pathological lying, and an unsettling lack of empathy.* The Medical School Scams – Holmes’ gruesome insurance fraud, using stolen cadavers to cash in on life insurance policies.* Marriage, Bigamy, and Betrayal – How he seduced and abandoned women, leaving financial ruin and unanswered questions in his wake.* The Road to Chicago – A new name, a new city, and the first steps toward the infamous Murder Castle.
He wasn’t always a killer. But deception, greed, and an unquenchable thirst for power pushed him down a path of no return. This is the origin story of H.H. Holmes—the making of a monster.
And in Episode 2, we step inside the Murder Castle itself, where Holmes’ darkest fantasies became reality… and his victims never made it out alive.
Ontario Cold Cases: Canada’s True Crime Podcast. Subscribe today on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows to stay updated on cold cases that continue to demand answers.
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The Vanishing of Erin ‘Portia’ McGonigal

The Vanishing of Erin ‘Portia’ McGonigal
She was planning a fresh start. But before she could leave, she vanished.
On October 6, 2015, Erin McGonigal, also known as Portia Devine, Portia Elizabeth Westendorp, or Erin Irene Mattar, was preparing to move out of her Mississauga home. A social media-savvy model, dancer, and entrepreneur, Erin was always connected—until she wasn’t.
She never packed her truck.
She never picked up her phone.
She was never seen again.
Her sudden silence was the first red flag. But the real mystery? It took 49 days before anyone officially reported her missing—and it wasn’t her husband or family who did. It was three friends, troubled by her disappearance and determined to get answers.
What happened in those missing weeks? Why did stories change? And why does it feel like no one—not even law enforcement—has all the answers?
From the creators of Ontario Cold Cases – Canada’s True Crime Podcast comes a chilling investigation into one of Ontario’s most unsettling disappearances. Filled with contradictions, unanswered questions, and a trail that has gone ice-cold, The Vanishing of Erin ‘Portia’ McGonigal examines a case that still haunts those who knew her.
Because someone out there knows the truth.
And it’s time to bring Erin home.
Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
And remember: every case deserves answers. Every missing person deserves justice.
Someone out there knows what happened to Erin. Could it be you? 
Follow us for updates and more: @OntarioColdCases
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The Vanishing of Erin ‘Portia’ McGonigal (Coming this Sunday February 16)

The Vanishing of Erin ‘Portia’ McGonigal (Coming this Sunday February 16)
How does a woman with a vibrant online presence, a plan for the future, and a circle of friends simply vanish without a trace? 
On October 6, 2015, Erin McGonigal was preparing to leave her husband and move forward with her life. But before she could take that next step—she disappeared.
At first, no one thought much of it. But 49 days later, when Erin still hadn’t surfaced, three of her friends walked into a Peel Regional Police station and filed a missing person’s report. Not her husband. Not her family. Her friends.
What happened during those 49 days?
Why did she stop posting on social media so suddenly?

And why does it feel like no one—not even law enforcement—has all the answers?
From conflicting statements to unsettling inconsistencies, this case remains unsolved to this day. Join Ontario Cold Cases – Canada’s True Crime Podcast coming this Sunday February 16 as we uncover the chilling details behind the disappearance of Erin McGonigal.
Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
And remember: every case deserves answers. Every missing person deserves justice.
Someone out there knows what happened to Erin. Could it be you? 
Follow us for updates and more: @OntarioColdCases
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The Duke’s Shadow: The Murder of Sir Harry Oakes (Part 2)

The Duke’s Shadow: The Murder of Sir Harry Oakes (Part 2)
A brutal murder in paradise. A royal cover-up that shocked the world. A mystery still unsolved after eighty years.
Sir Harry Oakes was the richest man in the Bahamas—a multimillionaire who struck gold in Canada and fled to the Caribbean to protect his fortune from taxation. But wealth couldn’t shield him from what was coming.
On July 8, 1943, Oakes was found bludgeoned to death in his own bed. His body was doused in gasoline, covered in feathers, and set on fire—a grisly attempt to erase all traces of the crime. But the fire never took, leaving behind a crime scene that whispered of a deeper, darker truth.
The murder sent shockwaves through high society, drawing in royalty, gangsters, and spies. But instead of justice, the investigation became one of the greatest cover-ups in history. At the center of it all? The Duke of Windsor—formerly King Edward VIII—who personally intervened, overriding local authorities and bringing in two corrupt Miami detectives. Within hours, an arrest was made.
The accused? Alfred de Marigny, a suave, twice-divorced playboy who had defied Oakes by marrying his daughter, Nancy. The evidence? A single perfect fingerprint—later exposed as an outright plant. De Marigny was framed, and when the truth unraveled, the case was abruptly shut down.
No one else was ever charged. The real murderer walked free.
So who really killed Sir Harry Oakes?
Was it a mob hit? A political assassination? A murder for money? Or did Oakes’s knowledge of Nazi-linked financial schemes make him a target?
In The Duke’s Shadow, Ontario Cold Cases unravels the twisted web of deception surrounding one of the most baffling and scandalous murders of the 20th century. With deep dives into lost evidence, political intrigue, and shocking revelations, this is true crime at its most gripping.
Justice was never served. But the story isn’t over.
Coming next week, in Part Three of Murder in Paradise – The Unsolved Murder of Sir Harry Oakes...
We’ll explore the cover-up, the lost evidence, the failed investigation, and the most compelling modern theories about who really killed Sir Harry Oakes.
Was it a hired assassin? A deal gone wrong? Or was there a deeper conspiracy, one that reached into the shadows of World War II politics and the highest echelons of power?
Join us as we unravel the final chapter of this twisted case—one that takes us from the halls of Government House in Nassau to the smoke-filled backrooms of the world’s most dangerous players.
Discover the case that rocked the British Empire—and decide for yourself who killed Sir Harry Oakes.
Don’t miss this episode of Ontario Cold Cases: Canada’s True Crime Podcast. Subscribe today on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows to stay updated on cold cases that continue to demand answers.
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Dead Men Don't Dance - A Mick & Mystery

DEAD MEN DON’T DANCE
A Mick & Mack Mystery
The lights are low, the music is smooth, and the secrets are buried deeper than the dance steps at Toronto’s most prestigious ballroom school. But when famed dance instructor Gaston Moreau is found dead—dressed for his final waltz—detectives Mick McCathie and Mack MacNeely find themselves drawn into a tangled world of jealousy, ambition, and deception.
The suspects are lined up like dancers before a performance—a bitter rival, a jilted patron, a washed-up former champion, and a sharp-tongued receptionist. Each has a story, each has a motive, and each is hiding something.
As Mick pieces together the dark truth behind Moreau’s last dance, Mack goes undercover as an awkward beginner, much to the amusement of the seasoned professionals—and the sheer agony of his own feet. But when a hidden stash of letters reveals a secret inheritance and a final, fateful meeting, the case takes a deadly turn.
Now, the detectives must waltz through a web of deceit before the killer claims another victim. Can they uncover the truth before the music stops for good?
Step onto the dance floor, but be careful—some steps lead straight to murder.
Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Crime Podcast, available wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. Subscribe to Ontario Cold Cases today so you never miss an episode! Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments.
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The Vanishing Act: The Unsolved Mystery of Ambrose Small

The Vanishing Act: The Unsolved Mystery of Ambrose Small
A Millionaire. A Fortune. A Disappearance That Defies Time.
Toronto, 1919. The city is alive with ambition, its theatres packed with eager crowds, and at the center of it all stands Ambrose Small—a ruthless businessman, a gambler at heart, and a self-made millionaire.On December 2, he finalizes the deal of a lifetime, selling his theatre empire for $1.7 million. Hours later, he steps out of his office…
And is never seen again.
No body. No ransom. No trace.
Did Small vanish to escape his past? Was he silenced by a jealous enemy? Or was he the mastermind of his own disappearance?
More than a century later, the mystery still haunts Toronto, filled with whispers of betrayal, hidden fortunes, and a secret too dangerous to reveal.
Join Ontario Cold Cases – Canada’s True Crime Podcast for a chilling deep dive into one of the nation’s most infamous unsolved mysteries—where fortune, power, and deception collide, and the truth remains just out of reach.
Some men leave a legacy. Ambrose Small left a mystery.
Ontario Cold Cases: Canada’s True Crime Podcast. Subscribe today on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows to stay updated on cold cases that continue to demand answers.
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The Lost Road: The Unsolved Murder of Pauline Ivy Dudley

The Lost Road: The Unsolved Murder of Pauline Ivy Dudley
A gripping true crime investigation from Ontario Cold Cases – Canada’s True Crime Podcast
August 10, 1973. A warm summer night in Oakville, Ontario. Seventeen-year-old Pauline Ivy Dudley steps onto Lakeshore Road, her silhouette illuminated by the glow of the streetlights. She is hitchhiking home to Milton—a common, almost routine decision in the 1970s. But this time, something is different. Because this time, Pauline never makes it home.
Eighteen days later, her body is found in a farmer’s field, partially buried beneath hay and wheat, carefully hidden from sight. There are no signs of robbery. No immediate indications of sexual assault. Just one chilling clue—a hairline fracture on her jaw, a silent testament to the violence that ended her young life.
No witnesses. No evidence. No answers.
For nearly five decades, Pauline’s case has remained an open wound in Ontario’s history, an unsolved mystery that has haunted her family and investigators alike. Who picked Pauline up that night? Was she the victim of an opportunistic predator, or had someone been waiting for her? And why, after all these years, has no one been brought to justice?
From the team behind Ontario Cold Cases – Canada’s True Crime Podcast, The Lost Road takes you deep into one of Ontario’s most chilling mysteries, exploring the theories, the suspects, and the unanswered questions that still linger in the shadows.
Someone out there knows the truth. The only question is—will they finally speak?
Subscribe now to Ontario Cold Cases: Canada’s True Crime Podcast. Episodes available wherever you get your podcasts.
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The Lost Road: The Unsolved Murder of Pauline Ivy Dudley (Trailer)

 Pauline Ivy Dudley (Trailer)
Coming This Sunday February 9 – Ontario Cold Cases: Canada’s True Crime Podcast 
The Lost Road: The Unsolved Murder of Pauline Ivy Dudley
August 10, 1973. A warm summer night in Oakville, Ontario. Seventeen-year-old Pauline Ivy Dudley steps onto Lakeshore Road, hitchhiking back to Milton. It’s a journey she’s taken before—a short trip, nothing unusual. But this time, something is different.
She never makes it home.
For eighteen days, Pauline is missing without a trace. Then, a farmer tending his field makes a gruesome discovery—Pauline’s body, buried beneath hay and wheat, her life stolen by an unknown killer. No suspects. No answers. A crime that remains unsolved nearly fifty years later.
Who picked her up that night? Was she the victim of a wandering predator or someone she knew? Could advances in forensic science finally crack the case?
Join us this Sunday, February 9, as Ontario Cold Cases – Canada’s True Crime Podcast unravels the chilling details of The Lost Road, revisiting Pauline’s life, her mysterious disappearance, and the lingering questions that still haunt her case.
Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss an episode.
Have a theory? A memory? A connection to the case? Leave a comment and join the discussion—because someone out there knows the truth.
This Sunday, February 9, we walk The Lost Road. Will you? 
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Part 1: THE KILLING OF MIDAS - The Murder of Sir Harry Oakes

Part 1: THE KILLING OF MIDAS - The Murder of Sir Harry Oakes
Murder. Power. A Cover-Up That Reaches to the Highest Circles.
The white sands of Nassau and the turquoise waters of the Bahamas seemed like paradise. But behind the closed doors of Westbourne, the lavish estate of gold magnate Sir Harry Oakes, a nightmare was unfolding.
On the morning of July 8, 1943, one of the wealthiest men in the British Empire was found dead—his skull shattered, his body burned, his bedroom transformed into a grotesque crime scene. Blood streaked the walls, scorched feathers clung to his skin, and a mysterious fire had failed to erase the evidence. The man who had built an empire from gold had met a death that was anything but golden.
The murder of Sir Harry Oakes sent shockwaves across the world. His fortune had made him untouchable. His power had placed him in the company of kings, politicians, and criminals alike. And his influence had drawn the attention of one of the most controversial figures in modern royal history—The Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII.
Who killed Sir Harry Oakes? Was it revenge? Greed? A sinister effort to silence him forever? Or was it something even more chilling—a conspiracy that reached into the heart of the British establishment?
The crime of the century remains unsolved. But the fire meant to destroy the truth left behind only more questions.
In The Killing of Midas, Ontario Cold Cases unravels one of the most perplexing, brutal, and politically charged murders of the 20th century. This is just the beginning.
COMING SOON – PART 2: THE DUKE’S SHADOWWas the former King hiding more than the truth? The royal connection that still haunts this case.
Don’t miss this episode of Ontario Cold Cases: Canada’s True Crime Podcast. Subscribe today on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows to stay updated on cold cases that continue to demand answers.
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The Vanishing Tycoon - A Mick & Mack Mystery

The Vanishing Tycoon

A Mick & Mack Mystery
Toronto, 1951. A city of rising skyscrapers, smoky jazz clubs, and backroom deals. A city where fortunes are made—and lost—in the blink of an eye.
When Cornelius Whitelaw, the theatre magnate who turned playhouses into palaces, vanishes without a trace just hours after signing away his empire for a cool million, the case has all the makings of a legend. No ransom note. No sign of struggle. Just an empty office, a cryptic note, and a trail of debts and deceit that stretches from high society ballrooms to the dark corners of Toronto’s underworld.
Enter Mick McCathie and Mack MacNeely—two sharp-witted detectives with a knack for trouble and a taste for the unexpected. As they chase ghosts through the city’s grand theatres, smoky speakeasies, and back alleys, they uncover a tangled web of shady land deals, scorned lovers, ruthless bookies, and power brokers who would rather see Whitelaw gone than see him win.
Was the vanishing tycoon playing his own long game? Or did someone make sure his final curtain call was his last?
With razor-sharp banter, twists at every turn, and a city teeming with secrets, The Vanishing Tycoon is a gripping mystery in the grand tradition of classic detective fiction. A story where the past never stays buried, and every clue leads to a truth more dangerous than the last.
Mick and Mack are on the case. But in a city where everyone has a motive, will they find Whitelaw before his enemies do?
Ontario Cold Cases - Canada’s True Crime Podcast, available wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. Subscribe to Ontario Cold Cases today so you never miss an episode! Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments.
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