S9 E3: Stay

Summary

Someone Knows Something – Season 9, Episode 3: "Stay"

Release Date: November 20, 2024
Host: David Ridgen
Podcast Series: Someone Knows Something by CBC

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Introduction

In Season 9 of the acclaimed true crime series Someone Knows Something, host David Ridgen delves deeper into the unresolved case of Christine Heron, a 15-year-old from Hanover, Ontario, who vanished in the spring of 1993. This episode, titled "Stay," focuses on the tumultuous aftermath of Anthony Ringle's confession to her murder and the subsequent collapse of the prosecution case.

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Background of Christine Heron’s Disappearance

Christine Heron, a bright and book-loving teenager, disappeared while en route to school in the spring of 1993. Her sudden disappearance left her family and community grappling with unanswered questions. Years later, Anthony Ringle emerged as a suspect, confessing to her murder multiple times. However, his confessions did not lead to a conviction, leaving Christine's family without closure.

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Anthony Ringle's Confession and Failed Prosecution

The episode chronicles Anthony Ringle’s inconsistent confessions to Christine's murder and the Crown's unsuccessful attempts to prosecute him. Ringle's legal representation highlighted numerous police errors during the investigation and interrogation phases.

[Attached Transcript Excerpt]
Marianne Restor (Christine's Mother): "So you killed Christine Heron? I need an answer. Yes. Okay. So how do you feel after you've told. Do you feel better that you've got this off your chest? A little. Okay."
[01:10]

Ringle was held in custody for 37 hours but was only properly advised of his rights once. Despite repeatedly stating he had "no comment," Detective Inspector Mark Wright continued to interview him without adhering to constitutional protocols.

David Ridgen: "Ringle’s statements to his family and to Constable Lipski, however, are allowed into evidence, along with only the first police interview with Ringle, where he made no admissions."
[05:09]

The defense argued that procedural mistakes by the police undermined the integrity of Ringle's confessions, leading Judge R.M. Thompson to dismiss key statements and actions from Ringle during the investigation.

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Legal Mishandling and Trial Details

Judge Thompson criticized Detective Inspector Wright for failing to follow legal protocols, stating that Wright either lacked understanding of the Charter of Rights or deliberately ignored them.

David Ridgen: "Judge Thompson, however, criticizes Wright, saying either he had no knowledge or understanding of the Charter of Rights or he deliberately chose to trample all over Mr. Ringle's rights as a Canadian citizen in defiance of the law."
[05:03]

As a result of these miscarriages of justice, after 20 months in jail awaiting trial, Ringle was released when Crown Prosecutor Michael Martin stayed the case against him. The legal system’s failure left Christine’s family without answers, exacerbating their trauma.

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Interview Attempts with Anthony Ringle

Determined to seek the truth, Christine's mother, Marianne Restor, along with her stepfather Sean, and David Ridgen, attempt to confront Anthony Ringle to obtain clarity.

In their first attempt, Marianne and Sean visit Ringle’s residence but are denied access. Despite Marianne's polite and persistent approach, Ringle's sister remains protective, preventing any meaningful conversation.

Marianne Restor: "I just want to talk to Anthony for a little bit."
[16:01]

Undeterred, Ridgen and Marianne make a second attempt, locating Ringle at a trailer park in Chesley, Ontario. This time, Ringle engages briefly but remains reticent, offering no substantial answers about his confession.

Marianne Restor: "So how do you reckon, why did you confess to your mom and your cousin?"
[30:24]
Anthony Ringle: "No."
[26:52]

Despite Ringle’s evasiveness, Marianne expresses hope for eventual communication, emphasizing the family's need for closure.

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David Ridgen’s Involvement and Documentary

David Ridgen takes a proactive role by creating a 20-minute documentary titled "Confession to Murder," which airs on CBC. This documentary compiles available evidence, court documents, and interviews to shed light on the case's complexities and the police's investigative shortcomings.

David Ridgen: "I present everything I can find about the case. It's thickly forested and swampy on private land across the Saugeen river from Hanover's public park, one of Christine's favorite places."
[34:24]

The documentary aims to reignite interest in the case and prompt further investigation, hoping that public attention will pressure authorities to revisit Ringle's confessions.

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Conclusion and Future Developments

The episode concludes with a reflection on the enduring impact of Christine’s disappearance on her family. Marianne and Sean express unwavering patience and determination, believing that time will eventually unveil the truth.

Sean Restor: "Sooner or later, the guilt will get to him and eat away at him day by day... where he's compelled to finally tell the truth."
[35:44]
Kathleen Goldthar (Christine's Grandmother): "That's not gonna help... I just want to talk to him to get some peace for myself."
[12:19]

David Ridgen hints at future developments, teasing Ringle's rearrest nine months after the documentary's release, setting the stage for subsequent episodes that will explore the ramifications of this renewed legal action.

David Ridgen: "Nine months after my documentary is released, Anthony Ringle is arrested again for the murder of Christine Heron."
[36:29]

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Notable Quotes

• Marianne Restor: "I just want to talk to Anthony for a little bit."
  [16:01]

• Sean Restor: "I worked on this case all these years because we didn't have answers, and zero closure."
  [10:45]

• Kathleen Goldthar: "I think he's afraid he's gonna say the wrong thing and come up in charges again."
  [20:37]

• David Ridgen: "Sometimes the only difference between a so-called cold case and a conviction is time."
  [36:29]

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Final Thoughts

"Stay" serves as a poignant exploration of the enduring quest for truth and justice in the face of systemic failures. Through meticulous investigation and heartfelt interviews, David Ridgen and the Heron family illuminate the profound personal toll of unsolved crimes. As the case of Christine Heron continues to unfold, listeners are left anticipating the forthcoming revelations in the next episodes of Someone Knows Something.

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Find Episode Transcripts here.

Transcript

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Between 1973 and 1986, the Golden State Killer terrorized Californians. He scoped out the homes he would enter. Police would find cigarettes under a tree by a window. So he was frequently there at the window, in the backyard, in the dark. I'm Kathleen Goldthar, and this week on Crime why it took police more than 40 years to identify the Golden State Killer. Find Crime Story wherever you get your podcasts.

[David Ridgeon]

This is a CBC podcast.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

I had some offers from people that we knew that offered to kill Ringo for me, asked if I'd like that, and I said no. I did not want to be involved in anything like that. I couldn't live with myself if I caused someone else to die. I said no. The justice will come to him when his time's due.

[David Ridgeon]

Things did not go as planned for the Crown's prosecution of Anthony Ringle for the murder of Christine Heron. This despite Ringel's meanderings through several consistent confessions to having killed her.

[Marianne Restor]

So you killed Christine Heron? I need an answer. Yes. Okay. So how do you feel after you've told. Do you feel better that you've got this off your chest? A little. Okay.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

We do know the OPP made a mistake.

[Marianne Restor]

Did they tell you that?

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Yes.

[Marianne Restor]

Yeah?

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Yes.

[Marianne Restor]

When did they tell you that?

[Kathleen Goldthar]

After the case was over.

[Marianne Restor]

And how did they justify that mistake to you?

[Kathleen Goldthar]

They just come out and said there was nothing more they could do. They were very sorry. They didn't realize.

[David Ridgeon]

Ringle's defense lawyer, Stephen Gell, outlines police errors at pretrial. For Judge R.M. thompson, investigators did not follow normal police or correct constitutional protocols.

[Marianne Restor]

Do you wish to say anything in.

[Sean Restor]

Answer to the charge?

[Marianne Restor]

You're not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so.

[David Ridgeon]

Ringle was in police custody for 37 hours, but was only properly read his full cautions and rights once. Five hours after he had been brought in, he spoke by phone to legal counsel on three occasions for less than 20 minutes in total. Ringle told police repeatedly that he had no comment. Regardless. Under command of Detective Inspector Wright, police continued to interview Ringle and elicit statements.

[Marianne Restor]

A police officer's placed you under arrest for murder. Right. Murder. Christine Heron. And he's given you your rights to counsel, which means he's told you you can call a lawyer. And we just got off the phone with one just a moment ago. Correct. So you're. You're very aware of your rights. Correct. And you understand.

[David Ridgeon]

Officers didn't always take notes or record interviews as the law requires. And another egregious error. Again, overseen by Mark Wright is when Officers Wright and Graham accompany Ringle in the Hanover woods to look for Christine's body. After Ringle repeatedly tells them that a lawyer has advised him not to go, Ringle tells Graham that it is not in his best interest and that it would only hurt him more. Whereupon Graham says, that's enough. Let's get going.

[Sean Restor]

What we'll do is we're going to.

[Marianne Restor]

Go down to Hanover. Okay? Do you think you'll be able to find it easily, Ma? I don't know.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

I was very upset. With all the mistakes they were making, they knew better. There was no need for that, especially even down at the park. Nothing was recorded, nothing was wrote down. What was said.

[David Ridgeon]

The attempted search for Chrissy's remains with Ringle took a couple of hours, even though the terrain demanded something much more thorough. They recorded no audio or video, with only Graham making a few notes the next day. From memory.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

No. That's something that anybody with common sense would have done. We do want accountability, right?

[Sean Restor]

Chrissy would just want. Then she wouldn't want us to dwell on the anger that Christine would just want justice to prevail and she wouldn't.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Want it to happen to somebody else.

[Sean Restor]

She wouldn't want it to happen to someone else.

[David Ridgeon]

Judge Thompson, in his pretrial ruling, finds that Ringle knows exactly what he's saying and makes voluntary statements on a number of occasions. Despite that, Thompson throws out all statements and actions from Ringle from the moment Detective Inspector Mark Wright arrives on the scene, including the entire search for Christine's remains on the western side of the Saugeen River. Ringel's statements to his family and to Constable Lipski, however, are allowed into evidence, along with only the first police interview with Ringel, where he made no admissions. Detective Inspector Wright said he did his job by reading Ringo his rights and it was up to him whether he wanted to invoke them. Judge Thompson, however, criticizes Wright, saying either he had no knowledge or understanding of the Charter of Rights or he deliberately chose to trample all over Mr. Ringle's rights as a Canadian citizen in defiance of the law. What he hoped to accomplish would be pure speculation. But what is known is that his improvident actions will undoubtedly hinder any attempt to prosecute Mr. Ringleader.

[Marianne Restor]

I just think it's such a weird situation. You guys are sort of paralyzed with this guy who said he killed your daughter and was going to go through the court system.

[David Ridgeon]

Silly mistakes. After over 20 months in jail awaiting trial, Ringel is freed after Crown Prosecutor Michael Martin stays the case against him. After a year with a stay in place and no new evidence brought forward, the case against Anthony Ringle crumbles to nothing, as if it never happened. Can anything be done to change that? I'm David Ridgeon, and this is Someone knows something Season 9 the Christine Heron Case Episode 3 Stay.

[Marianne Restor]

Makes you wonder about the legal system when you know they have to let somebody go like that.

[David Ridgeon]

News of the Ringle case collapsing reverberates throughout Hanover and area.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

It was sort of pushed off to the side. It was big news for maybe a.

[Sean Restor]

Day or two, and then it just.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Sort of went to the wayside again. No idea what would make somebody say they did that. I have no idea about that either.

[Marianne Restor]

They didn't do that.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

I have no idea. Just, you know, you hear stuff at the time on the radio, he said.

[Marianne Restor]

She said, what happened by that stealth.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

I can't comprehend that.

[David Ridgeon]

From what you know about Ringel, how.

[Marianne Restor]

Do you think that situation would have played out?

[Kathleen Goldthar]

I have no idea.

[Sean Restor]

I have no idea how they met.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

I still don't.

[David Ridgeon]

And Chrissy's mother, Marianne, and her stepfather Sean, struggle with many questions.

[Sean Restor]

He was older than her. Christine was 15 at the time, and Anthony Ringle, I believe, was 24. I did not know Anthony Ringel myself. I don't believe anyone in the family knew Anthony. I don't recall Christine knowing Anthony Ringel. So how their paths crossed is unbeknown to us.

[David Ridgeon]

This is where I came into the process and where my investigations began back in 2010 and 2011, picking up the pieces.

[Marianne Restor]

So that's the ruling of the Superior Court on the case of Anthony Ringle, September 26th. And the judge is Thompson. Thompson.

[David Ridgeon]

Nothing had happened in the case until Ringle came forward 11 years after Chrissy disappeared. Then the case against him failed and Ringle was free. Marianne and Shawn weren't told much except that Ringle had said he killed Christine.

[Marianne Restor]

Have either of you ever wanted to go talk to Anthony Ringle or do you talk to.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Oh, I asked to, and the police wouldn't let me. Oh, I definitely wanted to. Like, there's no reason he can't tell us what happened. So, I mean, why not come forward, you know, if he didn't mean to and it was accidental. Okay. We just want to know what actually happened, like, right from day one, that I wanted to speak with him and they wouldn't let me. The opposite. I said, well, at least ask him. Maybe he'd be willing to sit down and talk to me. And I know his sister and his mother, anytime they see me in a store, they left. So. But yeah, to this day, I still want to sit down and talk to him.

[Sean Restor]

You know, maybe as we go on, I can tell you a couple things I did. Maybe I shouldn't have because I was upset. So tell me what I did.

[Marianne Restor]

Yeah.

[Sean Restor]

Oh, he lived with his mother, right? My little red neon with the flames on it and whatnot. There's a mural on it. And that car is a one of a kind. And there's no way he could have mistaken it for no one else but me. I deliberately went over there a few times and I sat there and watched that house. And what was I after? To hurt him? No, But I wanted him to know that we were not about to forget. Not for one minute. And then the OPP told me goes, you do that anymore, we're gonna have to charge you with stalking, Sean, and you're gonna be in jail. So I was told, stay the hell away. We're just trying to understand what happened and why.

[Marianne Restor]

And did he do it?

[Sean Restor]

Yeah, that's where we're at. Did you do it? Why, if you did do it?

[Marianne Restor]

So, Marion, tell me what we're doing this morning.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

This morning we're going to see if Anthony Ringle will speak to me. Just try to get some answers out of him. If he actually did something to Christine or why he confessed, if he didn't just find out what was in his mind at that time.

[Marianne Restor]

What are your anticipations of what he might say?

[Kathleen Goldthar]

I'm hoping he'll explain what happened to her and maybe show that he's sorry for what he did. To see what he says, or if he'll even talk at all to me. I want to talk to him. Ever since they first arrested him. And if he didn't, why would he confess to something that he didn't do? We've never had any answers to any of our questions. Do you know what really happened?

[Sean Restor]

I'm truly hoping that Anthony Ringel will speak with Marianne. Out of human decency, he tried to explain what he did. Like I said earlier, and other times, if it's an accident, please try and explain and help us understand what happened and why. It's been a long time.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

For us.

[Sean Restor]

Even to be able to try to approach Anthony Ringel. So I hope we have a positive outcome today.

[David Ridgeon]

The address I have for Ringel is, I think that of a relative, his sister. Normally when I want to go to someone's house and knock on the door, I will want to scope things out a bit. To see how the place works. So that's what we do. Marianne is eager to get in front of Ringle and because of her calm and straightforward demeanor, she may be able to get him to say something. It's a big step for her to take.

[Marianne Restor]

It's gonna be on the right, so I'll tell you when. It's up here somewhere. I go a bit faster. Sean, you don't want to suspicions it's going to be on the right, so we're just going to look at it quickly on the way by.

[David Ridgeon]

Marianne is calm in the back seat and Sean seems like a rock behind the wheel.

[Marianne Restor]

There it is right there. Ricose white cat. Right behind that gray van is a good spot.

[Sean Restor]

It's pretty close to your grandparents old place. Mary.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Yeah.

[Marianne Restor]

Let's pull in there.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Yeah.

[Marianne Restor]

So remember when you talk to Marianne, it's what he said, right? Not why did you kill her, but why did you say you killed her?

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Yes.

[Marianne Restor]

So pull right up behind that van if you can. Hang on a sec. That's good there, Sean. Let's go.

[David Ridgeon]

Marianne and I carefully leave the van and roll the sliding door shut behind us. Sean pulls ahead a short distance, he staying behind, afraid of how he may react in Ringle's presence. Marianne is already moving with purpose toward the house and I catch up.

[Marianne Restor]

Front door, side door, side door.

[David Ridgeon]

A woman who appears to be in her late 40s, hair pulled back, pink T shirt, opens the door and pokes her head out, trying to keep the screen door closed enough to keep her dog in.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Hi. Is Anthony home?

[David Ridgeon]

He's still sleeping.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

See? Could you wake up? I just wanted to talk to him. Okay. Can I. Who are you? It's Marianne. Marianne Restor. Do I know you or. I don't think so. I don't think we've ever met. Hi. I just want to talk to Anthony for a little bit.

[Marianne Restor]

About what?

[Kathleen Goldthar]

I just want to ask him some questions to do with Christine. I'm gonna say no. Can we leave it up to him and see what he talked to? I already know he'll say no. Just ask him and see. That's his sister. That's his sister, yeah.

[David Ridgeon]

The door closes and almost immediately so does the deadbolt. But once Ringel's sister realized who Marianne was, I sensed a change and perhaps even some sympathy added in her gaze and tone.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

She's very protective of him, so I don't think she'll let him talk.

[David Ridgeon]

After a few moments, Ringle's sister returns once again.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

No, no, not at all. Has he talked to you about it at all, does he? Yeah. Cause I just. I just need some answers. That's all I'm after. I'm not here to, you know, be nasty or anything like that. I just. So he doesn't talk about it at all? And he won't come talk to me Like, I. I'm not here to accuse or anything. Just trying for my own self. I understand you want closure. Do you think you, in the future ever just sit down, just talk to me? No.

[David Ridgeon]

Like I say, come to.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

He's not afraid or anything.

[David Ridgeon]

What's there to be afraid of if he's not involved? Ringle's sister says over the barking dog.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

That's all I'm ask. Just to talk to him to get some peace for myself.

[Marianne Restor]

Yeah.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

So that I can go.

[Marianne Restor]

I work for cbc. I'm doing a documentary about the murder of Christine Heron. It is really just about information, and it's not about accusations. You can understand that. You know, it was a pretty difficult case, and Anthony confessing to murdering Christine is a pretty substantial part of it. Did he ever confess anything to you or. I understand he confessed to other family members on that night in August.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

That was other family members.

[Marianne Restor]

Not to you, not me. So how has it affected you, though? You must have questions of your own as to why.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Yes, but I'm in the same situation. If I want to find anything out, I got to speak to his lawyer. He won't just actually talk to.

[Marianne Restor]

He will not talk to me.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

You're his sister, right? Yes. Yeah.

[Marianne Restor]

He's lucky he's got a sister who's so protective and nice to him, because.

[David Ridgeon]

Protective?

[Marianne Restor]

I don't know if I'm being, well, protective. I mean, just, you know, being wary and things like that, so. But anyway, I appreciate your time and I hope we can sit down and talk to him because it'll help out immensely. You know, this family.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Just give me a minute and I'll tell him that you're with her, okay?

[Marianne Restor]

That's not gonna help.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

She was in court with them, her and the mother. No.

[Marianne Restor]

Okay. Thanks so much for your time. Running up and down and all that and disturbing your dog. See you later.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Thank.

[David Ridgeon]

We head back to the van in silence.

[Marianne Restor]

No, no, go. We tried our best, but we couldn't get him to. There we go. So what do you think of that, Marianne?

[Kathleen Goldthar]

I think he's afraid he's gonna say the wrong thing and come up and charges again. I think he's afraid. Hi, I'm Christy Lee, the creator of Canadian True Crime. Join me for an immersive deep dive into some of the most thought provoking true crime cases in Canada. Using facts curated from court documents, inquiry reports and news archives, I carefully unravel and analyze each case, exposing the pitfalls of the criminal justice system that everyone needs to know about. Find Canadian true crime wherever you listen to podcasts or visit canadiantruecrime.ca so did we have any luck? Nope.

[David Ridgeon]

At Chrissy's Grandma Saks place again, Grandma has two white refrigerators and we're standing between them at a round wooden kitchen table where she has spread some pictures of Chrissy. Grandma listens intently as Marianne describes the attempt to speak to Ringle.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

When we went to Anthony's place, he's living with his sister. That's where they are, a couple houses away from where Grandpa used to live. But he was sleeping and she told us right off the bat that he wouldn't want to talk to us. I think she's protecting him. Yeah, same as her mom did. Yeah, but no, he wouldn't come up and talk to us at all. Disappointed that he wouldn't come talk to us, at least faces would have been nice. Keep trying.

[David Ridgeon]

The conversation soon turns to what the family has read about Ringel and documents I provided or heard coming out of the PRE trial in 1993, when the investigation into Chrissy's case was just getting started, Ringle actually worked for the Hanover police washing police cruisers. But he lost that job after he followed a woman home and went into her house. He happened to be carrying a starter pistol. This was also in May 1993, about a week after Chrissy disappeared. The woman barricaded herself in a bathroom until her boyfriend arrived and pushed Ringle, telling him to get the hell out of the house. Ringle served two years probation for possession of a firearm. His Record also shows two counts of mischief in 1998 for smashing car windows and slashing tires.

[Marianne Restor]

Jack?

[David Ridgeon]

Jack.

[Marianne Restor]

Jack.

[David Ridgeon]

It's the day before the anniversary of Chrissy's disappearance. I'm not giving up just yet.

[Marianne Restor]

Oh, hi.

[David Ridgeon]

Back at the sister's house, this time alone. There's cameras rolling in the van, tripods duct taped to the floor, backup audio pinned to my shirt and I'm recording with a phone in my hand, hoping again for Ringle.

[Marianne Restor]

Hi, how are you? I'm good. Is this unit 2 or unit 1 here for this house or is this one unit?

[Sean Restor]

It's kind of a little both. Why, what do you need?

[Marianne Restor]

Oh, I'm looking for Anthony.

[Sean Restor]

Oh, he's down at his trailer right now.

[Marianne Restor]

Actually. Oh, okay. Where is that? If you go down to the park, just follow the road around and the park just like there's an arena or something down here. Yeah, like I saw the arena, but is the park next to it? It's actually back in behind it. Oh, okay.

[Sean Restor]

So if you follow the road right.

[Marianne Restor]

Around it, there's a change house on.

[Sean Restor]

The left and his is the first fifth wheel you come to.

[Marianne Restor]

It's like a little white trailer or something.

[Sean Restor]

Yeah, it's a fifth wheel trailer.

[Marianne Restor]

Okay, good. Let's go talk to him. Thanks. Trailer.

[David Ridgeon]

Tucked in behind the arena. In Chesley, Ontario, a small town close to Hanover, there's a trailer park compacted around a circular tree lined road. I slowly begin the drive around and based on the few directions I just heard, I pull in at what I think might be the right fifth wheel trailer. But no one's home. Not sure if this is Ringel's place or not. I try the next one. Nothing here either. One more, a white trailer called a travelair with a green lawnmower and a woodpile.

[Marianne Restor]

Hi, how are you? Are you Anthony?

[Sean Restor]

Yep.

[David Ridgeon]

Anthony Ringle, in a blue cap and dirty gray T shirt, standing before me, rubbing at bleary eyes.

[Marianne Restor]

I'm Dave Ridgeon. I work for cbc. I wanted to ask you about your confession regarding the murder of Christine Heron in August 2004. Can you tell me a little bit about that? Why you. Why you confessed to that murder? No.

[Sean Restor]

I can't answer that question.

[Marianne Restor]

No.

[David Ridgeon]

Ringle sits down in the stoop. The door that he's holding open with one hand blocks him from the view of the van cameras. But my phone roughly captures him as he continues to stare at me.

[Marianne Restor]

Seems to have taken a lot out of you. You went in there, the police had you in there for a little while and then you had to go to jail, right? For a couple of years. And it's just tomorrow is the anniversary, the May 18th tomorrow. So I'm just. I'm just wondering if you could talk to me a little bit about your experience with that. No. No. I'm just kind of putting that all behind me. Did you know Christine?

[Sean Restor]

No, I don't.

[Marianne Restor]

You didn't know her. Did you kill Christine?

[David Ridgeon]

Ringle shakes his head, but seems subdued by the question. There's a picnic table next to the door and I find myself settling back onto it to try to relax the tension I've introduced, if that's possible. But also press further.

[Marianne Restor]

Why did you confess to her murder? What happened that day? Like it seems like such A strange thing to do. No explanation?

[Sean Restor]

No.

[Marianne Restor]

Does it seem like a long time ago to you? I know. I noticed. I was searching for you on the Internet, and I noticed that your mother is. I'm sorry to hear that Loretta died on the highway. I'm sorry to hear that. And my understanding is that you had confessed to your mom that night on August 22, 2004, about killing Christine Heron. And you confessed to your cousin and your cousin's boyfriend, and then you went and confessed to an OPP Officer.

[David Ridgeon]

Ringle shuffles in the doorway uncomfortably. Says nothing discernible.

[Marianne Restor]

It just seems like. Do you ever think about that time? I mean, you were in jail for two years because of your confession. You just woke up. Where did you go? To jail. Where were you held? Did you see Christina in the park that day? Didn't even see her down at the park, no. Where? The river is there. I was down there today. The river looks pretty high. It doesn't look like. It doesn't look like you could get over it. Do you have a phone here? Is there a way to communicate with you? Not here. No. No. Okay. What are you up to these days? What do you spend your time doing here in Chesley? Not much. Did you find your life changed after your confession?

[Sean Restor]

A little bit now.

[Marianne Restor]

How do people treat you around here? I just wonder what it would take for me to go and confess to something I didn't do. If I didn't do it, I don't understand what would have happened in your head that night that made you feel that you had to confess to a murder that you say you didn't do. Have you been interviewed by the police since then? No. They haven't come to talk to you since you got out of jail? No.

[Sean Restor]

Just try and stay normal.

[Marianne Restor]

Try and stay normal? Yeah. You never met Christine Haram before in your life? No. How did you know her name? How did you know to say that you had killed her? Because she had disappeared in 1993, and then you confessed to her murder to the officer on August 22, 2004. That was quite a few years later. It was like years later. So you must have remembered the name from somewhere. You ever talked to anybody in your family about that time? No. And there was at that party on August 22, 2004, where you told your mom and your cousin and your cousin's boyfriend that you murdered Christine Heron. Did they ever talk to you about why you had said that to them? Did your mom ever talk to you about why you said that? They just let it Go. They just said, oh, Anthony, he's just. He's just saying that. Is that what they said? No. They didn't say a word to you? They come visit you in prison? Had people come in? Your mom came to see you? Yeah. Did you have a chance to tell your mom before she died that you. What? You say that you didn't. You didn't kill Christine? Did you ever tell her that? No. So she died thinking that you might have murdered her? Pardon?

[Sean Restor]

I didn't talk about it.

[Marianne Restor]

No, you didn't talk about it? Nobody. Any of your friends ever come and talk to you about it? No. Christine disappeared somewhere, just never came home. Her mother's wondering what happened. She doesn't know either. Well, I thank you for your time. Maybe I'll come and talk to you again sometime. Take care.

[David Ridgeon]

I pull away and park a short distance away to collect myself. I felt surprised that Ringo would engage for so long, like he wanted to talk or needed to. It's hard to determine if someone is being evasive in the short term, but I remember feeling that just below the surface there was much more to be pulled. Something catches my eye and I look toward the arena I'm parked near.

[Marianne Restor]

There he is.

[David Ridgeon]

It's Ringle on a bicycle. And he's coming toward me. At first I think he wants to talk more and I roll down the passenger window, but it startles him. I think he was trying to watch me from afar. Ringle trying to do a bit of his own investigative work. He races by and I try to drive up beside him.

[Marianne Restor]

Hey, Anthony.

[David Ridgeon]

But Ringle keeps moving and disappears down the road with whatever knowledge he may carry.

[Marianne Restor]

What happened to 15 year old Christine Herron?

[Kathleen Goldthar]

One man said he knows.

[David Ridgeon]

A few months later, I've edited my 20 minute TV documentary for the CBC together and it goes to air across the country. It's called Confession to Murder.

[Marianne Restor]

Tonight, investigative filmmaker David Ridgeon shows us.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

What happened and confronts the man who.

[Marianne Restor]

Once made a confession to murder.

[David Ridgeon]

In it, I present everything I can find about the case. It's thickly forested and swampy on private land across the Saugeen river from Hanover's.

[Marianne Restor]

Public park, one of Christine's favorite places.

[David Ridgeon]

I go through police malfeasance. The stay attempts to speak to Ringel and as much of his story as I can. According to the available documents, including interviews.

[Marianne Restor]

With Ringel, police testimony and other courtroom statements. This is what is alleged to have.

[David Ridgeon]

Happened the day Christine Heron went missing. And then we wait and watch, ready to act again, hoping the documentary will move the investigation forward.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Had to learn patience over the years. Yeah, I have a lot of patience now with the case. You learn it over the years. You learn how to deal with it your own way so that you can move on. But it never goes away. Today is the same as it was that day for me. It's still there. Just deal with it a different way.

[Sean Restor]

Sooner or later, the guilt will get to him and eat away at him day by day by day that it'll slowly eat on him and bring him down to where he just can't take it anymore. Where he's compelled to finally tell the truth.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

He's gonna know that everybody's keeping an eye on him.

[Marianne Restor]

So how are you gonna set your patients to work and with regards to Anthony.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Still gonna wait patiently. Sooner or later, justice will happen. I believe that.

[David Ridgeon]

I believe it too. On all the cases I've worked on, I've seen firsthand that sometimes the only difference between a so called cold case and a conviction is time. And this time, the patience pays off. Nine months after my documentary is released, Anthony Ringle is arrested again for the murder of Christine Herron. Coming up on Someone Knows Something.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

That's the one that you went to jail for?

[Marianne Restor]

This one? Yeah.

[David Ridgeon]

An inside look at Ringle's rearrest and how it all happened.

[Marianne Restor]

You get it though. The one that's been gone for 15 years, that's the one that you.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

You went to jail for. Yeah. Well, put it this way, this story.

[Sean Restor]

Here and you and me till the day I die.

[Kathleen Goldthar]

Fucking doesn't leave easily.

[David Ridgeon]

Someone Knows Something is hosted, written and produced by me, David Ridgeon. The series is also produced by Katie Swires. Sound design by Evan Kelly. Natalia Ferguson is our transcriber. Emily Cannell is our digital producer. Chris Oak is our story editor. Our executive producer is Cecil Fernandez. Tanya Springer is the senior manager and Arif Noorani is the director of CBC Podcasts. If you want to help new listeners discover the show, please rate and review. Wherever you listen, find us on Facebook by searching Someone Knows Something or on instagrambcpodcasts. You can hear next week's episode now by searching for the CBC Podcasts channel on YouTube. If you're looking for another series to listen to, check out Understood from cbc. Understood goes behind the news headlines from the fall of a crypto king to Inside Pornhub. Find Understood from the CBC everywhere you get your podcasts. Tune in next week for an all new episode of Someone Knows Something. Or you can binge listen the whole series ad free by subscribing to our channel on Apple Podcasts, just click on the link in the show description. For more CBC Podcasts, go to CBC CA Podcasts.