WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:11.000 In September of twenty fifteen, the quiet Mountain communities of 2 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:15.080 Blairmore and Coleman in Alberta, Canada were shaken by a 3 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:18.320 series of violent crimes that unfolded over the course of 4 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:21.600 less than a week. It began with the murder of 5 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:25.280 a sixty nine year old woman living alone, followed days 6 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:27.920 later by the killing of a young father in the 7 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:32.000 disappearance of his two year old daughter. What started as 8 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:36.079 separate investigations quickly merged into one of the most disturbing 9 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:40.359 criminal cases the area had ever seen, and as police 10 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:44.240 searched for a missing child under a multi province hamber alert, 11 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:49.280 they soon also uncovered tips and evidence that pointed to 12 00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:53.079 a perpetrator within the very family of those who called 13 00:00:53.079 --> 00:00:58.520 in the tips. This is a story of murder and abduction. 14 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:04.359 This is the story of the monster known as Derek Sureski. 15 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:09.560 My name's Ben, I'm Nicole and you're listening to Wicked 16 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:13.480 and Grim, a true crime podcast. Warning. 17 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:22.319 The following material intend more matual audience listener discretion. 18 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:43.879 It was our Honey's Gotcha Day this week. 19 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:46.120 It was If you don't know what a gotcha day. 20 00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:49.120 Is, We're going to tell you three years of basically 21 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:52.439 having Honey in our life officially from adoption. 22 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:54.239 And Honey is our dog for the record, one of 23 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:56.560 our dogs. So yeah, the gotcha day is like the 24 00:01:56.599 --> 00:01:59.439 anniversary of when we officially adopted, you know. 25 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:04.200 Yeah, we don't actually know her birthday per se, So yeah, 26 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:05.560 we just celebrate her gotcha day. 27 00:02:05.719 --> 00:02:08.680 Yeah, three years with a little honey bunny. 28 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:10.639 Be oh, and this is the longest she's ever been 29 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:13.719 with a home because previously she had been with one 30 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:15.879 for a year and then another one with two years. 31 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:18.479 So I think it's a big one because it marks 32 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:21.680 like the longest the longest time, and it's just going 33 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:23.639 to carry on, hun because we're not getting rid of you, 34 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:24.879 that's true. 35 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:28.439 And I also actually managed to celebrate that day by 36 00:02:28.439 --> 00:02:32.280 getting a tattoo of a honeybee or honey. I also 37 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:35.800 got a couple other tattoos and related to other animals 38 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:37.680 we have ripley, I always color my sweetheart, so I 39 00:02:37.719 --> 00:02:39.919 got like one of those little like candy super cute 40 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:42.840 candy like hearts that's his sweetheart on it. And then 41 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:45.560 so yeah, I got some other tattoos too, but yeah, 42 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:48.840 those are the ones that I think pertained to this conversation. 43 00:02:48.520 --> 00:02:50.960 Yeah, which is pretty cool way to celebrate a dog's 44 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:52.159 gotcha day? It is. 45 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:54.960 I didn't, honestly, it was an accident that had just happened. 46 00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:56.759 I booked the pointment. 47 00:02:56.840 --> 00:02:57.800 I pointed it out to you. 48 00:02:57.879 --> 00:02:59.879 I think, yeah, you were like you realized that's her, 49 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:02.599 And I was like, oh, well, I'm getting a tattoo 50 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:03.599 for her on her gotcha day. 51 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:07.800 I guess yeah. I made her homemade dog cookies. But 52 00:03:08.039 --> 00:03:10.159 doesn't seem as cool as getting a tattooed now, but 53 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:10.840 that's what I do. 54 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:14.039 Either way, We're happy that she's on her life. And 55 00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:17.960 if you guys are ever able, we highly recommend adopting 56 00:03:18.280 --> 00:03:21.240 an animal from a shelter. They are highly in need 57 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:25.039 and if you can ever help them, we definitely havevocate 58 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:25.280 for that. 59 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:29.319 Yeah, this was our We have had adopted cats previously, 60 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:32.879 but this was our first adopted dog. Previously, we had 61 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:35.680 gotten our other two as puppies, so it's quite different. 62 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:36.280 It does. 63 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:38.639 It's kind of it's really a nice feeling actually to 64 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:40.039 give them this new life. 65 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:42.360 It's really nice. But also something else that's really nice 66 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:46.400 is the Olympic ceremonies are starting today. Yes, opening ceremony 67 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:50.400 the Olympics are officially starting over in Italy, So good 68 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:53.680 luck to all the participants, whatever country you're involved in. 69 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:56.000 I hope it's going to be a good games. I'm 70 00:03:56.039 --> 00:03:59.520 really looking forward to, of course hockey. I mean we're 71 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:01.960 hockey people in Canadians, so that just kind of goes 72 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:04.240 without saying, and yeah, it's going. 73 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:04.599 To be good. 74 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:07.400 Well, what a big deal for all those athletes that 75 00:04:07.639 --> 00:04:10.520 made the freaking Olympics, even if they think their performance 76 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:13.360 isn't like their best or something, right, I think I 77 00:04:13.400 --> 00:04:16.519 know someone already got injured just in their prelim stuff, 78 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:19.319 which sucks, but they still were that good that they 79 00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:21.839 freaking made the Olympics, which that's. 80 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:26.959 Cool, bonkers. So I want to just dedicate this drink 81 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:30.319 to all the Olympians who are out there doing their 82 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:35.319 best representing their country. Even if you unfortunately, hey don't 83 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:38.360 get to go far, you get injured, whatever, you still 84 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:40.040 made it to the Olympics. And that's one hell of 85 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:41.959 a big deal. So I'm raising the glass to you guys. 86 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:44.399 Yeah, cheers to them. I'm looking forward to watching this. 87 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:46.879 It's going to be really good. But we do have 88 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:50.199 an interesting case today, Oh yeah, we do. And an 89 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:54.600 interesting scenario because you usually don't know much about the cases, 90 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:58.519 if anything at all, But this case, you watched the 91 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:01.480 documentary and you recommended it, so you know a lot 92 00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:02.439 about this case as well. 93 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:04.480 Well, this might happen a little bit more now that 94 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:06.399 I'm kind of taking a bit more of a role 95 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:10.160 in Wicked and Grim and helping fine cases and stuff, right, well, 96 00:05:10.199 --> 00:05:12.879 the back end of Wicked and Grim, I should say. So, 97 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:17.199 I've been indulging in some true crime cases to kind 98 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:20.120 of for recommendations. And this is a frickin' gooder. 99 00:05:20.360 --> 00:05:22.879 It's a doozy. It's bad though, So and I do 100 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:27.199 want to say, I mean, we gave enough trigger warnings 101 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:30.600 in the intro. Just take the intro to heart when 102 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:32.319 it comes to any sort of trigger warnings for today. 103 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:32.720 There you go. 104 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:34.560 Now, I'll let you know that. But if you're ready, 105 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:35.079 I'm ready. 106 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:37.879 Yeah, it's a case that needs to be heard, so 107 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:38.639 let's do it. 108 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:39.240 So. 109 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:42.079 In the late summer of twenty fifteen, the Crow's Nest 110 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:45.800 Pass felt much the same as it always had. September 111 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:51.600 in southwestern Alberta, Canada usually arrives quietly the heat of August. Here, well, 112 00:05:52.279 --> 00:05:55.079 it faded mornings were starting to be cooler, and people 113 00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:57.000 started to pull the light jackets out from the back 114 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:59.920 of their closets again. And the mountains that surrounded the town, 115 00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:03.360 like Blairmore and Coleman, they were still green, but hints 116 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:05.480 of autumn were beginning to show with some pops of 117 00:06:05.560 --> 00:06:09.240 yellow in the trees. Nights also came a little earlier 118 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:12.000 in the air well it felt sharper. It had that 119 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:15.160 familiar autumn scent that was beginning to linger just a 120 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:18.360 bit in the mornings. Winter was still a ways away, 121 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:20.959 and everyone who lived there knew it was coming, though, 122 00:06:21.560 --> 00:06:23.920 but life in the past it still moved at a 123 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:27.959 casual pace. Most people knew their neighbors and recognized each 124 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:31.040 other's vehicles. They ran into the same faces at the 125 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:34.839 grocery store, in the gas station and local restaurants. News 126 00:06:34.839 --> 00:06:37.319 here had a habit of traveling very quickly, usually through 127 00:06:37.319 --> 00:06:43.160 conversations rather than headlines. For families, routines were simple and 128 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:47.120 very predictable. Parents worked their shifts and kids were settling 129 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:50.920 back into daycare or preschool. Evenings were spent cooking dinner, 130 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:55.680 watching television, or walking dogs before dark. Weekends this time 131 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:58.079 of year meant people were getting ready for things like 132 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:01.800 hunting season, and still enjoying backyard barbecues and drives through 133 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:05.360 the mountains. It was the kind of place where nothing 134 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:07.560 much seemed to change from one week to the next. 135 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:12.720 In blairmore small rental homes and modest houses lined quiet streets, 136 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:16.480 and in Coleman, older trailers and cottages sat closer together, 137 00:07:16.920 --> 00:07:18.800 many of them owned by people who had lived there 138 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:24.600 for decades. These weren't towns were people expected surprises. Serious 139 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:28.120 crimes were extremely rare, and most problems were handled with 140 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:30.680 a simple phone call or a conversation, or even a 141 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:35.000 knock on the neighbor's door. By early September, children were 142 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:39.399 getting into their new school schedules, parents were adjusting their routines, 143 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:43.319 and summer vacation was officially over. Life was settling back 144 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:46.959 into that familiar rhythm. No one knew that within days 145 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:50.360 that rhythm would be shattered, that police car search teams 146 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:54.399 and national news media crews would soon be filling their streets. 147 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:57.639 At the time, it was just another quiet stretch of 148 00:07:57.720 --> 00:08:00.839 late summer in the small Canadian community where people went 149 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:04.920 to work, took care of their families, and assumed tomorrow 150 00:08:05.399 --> 00:08:09.920 would look a lot like it did today. It was 151 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:13.240 the evening of September ninth, twenty fifteen. Not The small 152 00:08:13.240 --> 00:08:16.279 town of Coleman, Alberta, was quiet in a way it 153 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:19.839 usually was. With a population of only a few hundred people, 154 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:24.319 most residents knew each other by name. Hannah Mattek lived 155 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:27.480 in Coleman for years. She was sixty nine years old 156 00:08:27.480 --> 00:08:30.920 and well known in the community. Originally from Copenhagen, she 157 00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:33.600 had built a quiet life in southern Alberta, and she 158 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:37.200 was known for being independent, strong willed, and involved in 159 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:41.080 local activities. She worked at a thrift store, helped others 160 00:08:41.080 --> 00:08:43.600 when she could, and she earned a reputation as someone 161 00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:47.120 who didn't shy away from speaking her mind. Friends and 162 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:50.840 neighbors described her as kind but also tough, especially when 163 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:55.000 she felt that she was being treated unfairly. But essentially, 164 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:57.120 what they're saying is she's the kind of person we 165 00:08:57.159 --> 00:08:59.360 all hope to be when we start growing a little older. 166 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:02.600 Right, There's nothing wrong with sticking up for yourself exactly. 167 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:06.200 She's strong willed, tough minded, and she ain't going to 168 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:07.799 take no shit from nobody. 169 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:09.679 Sort of thing which I respect. 170 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:12.759 I like that now. On that night of September ninth, 171 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:15.559 Hannah was at home in her trailer preparing for bed. 172 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:21.759 Sometime late that night, someone broke into her home. Investigators 173 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:24.279 would later determine that the door had been forced open. 174 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:28.200 The doorframe had shown clear signs of damage, suggesting that 175 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:32.039 the person whoever entered did so forcefully rather than by invitation, 176 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:36.720 and once inside, the person confronted Hannah in her bedroom 177 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:41.759 and attacked. According to the medical examiner's findings, Hannah suffered 178 00:09:41.879 --> 00:09:45.759 multiple blunt force injuries to her head. Investigators believed that 179 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:48.799 she had likely been struck with a heavy object, possibly 180 00:09:48.840 --> 00:09:51.879 a baseball bat, and in addition to her head injuries, 181 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:54.919 she was stabbed twice in the neck and had superficial 182 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:59.080 cuts across her throat. There was also defensive wounds present 183 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:01.679 on her hands and arms, which indicated that she tried 184 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:04.519 to fight back against whoever this was that it entered 185 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:09.799 her home. Blood was all throughout the layout of her 186 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:12.399 home and of the scene. It suggested a very vicious 187 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.279 struggle rather than a quick and controlled attack. Nothing of 188 00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:17.919 value appeared to be taken. There were no signs of theft, 189 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:21.279 no indication that robbery had been a motive. Nothing like that. 190 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:25.840 Some time later, after the attack, a neighbor noticed that 191 00:10:25.879 --> 00:10:29.240 something was wrong. On the morning of September tenth. The 192 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:32.840 neighbor saw that the door to Hannah's trailer was left open, 193 00:10:33.159 --> 00:10:36.799 which was unusual, so concerned that something might be wrong, 194 00:10:36.919 --> 00:10:40.840 they contacted police, and when officers arrived and entered the home, 195 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:46.799 they discovered Hannah's body inside, along with the horrific bloody scene. 196 00:10:46.919 --> 00:10:50.600 The Royal Canadian Mounted Police or the RCMP, secured the 197 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:53.879 area and forensic teams were quickly called in. They documented 198 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:56.360 the damage to the door, the blood pattern inside the trailer, 199 00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:00.320 and the position of Hannah's body. The sheer brutality of 200 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:04.320 the assault alone stood out immediately. Even the experienced officers 201 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:08.200 on scene had a little trouble with this despite it, 202 00:11:08.200 --> 00:11:13.639 Although their efforts everything, they couldn't do much. There was 203 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:17.720 no obvious suspect. It didn't lead anywhere right away. Hannah 204 00:11:17.799 --> 00:11:20.320 had lived alone, she had known enemies. There was no 205 00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:23.120 clear personal dispute that explained what had happened. 206 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:23.799 Now. 207 00:11:23.799 --> 00:11:26.559 Her ex husband and another individual who had recently been 208 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:30.440 released from custody, were briefly considered as possible persons of interest, 209 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:34.480 but both were eventually ruled out. At the time, police 210 00:11:34.519 --> 00:11:36.720 had a little to work with beyond the physical evidence 211 00:11:36.759 --> 00:11:40.240 that was left behind. There were no public reports of 212 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:43.600 suspicious vehicles in the area, no witnesses that came forward 213 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:46.320 with information about seeing someone enter or leave her home, 214 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:51.200 and no clear motive that had been identified. So without 215 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:55.240 a suspect or a clear direction, investigators focused on processing 216 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:58.720 the crime scene and collecting every possible detail and preserving 217 00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:01.080 what they could so that it might be used later 218 00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:04.720 when they do find a suspect. In the days that followed, 219 00:12:04.759 --> 00:12:08.639 officers continued working the case quietly, but no one knew 220 00:12:08.679 --> 00:12:11.039 yet that this would be only the first part of 221 00:12:11.080 --> 00:12:15.000 something much larger. At this point, Hannah's murderer stood alone, 222 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:19.960 but within five days that would change. 223 00:12:21.320 --> 00:12:24.480 I didn't know too much about Hannah's murder, but I 224 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:28.120 just have to say that I feel like murders in 225 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:32.639 small communities, really small towns, just hit so much harder 226 00:12:32.679 --> 00:12:34.960 than in bigger cities. Like I've lived in quite a 227 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:38.080 few small towns growing up, and yeah, something like this 228 00:12:38.279 --> 00:12:42.559 happening when everyone knows each other. I don't know, it 229 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:44.159 just hits so much different. 230 00:12:44.279 --> 00:12:46.639 Well, it's like hitting within a community rather than like 231 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:49.759 a large city. Large cities don't get me wrong, it's 232 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:52.440 just as tragic when someone passes away and gets murdered. 233 00:12:52.759 --> 00:12:55.240 But it's so much easier to overlook. 234 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:56.399 Yeah, so much easier. 235 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:58.600 You probably didn't know the person kind of thing, yeah, 236 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:02.360 or just assume you know they you know what, they 237 00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:04.840 got themselves in a bad situation, like all those things 238 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:06.440 that you can shrug off. 239 00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:07.440 But in a. 240 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:12.519 Community like this, it's your neighbor, it's your your cousin's friend, 241 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:15.120 or someone you went fishing with last. 242 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:17.600 Year, or the lady that works at the thrift store. 243 00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:20.600 Those sort of things, so it becomes much more personal 244 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:23.240 and close to home. And you're right, it hits so 245 00:13:23.320 --> 00:13:24.759 much harder, so much harder. 246 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:26.919 Well, and even a bit more scary, I suppose to, 247 00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:30.159 because the suspect pool, you know, is a little bit less, 248 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:33.559 so it's like who did this? Yeah? Now. 249 00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:37.320 In the early morning hours of Monday, September fourteenth, twenty fifteen, 250 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:39.840 the town of Blairmore was quiet, in the way it 251 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:43.320 usually was at that time of day. There was a 252 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:46.320 little movement in the community, and anything unusual tended to 253 00:13:46.519 --> 00:13:49.480 kind of stand out. It was some time between three 254 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:52.799 and three thirty AM when several neighbors living near Terry 255 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:57.519 Blenchett's home were awakened by an unfamiliar sound. One resident 256 00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:00.519 later told police that he heard what sounded like metal 257 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:04.240 being struck or kicked, possibly sheets of roofing material that 258 00:14:04.279 --> 00:14:07.879 had been stacked nearby. Others reported hearing noise coming from 259 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:10.519 the alley behind the houses, and when some of them 260 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:14.600 looked outside, they noticed a white commercial style van parked. 261 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:15.639 In the area. 262 00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:18.360 One neighbor even said that it was sitting in the 263 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:21.720 driveway of an elderly resident who didn't drive, which made 264 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:25.480 the presence of it just a little more unusual. And remember, 265 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:29.080 Blairmore is a small town here, people were accustomed to 266 00:14:29.080 --> 00:14:32.200 seeing familiar vehicles. This one, on the other hand, it 267 00:14:32.200 --> 00:14:35.559 stood out much more. But as much as it was odd, 268 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:39.000 the sound that followed, well, it was even more so. 269 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:43.039 At least one neighbor reported hearing what sounded like a 270 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:46.879 child crying or maybe whimpering. The noise was faint but 271 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:50.679 noticeable in the stillness of the early morning. Some witnesses 272 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:52.960 believe they may have heard an adult voice as well, 273 00:14:53.080 --> 00:14:56.039 possibly trying to calm the child, though no one could 274 00:14:56.039 --> 00:14:59.600 be certain now at the time that this was actually happening, 275 00:15:00.039 --> 00:15:02.200 there was no clear reason to be believe that a 276 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:05.679 serious crime was taking place. Blairmore was considered a very 277 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:10.080 safe community. Strange noises could be explained by many ordinary situations. 278 00:15:10.120 --> 00:15:13.120 You know, someone leaving for work, early vehicle problems, or 279 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:15.200 maybe a late night delivery. Who knows. This is a 280 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:18.519 plethora of different things, and without any obvious signs of 281 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:22.320 danger or concern, people simply just went back to sleep. 282 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:26.360 Some witnesses did say they saw the van leave the area, 283 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:29.759 though several later told police that it drove away quickly 284 00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:33.120 heading west. One neighbor noticed that the vehicle had an 285 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:37.080 unusual antenna described as a buggy whip style antenna on 286 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:40.639 the back of the van with a blue tip. At 287 00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:44.240 approximately three point thirty one am, surveillance footage from the 288 00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:48.360 Best Canadian Motor Inn captured a white van traveling westbound 289 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:52.600 on twentieth Avenue two. The vehicle it matched the general 290 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:55.799 description given by witnesses. An additional footage from a gas 291 00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:58.840 station in the town of Coleman had also recorded a 292 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:02.759 similar van days earlier, near the time of Hannah's murder. 293 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:08.600 Later on that same morning, William Blanchett was driving through 294 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:12.480 the Crow's Nest pass on his way from Elkford, British Columbia, 295 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:15.639 to Calgary, Alberta, where he was planning to have some 296 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:19.279 work done in his vehicle. As he passed through Blairmore, 297 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:23.879 he decided to stop and visit his son and granddaughter. Now, 298 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:27.000 William had often helped care for his granddaughter Haley while 299 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:29.000 his son, Terry was at work, and the two stayed 300 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:33.200 in very close contact. When William arrived at Terry's home, 301 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:36.200 he saw his son's car parked in the driveway, which 302 00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:38.840 made him assume that Terry and Haley were, of course inside, 303 00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:41.639 so he walked up to the front door and he knocked, 304 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:44.759 expecting to be let in, but there was no answer. 305 00:16:46.120 --> 00:16:48.080 He sent Terry a text message to let him know 306 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:50.879 he was there, and after waiting briefly and not receiving 307 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:52.960 any reply, he assumed that he might have just stepped 308 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:56.840 out and decided to continue on his way. So William 309 00:16:56.919 --> 00:16:59.960 drove to the neighboring community of frank to get some fuel. 310 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:03.000 While at the gas station, though he tried to call 311 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:06.599 Terry several times, but each call went straight to voicemail. 312 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:10.799 Now this began to worry him. Terry was usually quick 313 00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:13.480 to answer or return some calls, and, combined with the 314 00:17:13.559 --> 00:17:16.519 unusual unanswered, knocked the door with his car in the 315 00:17:16.599 --> 00:17:19.279 driveway in the lack of response. All of this just 316 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:22.240 made William uneasy, and he decided to return to the 317 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:26.519 house to check again. When he drove back to Terry's home, 318 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:30.480 he noticed that the front door was left unlocked. Now, 319 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:33.799 Terry often left it that way. That was nothing unusual, 320 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:37.200 even just when leaving briefly sort of thing right. And 321 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:40.759 the unlocked door, now, though, it added a little bit 322 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:44.079 of a more another layer to this. If he were 323 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:47.000 to just, you know what, have an unlocked door, that's 324 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:49.599 one thing. But he's not answering the door. He's not 325 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:53.480 answering calls, and there's an unlocked door. Things started to 326 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:57.319 not feel right every time something else popped up. He 327 00:17:57.359 --> 00:18:00.480 opened the door and went inside and immediately noticed how 328 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:03.200 quiet the house was. Now with a two year old 329 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:07.319 living there, the home was rarely completely silent. He called 330 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:10.319 out Terry, and then he called out to Haley, but 331 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:13.640 there was no one that responded. As he walked through 332 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:17.640 the main floor, William began to notice some things. He 333 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:20.200 saw Terry's comforter lying on the floor, between the bedroom 334 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:23.000 and the bathroom, and he noticed what appeared to be 335 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:26.960 blood on parts of the kitchen floor and nearby surfaces. 336 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:30.359 There were signs that something had clearly happened, although he 337 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:32.920 did not yet understand what he was seeing. With each 338 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:35.880 step through the house, his concern grew more and more. 339 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:40.799 He continued towards the bathroom, which was dark, and when 340 00:18:40.839 --> 00:18:43.279 he turned on the light, that's when he saw his 341 00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:46.519 son lying on the floor between the toilet and the vanity. 342 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:50.799 Terry's body was partially wrapped in a blood soaked blanket, 343 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:53.559 and there was blood on the floor and surrounding area. 344 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:57.880 It was obvious right away that Terry had suffered a 345 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:02.079 serious head injury, but worse of as William stared down 346 00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:05.359 at him, he saw that his son's throat had been cut. 347 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:08.640 I forgot that the dad found him. 348 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:11.960 He rushed to Terry's side and tried to lift him, 349 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:14.759 hoping that there might be still a chance that he's alived, 350 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:18.079 But as soon as he made contact with his son's skin, 351 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:25.759 Terry was cold. He was already dead. William was devastated, 352 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:29.759 but he immediately began searching for his granddaughter Haley. He 353 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:32.640 ran upstairs frantically calling her name as he moved through 354 00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:35.079 the house, and when he reached her bedroom, that's when 355 00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:39.640 he found that her crib was empty. The bedding, blankets, pillows, 356 00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:42.480 and toys were usually inside, but they were missing too, 357 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:45.920 and he also noticed blood on the bedroom door and 358 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:48.920 on one of her dolls, as well as bloody footprints 359 00:19:49.079 --> 00:19:53.920 on the stairs and parts of the floor. In that instant, 360 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:57.279 it was clear to William that Haley had been taken. 361 00:19:58.759 --> 00:20:02.359 At approximately eleven ti twelve am, William dialed nine one 362 00:20:02.440 --> 00:20:04.519 one and reported what he had found. 363 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:10.400 This scene would just be not okay for like a parent, 364 00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:13.359 parents aren't supposed to lose their children. So I just 365 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:18.640 can't even imagine him going into this, this just complete 366 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:23.759 crime scene and finding his son dead and his granddaughter missing, 367 00:20:23.880 --> 00:20:28.319 Like holy shit, it just freakin' rips my heart out. 368 00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:31.880 It's gut wrenching. Yeah, And honestly, it's beyond a crime scene, 369 00:20:31.880 --> 00:20:33.279 Like this is a murder scene. 370 00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:36.079 Well yeah, brutal one, Yeah, no, it would have been. 371 00:20:36.599 --> 00:20:39.200 You know, no one should, like even investigators, gosh, having 372 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:41.880 to go into these houses and their lives are never 373 00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:43.640 going to be the same after seeing all the shit. 374 00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:45.079 So yeah, you're right. 375 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:46.799 Now. 376 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:50.359 Emergency responders and RCNP officers were sent to the house immediately, 377 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:53.279 and when they arrived, officers saw all the blood smears 378 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:56.200 throughout the home, beginning in the bedroom and continuing into 379 00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:59.559 the bathroom. Drag marks were also on the floor that 380 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:02.039 showed that Terry had been attacked in his bed and 381 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:06.759 then pulled through the house. Investigators also documented the blood 382 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:10.599 evidence in Haley's room, including stains on her crib, personal belongings, 383 00:21:10.839 --> 00:21:13.920 all which suggested that whoever had taken her had blood 384 00:21:14.119 --> 00:21:17.519 on their hands and clothing at the time, which means 385 00:21:17.559 --> 00:21:22.279 it was the same person who had killed Terry. Within hours, 386 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:26.440 the house was declared a major crime scene and RCMP 387 00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:31.039 Major Crimes Unit investigators based in Calgary were contacted and 388 00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:36.319 dispatched to Blairmore. By the afternoon, police began canvassing nearby homes, 389 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:39.559 speaking with neighbors and checking whether anyone had seen Haley 390 00:21:39.640 --> 00:21:43.640 that morning. Officers were going door to door asking if 391 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:47.119 anyone heard unusual noises or anything that had happened overnight 392 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:50.720 seen suspicious activity. They also checked with friends, family members, 393 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:53.920 and child care contacts to rule out the possibility that 394 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:58.079 Hayley had been picked up by someone that she knew now. 395 00:21:58.160 --> 00:22:01.359 At the same time, officers worked to contact information for 396 00:22:01.400 --> 00:22:05.319 Haley's mother, Cheyenne Dunbar, who was living in Edmonton at 397 00:22:05.319 --> 00:22:08.759 the time. Investigators soon learned that Cheyenne had not been 398 00:22:08.839 --> 00:22:11.799 seen or spoken to Terry or Haley that morning and 399 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:14.880 had no idea that anything was wrong. She was, of 400 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:17.599 course shattered to learn that her daughter was missing and 401 00:22:17.640 --> 00:22:22.119