Narrowing in on a killer: The Kelly Cook Story

Taj Khyber Rowland knows he’s not who people think he is but he can’t quite remember how his life went so off course. He decides to spool backwards, to his younger self. A daredevil seven year old Chellamuthu, living happily, but in abject poverty, with his large family in rural India. But when Chellamuthu disobeys his mother and goes to play at the bus station, he’s persuaded to board a bus with some bigger boys. He’s kidnapped. And there’s no going back. Contact: Facebook: ⁠⁠@BlanchardHouseStories⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠@BlanchardHouseStories⁠⁠ X (formerly Twitter): ⁠⁠@BlanchardTweets⁠⁠ Blanchard House website: ⁠⁠blanchard-house.com⁠ Listen to Stop Rewind: The Lost Boy early and ad-free by subscribing to Curiouscast Discovery on Apple Podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the summer of 1981, a group of teenagers stopped to scout a path around a lake in southeastern Alberta when they came across something that would haunt them even 40 years later. It was the body of Kelly Cook, the backup babysitter. Her murder remains unsolved. In this rerelease, join Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt as shares an emotional meeting of two victims in this case. Contact: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@nancy.hixt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1981, Kelly took a job to babysit for Bill Christensen. The 15-year-old was never seen alive again. What most people don’t know is that Kelly was not the killer’s first choice. She was the “backup babysitter.” Christensen's first choice was a 17-year-old girl, but she already had plans so she turned him down. Christensen then asked about other babysitters in the area. The original target, who we’ll refer to as Stacey, had never spoken to a journalist about what happened until she joined Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt to share how the case impacted every aspect of her life in this rereleased episode. Police are still waiting for the tip they need to solve it. If you know anything that can help police as they investigate Kelly's homicide, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. Contact: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@nancy.hixt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelly Cook was a young girl who was abducted from Standard, Alta., 38 years ago. She had taken a job babysitting someone new — and then, she was gone. Her body was found June 28, 1981 in an irrigation canal south of Taber. Investigators said it was obvious someone had gone through a lot of work to make sure Kelly would never be found. In this rerelease of Kelly Cook The Backup Babysitter Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt takes you through the abduction and murder of Kelly Cook Contact: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@nancy.hixt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 50 years after the mysterious deaths of four women, police finally got a break in the case. Historical homicide detectives used cutting-edge techniques to uncover a serial killer. Join Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt as she shares how a husband and father became a monster, and why experts believe he’s likely responsible for many more unsolved crimes. Contact: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@nancy.hixt⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 1976 to 1977, four young women were found dead, their bodies dumped outside of Calgary city limits. The first two were deemed “undetermined deaths.” The third and fourth were considered murders, and police felt the same offender was likely responsible. For decades, the four families were left without answers. Join Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt as she shares how a team of cold case investigators uncovered shocking evidence of a serial killer nearly 50 years later. Contact: Instagram: ⁠⁠@nancy.hixt⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the late 1970s, there were a series of mysterious deaths. First, two jr. high girls were found in an underpass west of Calgary. Seven months later, another young woman was found in a ditch, beaten and strangled to death. Just months after that, a fourth woman was found strangled to death. Follow along as Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt takes you through the haunting details of each case and explains why each investigation went cold for nearly half a century. Contact: Instagram: ⁠⁠@nancy.hixt⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1970s, two young girls were found dead in an underpass. Seven months later, the body of a young woman was discovered in a ditch. And… just months after that, a fourth woman was found strangled to death. Their cases went cold. On the season finale of Crime Beat, Nancy Hixt, a Senior Crime Reporter for Global News, brings you a special three-part series in which she'll share the haunting details of these cases and introduce you to the detectives that used cutting-edge techniques to break the cases wide open nearly 50 years later. For the first time, in exclusive interviews, the killers' own family is speaking out. Could this serial killer be responsible for other unsolved murders? Find out in Uncovering a Serial Killer available July 22, you can get it ad-free and a week early on Amazon Music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The spring of 1999 was filled with excitement about new adventures for Audrey Trudeau. After several years in Calgary, the physiotherapist had a new opportunity back home in Ontario, and she was looking forward to spending more time with her siblings. Her house was listed for sale, and she was getting packed up to move, when she disappeared. Her family and coworkers were baffled. It didn’t make sense. Join Global News Senior Crime reporter Nancy Hixt as she shares what investigators uncovered and the disturbing discovery that cracked open the case five months later. Contact: Instagram: @nancy.hixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An esteemed physiotherapist moved to Calgary in search of a fresh start. Audrey Trudeau quickly gained the respect and admiration of her colleagues at the Rockyview General Hospital and became well known for her kind and generous spirit. Then, on the eve of an exciting new opportunity, she disappeared. Join Global News Senior Crime reporter Nancy Hixt as she shares what made Audrey’s family and coworkers suspicious and details the desperate search that followed. Contact: Instagram: @nancy.hixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices