Transcript
A (0:01)
An A and E original podcast, this.
B (0:05)
Episode contains descriptions of violence. Use your best judgment. Cape Breton is a small island at the tip of Nova Scotia in Canada. While traveling on the road that circles around the island, a person would pass a state park that offers whale watching. They would see forests and coastline, and they would even discover a giant violin statue on the water, a tribute to the traditional fiddle music the island is known for. It's a beautiful place to Visit. But in 1988, Marie and Doug Dupe weren't just visiting Cape Breton. They had plans to retire there. This is Doug.
A (0:48)
We come back to retire and live a slower life, live in the country. We bought a house, six acres of land on the water, and we figured this is going to be it.
B (1:00)
Retiring to a beautiful island seems like it would be a relaxing experience at the very least. And it was. But Marie was becoming bored with her abundance of relaxation time, so she found herself a job at the local convenience store. This is Doug Dup again.
A (1:18)
I asked her, I said, you could find a better job than this. She said, well, I'm going to give it a try. She said, I'm getting bored laying around the house. It's the wintertime, nothing to do. So I'd give it a try. She gave it a try.
B (1:33)
On March 21, 1992, Marie was scheduled for her first night shift at the Big Bend convenience store. That same night, an unscheduled blizzard made an appearance in Cape Breton. Doug pleaded with her to stay home, but Marie was determined to work her shift. Marie had arrived safely at work despite the blizzard. She didn't make it safely back home, though. But it wasn't because the blizzard. That night, while working her shift, Marie was murdered. From AE this is cold case files. Around 4am on March 22, a local man came to the store looking for a cup of coffee to warm him up. Instead, though, he found Marie Dup on the floor surrounded by blood. The man called the police and Sergeant Jim McLean was the one to respond.
A (2:34)
I walked down to the back of the store and I could see that this lady was brutally stabbed. Her throat was slashed, the side of her face was slashed, her right ear was severed right off. She had blood, it seemed to me, coming out of everywhere. I was horrified.
B (2:53)
Marie Dup was still alive, but despite all the efforts to save her life, she died less than an hour after she was found. She had lost too much blood. At the crime scene, the investigators were struggling to find evidence the blizzard had ruined any chance of the killer leaving any type of tracks outside. Inside the Store detective Paul Doyle was also having a difficult time.