Canadian True Crime

In this special episode, Kristi Lee sits down with survivor and advocate Jessica Baker to chat about their appearance on CTV’s The Social earlier this week.

Jessica was violently sexually assaulted by former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard in 2016. He was found guilty in relation to her charge in 2022, and not guilty in relation to two other victim-complainants. In June, he was granted day parole after serving less than two years of his five-year prison sentence.

In November 2025, Jessica publicly revealed her identity in the CBC documentary Breaking Idol, but she has has turned down all media appearance invitations since then.
In this special episode, she reflects on why she chose to break that streak on The Social, and how it actually went on the day.

Kristi also explains how The Social’s thoughtful, trauma-informed approach helped both women feel prepared and supported, and reflects on another TV experience that caused her to avoid media appearances for six years.

Thanks to Jessica Baker, Tiffany Hsiung, and everyone at The Social!

More info:

Watch our segment on The Social: Jacob Hoggard’s Accuser and Survivor Speaks Out [YouTube]
Watch Kristi’s segment on The Social from Jan 2026 [YouTube]
Watch Breaking Idol, directed by Tiffany Hsiung [YouTube - only available in Canada)
Listen to our original podcast series The Trial of Hedley’s Jacob Hoggard
Visit Beyond The Verdict advocacy group
Learn more about Kindness Circle
Trauma-informed journalism: Tips for telling important stories, better and The Trauma Beat: A Case for Re-Thinking the Business of Bad News by Tamara Cherry

www.canadiantruecrime.ca
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A dedicated nurse. A devoted mother of three. A family home that should be the safest place in the world.

In 2018, Gerald Aquintey arrives home late to find his Toronto house in disarray. The respected Filipino chef and restaurant co-owner runs upstairs to discover his beloved wife, Rhoderie Estrada, has been brutally murdered. Rhoderie was loved by all who knew her. She'd built a life centred on family, community and caring for others.

As investigators race to find the person responsible, the painstaking work of forensic specialists becomes the key to solving a heartbreaking crime that might otherwise have remained a mystery.

Special thanks to Gerald Aquintey and family.

Thanks also to Detective Constable Adrian Piccolo with the Toronto Police’s Forensic Identification Services Unit, Constable Don Laurel, and the Ontario Forensic Investigators Association.

More information:
WATCH Crime Beat: Awaking To a Nightmare — The Rhoderie Estrada Murder
VISIT TINUNO Restaurant in Toronto

Canadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice.
This month we have donated to Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime.

Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon.

Full list of resources, information sources, and more:
www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/217
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After nearly a decade of insisting he did nothing wrong, disgraced Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has finally admitted he was guilty of sexually assaulting the Ottawa woman known as J.B.
The admission, at his first parole hearing in June 2026, was only one of several striking comments that reveal the full extent of the former Hedley frontman's years of denial, manipulation and gaslighting

In this special episode, Jessica Baker joins Kristi Lee to unpack the 11‑page Parole Board of Canada decision. She reflects on the weight of Hoggard’s admissions after he forced a years‑long trial and appeals process and subjected her to years of public scrutiny.

Hoggard wasn’t required to comment on the other two young women who testified against him, whose allegations did not result in guilty verdicts. But the parole board still chose to recognize them in a deliberate and meaningful way. You'll also hear why the board concluded Hoggard still requires “professional, arm’s‑length supervision” on day parole, why they refused to release him directly to his wife and family, and why his request for full parole was denied.

This information is in the public interest.

FURTHER READING AND HELPFUL INFO:
To read the full parole decision document and for links to other resources mentioned in this episode, visit www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/216

Canadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice.
This month we have donated to Beyond The Verdict.

All information sources, credits and music credits:
See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Part 2 of 2] The mushroom lunch moves from medical emergency to criminal investigation as doctors, police and health officials try to trace the source of the poison. As Erin Patterson’s explanations begin to shift, new evidence emerges from hospital CCTV, phone data, a local garbage dump – followed by a dramatic courtroom showdown.

Find Australian True Crime on your favourite podcast player.
Watch Australian True Crime’s episode about the Mushroom Murders on YouTube.
Watch Kristi in conversation with Meshel Laurie about the murder of Connie Grandinetti.

Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon.

Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated to Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime , who offer support, research and education to survivors, victims and their families. You can learn more at crcvc.ca.

Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:
See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/214
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A special collaboration with Australian True Crime podcast | It’s one of Australia’s most sensational criminal cases in recent memory, drawing intense media attention, public fascination and endless speculation. Today, the case is known around the world as the “Mushroom Murders.”

In this episode, Kristi is joined by Meshel Laurie of Australian True Crime, who followed the case closely and attended the sentencing hearing, to look beyond the headlines at what happened, how the case unfolded, and why it captured so much attention.

Find Australian True Crime on your favourite podcast player.
Watch Australian True Crime’s episode about the Mushroom Murders on YouTube.
Watch Kristi in conversation with Meshel Laurie about the murder of Connie Grandinetti.

Part 2 will be available to all tomorrow.
Look for early, ad-free release on CTC premium feeds: available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts and Patreon.

Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated to Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime , who offer support, research and education to survivors, victims and their families. You can learn more at crcvc.ca.

Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits: www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/214
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.