Crime Beat

On the season finale of Crime Beat, Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt answers your questions. Join her as she gives you behind-the-scenes insight on the podcast, journalism, and the stories she shares on this special episode, “Inside Crime Beat.” Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a beautiful September night in 2008, a young couple went out for dinner in downtown Calgary. They walked through a park on their way home and sat down on a bench to soak in the warm, late summer air. Around them, the trees were changing colours . Never once did it cross their mind that it would be the last time, as a couple, they would see those vibrant fall colours again. Moments later, the sound of screaming filled the air followed by sirens as police and EMS rushed to the scene. Find out what happened next on the latest episode of Crime Beat. Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares one man’s story of survival and inspiration in ‘Hope in the darkness.’ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A story of deadly infatuation. Join Nancy Hixt as she explains how a young woman was targeted — simply because she spurned a young man’s advances. Nadia El-Dib’s family said Nadia had broken things off with Adam Bettahar, and her body was found in a Calgary woman’s backyard March 25, 2018. She was stabbed dozens of times and shot twice. Police called her death an “execution.” Anyone needing help with violence or abuse in an intimate relationship is encouraged to reach out for help by calling Connect Family & Sexual Abuse Network at 403 -237-5888 (Toll Free: 1-877-237-5888), the 24-hour Family Violence Helpline at 403-234-SAFE (7233), or 211. Nadia El-Dib's Foundation - https://www.nadiashopefoundation.com Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 14, 2022, two senior police officers– Sgt. Brian Topham and Cpl. Brandon Tobin received the highest honour that’s bestowed by the RCMP. The commissioner’s commendation for bravery recognizes outstanding courage in the face of dangerous circumstances… But the award came at a cost.  Join Nancy Hixt, a senior crime reporter for Global News as she shares how two officers, both diagnosed with PTSD, are working to heal and raise awareness about the trauma they’re living with in ‘The scars that don’t heal.’ Nadia El-Dib's Foundation - https://www.nadiashopefoundation.com Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elias Tarabay remembers Aug. 4, 2020, clearly. He arrived home after having a late lunch with a friend. He was living in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. His house had a balcony that looked out at the city’s ports. Just as he settled in, he heard a loud explosion. Tarabay was working as an editor for a local newspaper at the time and he thought he would take the video to send back to his office. Then a second large explosion rocked the Beirut port. The explosion killed at least 214 people, according to official records. Thousands were injured. It was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history — the result of hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate igniting after a fire broke out. The explosion tore through the city with such force that it caused a tremor across the entire country that was heard and felt as far away as the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, more than 200 kilometres away. It would soon emerge in documents that the highly combustible nitrates had been haphazardly stored at a port warehouse alongside other flammable material since 2014 — and that multiple high-level officials over the years knew of its presence and did nothing. The event galvanized people to demonstrate in the streets, asking for government accountability and in the days following the explosion, several cabinet members announced their resignation. On Aug. 10, 2020, Beirut’s prime minister, Hassan Diab, announced he would be stepping down from his position. On this episode of What happened to …? Erica Vella revisits the days that followed the deadly blast and finds out if anyone has been held accountable. She also learns how Lebanon’s economic crisis has made it difficult for the country to rebuild. Contact: Email: erica.vella@globalnews.ca  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the summer of 2020, a listener reached out and asked how Crime Beat stories are selected. She said she was seeking justice for something that happened to her decades earlier when she was a teenager. That was the starting point of this episode. Join Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt as she shares how one woman’s bravery cracked open one of the most high profile sex assault cases in Calgary’s history.  Learn exclusive new details of the police investigation in ‘Mr. Gregory’s dark secret.’  Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special episode of Crime Beat, Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt  takes you behind the scenes with a crime analyst. Learn how she uses data and technology to help solve cases as she works alongside homicide detectives. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a cold, snowy winter night in January 2008, an officer was on patrol when a confusing call came in to 911.  A hardworking mother of five disappeared while on her way home from work. To make matters worse, the call indicated that she was being attacked. Investigators raced against the clock to find Arcelie Laoagan.  On the latest episode of Crime Beat, Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares details of the frantic search and the horrific discovery that haunts both the officer and all of those who knew and cared for Arcelie Laoagan to this day. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a cold, snowy evening in the fall of 2012, a series of 911 calls led Calgary police to multiple scenes. At one of those locations, investigators made a disturbing discovery — the body of Lacey Jones-McKnight. As homicide investigators took over the case, they learned the killer made shocking admissions to several people that night. Follow along on the latest episode of Crime Beat as Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares the painstaking lengths forensic investigators went to in an effort to find Justice for Lacey. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In  movies and TV police interviews with suspects look simple enough, but in reality there’s a lot more to them. Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt takes you behind-the-scenes for a special look at forensic interviewing with veteran investigator Det.Mike Shute.. Find out what it’s really like to be across from a suspect in search of the truth when the stakes are high. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the summer of 2018, a young Calgary woman disappeared. For nearly a week her family held out hope she would be found safe. Instead, a call to 911 sparked a major investigation and led officers to multiple scenes where they uncovered a killing spree. Join Global News senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt as she explains how this triple-murder investigation unfolded in the latest episode of Crime Beat. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the middle of the night on Sept. 24, 1981, a two-year-old girl was rescued by police. She was found outside of a post office in a small town north of Calgary. She was cold, crying, and wearing only her pyjamas. What happened that fateful night changed the course of a little girl’s life forever. Decades later, Global News Crime Reporter Nancy Hixt met that victim — just as the offender who kidnapped her was released from prison in 1998. She’s followed the case for more than two decades. Listen to the latest episode of Crime Beat, Stolen Innocence to learn the tragic twists this case has taken– and the life sentence the victim has suffered. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Crime Beat we introduce you to another Global News podcast called What happened to…? where host and reporter Erica Vella ,speaks with Ted Williams and Doral Chenoweth and the 2011, 90-second video, that launched Ted Williams, a man who was experiencing homelessness, into fame. In the video, Williams was standing at the side of a road in Columbus, Ohio; he was holding a sign that read in part, “I have a God-given gift of voice.” Doral Chenoweth, a photojournalist with The Columbus Dispatch -- a daily newspaper based in Ohio – took the video. Chenoweth posted the video in January 2011 and it quickly began drawing international attention; media from all over the U.S. went on a search to find Williams, dubbed the man with the golden voice. Williams speaks about his battles with addiction; he explains what happened after the video went viral and where he is now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A heartbreaking anniversary highlights a decade of missed opportunities, a killer tries to fight his conviction – again, and a disgraced doctor faces new charges. On this special year-end episode senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt brings you  several updates on cases we’ve shared. This is the 2021 edition of “the story is never finished.” Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the fall of 2016, the CFL season was well underway and the Calgary Stampeders were on fire. When the Stamps beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sept. 24 of that year, the team set a record winning streak. After the game, the team went out to celebrate. What should have been a fun night on the town, was instead marred by tragedy. A simple, accidental brush into the wrong person set the tone for the rest of the evening. In the latest episode of Crime Beat podcast, Global news senior crime reporter Nancy Hixt shares the story of a young man who beat the odds to become a professional football player only to have that dream suddenly shattered. Contact: Twitter: @nancyhixt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyHixtCrimeBeat/ Email: nancy.hixt@globalnews.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.