Someone Knows Something – Season 10: The Jaclyn Ferland-Smith Case

Host: David Ridgen (CBC Podcasts)
Episode: Introducing Season 10
Release Date: March 2, 2026

Overview

Season 10 of the acclaimed true crime series Someone Knows Something shifts its investigative lens to Costa Rica, delving into the mysterious 2021 disappearance of Jaclyn Ferland-Smith, a 40-year-old Canadian expat and former military trainer. Host David Ridgen sets the stage for an international search for answers, drawing listeners into an evocative landscape of paradise altered by tragedy, as he introduces the case details, key witnesses, and lingering questions about what really happened to Jaclyn.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Lure of a "Pure Life" in Costa Rica

• The episode opens with reflections on the appeal of Costa Rica for Canadians seeking a simpler, happier life (“Pura vida”). Ridgen describes it as a place “filled with expat Canadians trying to farm, find a pure life.” (00:21)
• However, this dream of escape can sometimes take a darker turn: “But sometimes the escape can become something else entirely.” (00:41)

2. Jaclyn Ferland-Smith’s Background & Disappearance

• Jaclyn, described by friends as “very quiet... super nice” and “beautiful, intelligent,” moved to Playa del Coco, Costa Rica, with her husband. (01:10, 01:30)
• Her husband recalls the day of her disappearance: “I came out of [the] shower, dry myself, and I looked, she was not there. Her engagement ring was there and her phone.” (00:46)
• Friends and locals stress that “she’d never go out in the dark at night and not take her own car,” suggesting the disappearance is deeply out of character. (01:38)
• Emotional testimony underscores the community’s struggle to understand how someone could vanish despite “all that effort to find her.” (01:51)

3. Lingering Questions & Community Theories

• Lingering suspicions surround Jaclyn’s fate. Was there a sighting? “Only that was somebody in the back of the taxi.” (02:12)
• Residents recall seeing Jaclyn, noting how unusual it was to see her “without a smile.” (02:23)
• The episode references the ease with which one can “disappear” in such a locale and explores the insufficient local police response: “It’s supposed to, like, happen the same day.” (03:09)

4. Focus on the Husband & Investigation Stalls

• The narrative nods to familiar tropes in disappearance cases—spouses are often immediate suspects:
  “If you want to know the guilty person, look for... the closest to them or look at the husband... I did not kill her, obviously. Yes. So. But who am I to convince anyone?” (03:25)
• Four years after the fact, the investigation appears “mothballed,” leaving the family desperate for closure. (02:53)

5. Host’s Commitment to the Case

• David Ridgen travels to Costa Rica, committed to uncovering the truth and giving Jaclyn’s story the detailed, sensitive attention it deserves:
  “I traveled to Costa Rica to investigate a Canadian case.” (03:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Pura vida. Costa Rica. Tiny, lush, rich in species and filled with expat Canadians trying to farm, find a pure life.” – David Ridgen (00:21)
• “But sometimes the escape can become something else entirely.” – David Ridgen (00:41)
• “Her engagement ring was there, and her phone.” – Jaclyn’s husband (00:46)
• “Jackie wouldn’t do that. For the first year after this happened, I was kind of a mess because how can a woman just go missing and put out all that effort to find her and she's still missing? It just doesn't compute to my brain.” – Friend (01:51)
• “You can disappear pretty easily, I guess, if you want to...” – David Ridgen (02:33)
• “It’s supposed to, like, happen the same day.” – Local community member, on the delayed investigation (03:09)
• “I did not kill her, obviously. Yes. So. But who am I to convince anyone?” – Jaclyn’s husband (03:25)
• “I don't think she just walked away. Like, this is what they were saying, that she just walked away. No way. No way.” – Friend (03:50)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:21 – 00:41: Setting the scene in Costa Rica; expat dreams vs. reality.
• 00:46 – 01:30: Jaclyn’s disappearance and character.
• 01:38 – 02:08: Emotional reactions and incongruities in Jaclyn’s behavior.
• 02:12 – 02:23: Eyewitness account of a woman in a taxi.
• 02:53 – 03:09: Frustration with law enforcement and investigation delays.
• 03:25 – 03:42: Husband addresses suspicions; host commits to investigation.
• 04:32: Tension in the community escalates, as recounted by a resident.

Tone & Atmosphere

• The tone is investigative, compassionate, and at times tense, as Ridgen weaves testimony from Jaclyn’s family, locals, and expats with his own observations.
• The episode balances empathy with inquiry, inviting listeners to grapple with the uncertainties and emotional pain surrounding Jaclyn’s disappearance.

Conclusion

This introductory episode for Season 10 powerfully sets up the series’ investigation into Jaclyn Ferland-Smith’s disappearance. With evocative descriptions, candid interviews, and pressing unanswered questions, Someone Knows Something promises a deep dive into secrets and silences—both personal and communal—in the pursuit of truth and resolution.