True crime podcast promises to shed new light on Michael Dunahee's disappearance
A 10-episode podcast, called "Missing Michael," promises to dive deep into the disappearance of the then four-year-old boy who went missing in Victoria.
Michael Dunahee went missing from a playground at the former Blanshard Elementary School in Victoria, on March 14, 1991.
His disapperance sparked one of the largest investigations in Canadian history.
"The entire season is focused on his disappearance, the impact on his family, the community and also on the investigation itself," said Laura Palmer, producer and host of the podcast Island Crime.
The producer and host says virtually everything in the podcast will bring new information to listeners.
"Most of the people I’ve talked to have not been interviewed before," said Palmer.
She says she talked to many people that, she feels, will move the 30-year-old open case forward.
"Anything that can help us move the needle forward in this investigation is a positive thing,” said Const. Cam MacIntyre of the Victoria Police Department.
PODCAST POPULARITY
True crime podcasts have become very popular over the years.
The Victoria Police Department says these podcasts are introducing historical, unsolved cases to a new generation. They are also creating renewed interest from those that have been familiar with the files.
"It generates a tremendous amount of public awareness and it generates tips," said MacIntyre.
Jeff Buziak is the father of Lindsay Buziak, a woman who was murdered on Feb. 2, 2008 in Saanich, B.C.
"Certainly, right now podcasts have the time to get into things in-depth," said Buziak.
Lindsay was working as a realtor and showing a home to two prospective clients at the time of her death. That case has never been solved and is still open.
Jeff has been involved in many podcasts involving his daughter’s unsolved murder. He says the long format of podcasts allows for more research and investigative reporting and that has led to many tips relating to his daughter's file.
"I am hopeful that with the focus and the attention on the podcast and the extent to which I have talked to people, that maybe there will be enough there to push the investigation forward," said Palmer. "Get them focused in the right direction, to kind of push things over the edge."
The first episode of Missing Michael is out now. The remaining nine will be released weekly.
If you have information that you want to share with Victoria police you are asked to report tips online or call the Michael Dunahee tip line at 250-995-7444.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.