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Narrator
The new Boost Mobile network is offering unlimited talk, text and data for just $25 a month for life. That sounds like a threat. Then how do you think we should say it? Unlimited talk, text and data for just $25 a month for the rest of your life? I don't know. Until your ultimate demise.
Donnie Wahlberg
What if we just say forever?
Narrator
Okay. $25 a month.
Kathy Kenzorov
Forever.
Narrator
Get unlimited talk, text and Data for just $25 a month. With Boost Mobile Forever.
Donnie Wahlberg
After 30 gigabytes, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan.
Mike McCready
Did you know one in two women wear the wrong foundation. Matching foundation is hard, but il Maquillage makes it easy. Take the Power Match quiz to find a perfect match in seconds. Customized to your unique skin tone, undertone and coverage needs. With 600,000 5 star reviews, woke up like this is our best selling foundation for a reason. Available in 50 shades of weightless natural coverage and with Try before youe Buy, you can try your full size at home for 14 days. Just pay shipping. Take the quiz at ilmaquillage.com Quiz that's I L M A K I A G E.com Quiz Dear old work platform.
Craig McCrary
It's not you, it's us. Actually, it is you. Endless onboarding, constant IT bottlenecks. We've had enough. We need a platform that just gets us. And to be honest, we've met someone new. They're called Monday.com and it was love at first. Onboarding. Their beautiful dashboards, their customizable workflows got us floating on a digital cloud nine. So no hard feelings, but we're moving on. Monday.com the first work platform you'll love to use.
Donnie Wahlberg
Just a heads up before we begin. This episode contains references to sexual violence, abuse and murder. Listen with care. Previously on Very Scary People. The Ken and Barbie killers, Paul Bernardo and Carla Homolka met in the fall of 1987. It was love at first sight. Their young love blossomed, and By Christmas Eve 1989, they were engaged. After their engagement, Paul moved in with the Homolka family. And during a family Christmas party, tragedy struck. Carla's youngest sister. Tammy had too much to drink and didn't wake up. By the time first responders arrived at the scene, Tammy was dead. It was ruled accidental alcohol poisoning in the wake of Tammy's untimely passing. While the Homolkas grieved, Carla and Paul insisted on going forward with their wedding planning. And despite the tension between the couple and Carla's family, the show went on. Carla and Paul got what they wanted, their dream wedding. But at the celebration, something was rumbling beneath the picture perfect surface. It's the Thursday before easter weekend in 1992. It's a rainy afternoon and class has just been dismissed at Holy Cross Secondary School in the Toronto suburb of St. Catharines High School. Students in their classic green plaid Catholic school uniforms are pouring out of the halls and one of Those students is 15 year old Kristen French.
Narrator
Kristen grew up in St. Catharines and she by all accounts was a very popular straight A student involved in lots of extracurriculars. Swimming, rowing.
Kathy Kenzorov
Her friends loved her. Gorgeous girl, long dark hair.
Narrator
She had such a full life, confident.
Donnie Wahlberg
Loving, from a loving home, who loved her brother and her dog and her parents and didn't live more than a few blocks away from her school. Kristen's parents are expecting her to let the dog out after school. But that gloomy spring afternoon, Kristen's mom couldn't get a hold of her.
Narrator
The mom had called home from work to talk to her. She wasn't home and that was around 4:00.
Donnie Wahlberg
Kristen isn't the type to not call her mom or dad when her plans change. And nine times out of ten she heads straight home to get her chores and homework done.
Narrator
Kristen's parents very quickly grew concerned because.
Mike McCready
She was just taking a short walk.
Donnie Wahlberg
From school to home as she normally did.
Mike McCready
And when she didn't return, they knew.
Narrator
Something was terribly wrong.
Donnie Wahlberg
Little did they know earlier that day would be the last time she is seen. And by 6 o'clock the police had.
Narrator
Been called and they were searching for Kristen.
Donnie Wahlberg
15 year old Kristen French was apparently abducted in broad daylight from a church parking lot on Thursday, less than a kilometer from home. Her disappearance was mind boggling.
Narrator
St. Catharines was not a place where people were grabbed off the street. For someone to be grabbed off the street in the middle of the day, a young person walking home from school, it just doesn't happen.
Donnie Wahlberg
But Kristen's abductors leave a trace. Her shoe was found suggesting she struggled with her abductor before being pulled into a car. And their disturb crime doesn't go unnoticed. There are eyewitnesses from id. This is very scary people. The Ken and Barbie Killers. I'm your host Donnie Wahlberg. You might remember me from our first season, the Amityville Murders. And now in this season we're traveling to Canada, a place known for its cold beer and warm welcomes to trace the twisted path of Paul Bernardo and Carla Homolka, a couple from Toronto that appeared loving and wholesome. The truth is, they were anything but. We'll explore how the boy and the girl next door became the killers known as Ken and Barbie. This is episode three. Kristen French. The day after Kristin was reported missing, a huge search party formed.
Narrator
As many as 2000 people gathered to.
Donnie Wahlberg
Help search the north end of St.
Narrator
Catharines for clues to Kristen's whereabouts.
Donnie Wahlberg
Kathy Kenzorov remembers it well from her days reporting on the case on talk radio AM640.
Narrator
There were massive searches arranged for Kristen French that started on the Friday and lasted through the entire weekend.
Donnie Wahlberg
It was an all hands on deck kind of emergency.
Narrator
It was so widespread and people from, you know, Toronto and Mississauga drove to St. Catharines to be part of it.
Donnie Wahlberg
Police officers from across the region pooled their resources and organized their own group, too. They dubbed themselves the Green Ribbon Task Force because search party members were wearing green ribbons. As a symbol of their hope of finding Krista. They posted flyers all around the city. The flyer had a black and white picture of Kristen on the top left corner and on the right, a list of her basic identifying information. 110, 5, 5, age 15, brown hair, brown eyes. The day she was taken, she was wearing her school uniform, green tights, a green V neck sweater, a white shirt and a black leather jacket. And towards the bottom of the flyer, there was a message, if anyone had any information regarding her disappearance, to contact the Niagara regional police. Mike McCready was one of the 2,000 volunteers who searched for Kristen. They looked high and low, crossing fields, parks, wooded areas and near the shores of neighboring bodies of water.
Kathy Kenzorov
It was a community event. People from all walks of life, poor and rich, all different ethnicities pulled together and came together to search for her.
Donnie Wahlberg
They were all moved by Kristen's disappearance. It hid so close to home. Kathy remembers how scared everyone felt.
Narrator
It could have been anyone. It could have been you. It could have been your sister, your friend, your mother. Anyone could have been pushed into a car. And I think that's what got people so upset and so concerned and wanting to find Kristen.
Donnie Wahlberg
At this point in the investigation, officers knew Kristen was last seen in the parking lot of Grace Lutheran Church. From the outside, it looked like a traditional place of worship. It was a red brick building with red trim. A large gold cross covered the front entrance. People saw what happened, and as the search effort intensified, substantial information rose to the top.
Narrator
A witness came forward to say she had been driving by the church parking lot, looked over her shoulder and saw what she thought were kids. Fooling around, and they were kind of pushing back and forth and someone got pushed into the car. But she thought about it for a second, like, oh, that's odd. Then she said, oh, it's probably just teenagers goofing around. And she kept going.
Donnie Wahlberg
But they weren't just fooling around. Kristen was fighting for her life. They described two male offenders, that she'd walked up to the car. One had gotten out and then was shoving her into the back of the car. She was resisting, fighting, and the car took off at a high rate of speed, just peeling out of the parking lot onto the street and down and almost hit another car and, you know, made this scene that caught the attention of the folks in. In the area just going about their normal business. Since multiple people witnessed Kristen get abducted, a critical clue in the investigation came to light. The make and model of the car Kristen was pulled into. Based on what police call a solid witness account. They're also looking for a car similar to this. A 1982 or newer Camaro or Firebird off white or cream in color. While they had the make and model, the color of the car was still in question. Some witnesses described it as gold. The exact color may have been up for debate, but Mike McCready remembers that once that tip was made public, the Camaro was instantly infamous. Eyes were peeled.
Kathy Kenzorov
Everybody was sort of on the lookout for that vehicle.
Narrator
So there were billboards and there were flyers and posters all saying, have you seen this car?
Donnie Wahlberg
The billboard, Kathy remembers, displayed a giant drawing of a Camaro with bold text to the right. Wanted. In the abduction of Kristen French, the Green Ribbon Task force began putting a huge effort into following the Camaro lead. Here's Jim Van Allen with details of their approach.
Kathy Kenzorov
Green Ribbon Task force made a decision that they would try and identify all owners of gold Camaros in Ontario, and there were many. And when one became known in outlying.
Donnie Wahlberg
Areas, we would be assigned to go.
Kathy Kenzorov
And contact the person, do a background investigation and report the results to the Green Ribbon Task force.
Donnie Wahlberg
Kathy said all of eastern Toronto knew about this car.
Narrator
I feel sorry for anyone that had a cream colored Camaro because that was the focus of the entire investigation.
Donnie Wahlberg
An enormous effort was devoted to finding the alleged Camaro that got away. With Kristen French in tow. They even established a tip line called the Project Green Ribbon Personal response. The volunteers fielded calls from people who may have spotted it. But despite massive mobilization to track down the vehicle, the once promising tip was leading nowhere. Mike said this is when the morale of the search party began to fade and the Hope of finding Kristen alive was dwindling.
Kathy Kenzorov
We were pretty much concerned that we were looking for a dead body. Many of us didn't believe that she would still be alive.
Donnie Wahlberg
So they divided the search into branches.
Kathy Kenzorov
We were looking through things where a body would be, not where a live person would be. Other people were doing parts of the search where possibly they may have found somebody who was still alive.
Donnie Wahlberg
While the possibility of finding Kristen dead was devastating, the Green Ribbon Task force and volunteers still tirelessly pushed forward to give the French family desperately needed closure.
Kathy Kenzorov
Whatever the outcome, I remember we did sort of a systematic line search and I was near the Bunting Road area in St. Catharines and we all walked sort of a line and spread out to make sure that we covered all the areas. And I remember at one point distinctively going through a dumpster looking and that was hard because it was like, it was spooky. You didn't want to find something in there, but at the same time you wanted to give the family and the community resolution as well.
Donnie Wahlberg
As the weekend progressed, leads and searches continued to go nowhere. But at this point in the investigation, the French family was still holding out hope.
Narrator
The agony of the past few days.
Donnie Wahlberg
Was clearly evident on the faces of Kristen French's family. They say they feel Kristen is still alive. But there was no denying the case was slipping away. The French's positive outlook spiraled into exasperation. Kristen French's parents remain in seclusion, surrounded by family and friends desperate for any news of their daughter. With the chances of finding Kristen alive growing slimmer, her family was growing even more eager for answers. So they turned to the media. That Easter Sunday following her abduction, her father Doug spoke at a press conference with her mom Donna at his side.
Kathy Kenzorov
Christian, if you can hear or read.
Narrator
This.
Kathy Kenzorov
You ought to know that we are thinking of you and that everything can be done is being done.
Donnie Wahlberg
Kathy remembers watching as Doug sat at a pop up table scattered with multiple news stations, microphones. He was wearing a white shirt and sweater vest. He was holding back tears behind his wide frame glasses, pleading for his daughter's safe return. You could see their friends standing behind them, rubbing their shoulders and providing support.
Narrator
Kristen's father went on TV and made an appeal for his daughter, which was absolutely heartbreaking. So often you hear about or you see appeals on TV when someone is missing and sadly you know that it's going to fall on deaf ears that you know it's often the person saying if you're out there, we're here for you, we're going to find you. Unfortunately, most of the time, that person has already passed.
Donnie Wahlberg
If Canada didn't already know about Kristen French after the press conference, they certainly did. And the national outcry put even more pressure on finding her dead or alive.
Narrator
To get people excited about Boost Mobile's new nationwide 5G network, we're offering unlimited talk, text and data for $25 a month. Forever. Even if you have a baby. Even if your baby has a baby.
Donnie Wahlberg
Even if you grow old and wrinkly and you start repeating yourself.
Narrator
Even if you start repeating yourself, even if you're on your deathbed and you need to make one last call or text, right? Or text the long lost son you abandoned at birth, you'll still get unlimited talk, text and Data for just $25 a month. With Boost Mobile Forever, after 30 gigabytes.
Donnie Wahlberg
Customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost unlimited plan.
Narrator
Moreover. Yeah, sure thing. Hey, you sold that car yet?
Donnie Wahlberg
Yeah, sold it to Carvana.
Narrator
Oh, I thought you were selling to that guy.
Donnie Wahlberg
The guy who wanted to pay me in foreign, no interest over 36 months. Yeah, no. Carvana gave me an offer in minutes, picked it up and paid me on the spot. It was so convenient.
Narrator
Just like that.
Donnie Wahlberg
Yeah.
Narrator
No hassle?
Donnie Wahlberg
None.
Narrator
That is super convenient.
Mike McCready
Sell your car to Carvana and swap hassle for convenience. Pickup fees may apply. Did you know one in two women wear the wrong foundation? Matching foundation is hard, but il maquillage makes it easy. Take the power match quiz to find a perfect match in seconds. Customized to your unique skin tone, undertone and coverage needs. With 600,000 5 star reviews. Woke up like this is our best selling foundation for a reason. Available in 50 shades of weightless natural coverage and with try before you buy. You can try your full size at home for 14 days. Just pay shipping. Take the quiz at ilmaquillage.com Quiz that's I L M A K I-A G E.com Quiz dear old work platform.
Craig McCrary
It's not you, it's us. Actually, it is you. Endless onboarding, constant IT bottlenecks. We've had enough. We need a platform that just gets us. And to be honest, we've met someone new. They're called Monday.com and it was love at first. Onboarding. Their beautiful dashboards, their customizable workflows got us floating on a digital cloud nine. So no hard feelings, but we're moving on Monday.com, the first work platform you'll love to use.
Donnie Wahlberg
Volunteer search Efforts started to peter out after the initial days of Kristin's disappearance. But the Green Ribbon task force forged ahead when finally, 15 days after she was last seen in the Grace Lutheran's church parking lot, Kristen's body was discovered. FBI agent Craig McCrary called. She was found in a ditch on the side of the road in north Burlington, roughly 35 miles from where she was last seen in her hometown. Her body had been rolled out in one of these informal kind of areas off a road where people just kind of put trash and things. While finding Kristen alive was what everyone had been holding out hope for, recovering her body brought a sense of conclusion for the community who had so actively invested in searching for her. Here's Mike again, one of the volunteers who was dedicated to finding Kristen from the start.
Kathy Kenzorov
It was through the media, and it was a while after we did the search. It was shocking, like you were expecting it, but to hear it made it real. Like just thinking that it was going to happen was a thought, but there was always the possibility that she will come home alive. And then it was a finality, but the finality that you never wanted to come true.
Narrator
The new Boost Mobile network is offering unlimited talk, text and data for just $25 a month for life. That sounds like a threat. Then how do you think we should say it? Unlimited talk, text and data for just $25 a month for the rest of your life? I don't know. Until your ultimate demise.
Donnie Wahlberg
What if we just say forever?
Narrator
Okay. $25 a month.
Donnie Wahlberg
Forever.
Narrator
Get unlimited talk, text and Data for just $25 a month. With Boost Mobile Forever, after 30 gigabytes, customers may experience slower speeds.
Donnie Wahlberg
Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan.
Narrator
Yeah, sure thing. Hey, you sold that car yet?
Donnie Wahlberg
Yeah, sold it to Carvana.
Narrator
Oh, I thought you were selling to that guy.
Donnie Wahlberg
The guy who wanted to pay me in foreign currency, no interest over 36 months? Yeah, no. Carvana gave me an offer in minutes, picked it up and paid me on the spot. It was so convenient.
Kathy Kenzorov
Just like that.
Donnie Wahlberg
Yep.
Narrator
No hassle?
Donnie Wahlberg
None.
Narrator
That is super convenient.
Mike McCready
Sell your car to Carvana and swap hassle for convenience. Pickup fees may apply. Did you know one in two women wear the wrong foundation? Matching foundation is hard, but il maquillage makes it easy. Take the power match quiz to find a perfect match in seconds. Customized to your unique skin tone, undertone and coverage needs. With 600,000 5 star reviews, woke up like, this is our best selling foundation for a reason. Available in 50 shades of weightless natural coverage. And with Try before youe Buy, you can try your full size at home for 14 days. Just pay shipping. Take the quiz at ilmaquillage.com quiz that's I L M A K I A.
Craig McCrary
G E.com quiz work management platforms ugh. Endless onboarding IT bottlenecks admin requests but what if things were different? Monday.com is different. No lengthy onboarding, beautiful reports in minutes, Custom workflows you can build on your own easy to use prompt Free AI Huh. Turns out you can love a work management platform. Monday.com the first work platform you'll love to use.
Donnie Wahlberg
The summer after Kristen's body was found, CHCH TV in Ontario aired a nearly 90 minute television special called the Abduction of Kristen French. It not only told the story of the kidnapping and ensuing search, but also captured her family's grief. In the first half of the special, viewers saw her mother, Donna, in Kristen's room, still full of her belongings.
Narrator
Such an intense feeling of loss. I just don't have the heart to put anything away yet. Right now it would be like packing.
Mike McCready
Away my memories and I just can't do that.
Donnie Wahlberg
Unable to part with them, she tearfully shows the camera crew around Kristen's room just as she left it. Her makeup on the counter, photo albums and yearbooks, closet full of clothes she planned to wear to future family celebrations. The camera pans out on Donna. She's seated on Kristen's twin bed, topped with white linens and stuffed animals. She's flipping through photo albums. Leaving Kristen's room untouched brought her comfort, but it's clear to those who watched that there was no sal for grief so palpable.
Narrator
What really gets tough is if you think of the things that will never come.
Donnie Wahlberg
She thinks of Kristen never falling in love, never being a mother. In the video, Donna choked up.
Narrator
The fact that you'll never marry, won't be able to plan a wedding. That's the hardest part, is just thinking ahead to things that you won't be able to do.
Donnie Wahlberg
While the French family were still trying to pick up the pieces, another new anxiety dawned on the town of St. Catharines. The people who took her and presumably killed her were still out there.
Kathy Kenzorov
The news of them finding the body now, it shifted to, okay, that part is over. Now it's like, what can we do to find the people who did this to her? They're still out there. They can do it again. And that was the fear.
Donnie Wahlberg
And after Kristen was discovered, a startling connection was made. Her case was eerily Similar to Leslie Mahaffey's, the young girl whose body was discovered nearly a year earlier in Lake Gibson, the day Paul and Carla got married. Wade Hemsworth reported on Leslie's disappearance and death for the Hamilton Spectator. Their bodies were found in the communities of the other. So Leslie, who had disappeared in Burlington, her remains were discovered in St. Catharines. Kristin, who had lived in St. Catharines, Ontario, her remains were discovered in Burlington. And that's a good 45 minutes away or more. Paul Hunter says when Leslie was found, people were shocked.
Kathy Kenzorov
When they found Leslie's body parts encased in cement in a lake, it became something else. It's like, you've got to be kidding. Like, who? Who does this? This is not Canada. This is not us in cement blocks, for God's sake.
Donnie Wahlberg
The news just kept getting worse.
Kathy Kenzorov
And then, you know, a year later, Kristen French goes missing. Two weeks after that, they find her body, shaved, hair, gone. They remember going to work the day after Kristen French's body was discovered. And I was stopping at a coffee shop to get a coffee and a newspaper. And on the front page was a photo of police with Kristen French's body in the dump. And the photo was investigators kind of holding up her hand like this. That's all you could see was this limp hand. And to me, that's when it hit me. This is all like, there is something wrong here.
Donnie Wahlberg
Fear and frustration grew across Canada between Leslie and Kristen's murders and the Scarborough rapists still at large. It was an especially terrifying time to call Toronto home.
Kathy Kenzorov
It felt like everything was out of control because nothing was happening about any of it, and nobody knew if it would ever be resolved. At that point, it was just like, how many more people are going to die or be raped or be chopped into bits and thrown in a lake?
Donnie Wahlberg
The whole eastern region of the city felt like they just couldn't catch a break. These weren't isolated events anymore. So the question is, were these cases related? Leslie and Kristin were from different cities, but the similarities in their cases just couldn't be ignored. One part that was very hard to take, that we all wondered about, was the proximity of Kristen French's body to Leslie Mahaffey's grave site. They're almost within sight of one another. And so then it became very hard to shake the idea that these things must be related again. The community and the task force were back to work.
Kathy Kenzorov
It sort of became a serial event where possibly it could be your child. So everybody identified with Christian French as being their own child.
Donnie Wahlberg
Kathy recalls the lengths police went to to connect the dots.
Narrator
They exhumed Leslie's body and found marks on her back that were similar to the marks that were on Kristen's back.
Donnie Wahlberg
And this unnerving evidence suggested an even more horrifying and viable prospect. Police are not discounting the possibility a.
Narrator
Serial killer may be at work in the area. I think police understood that right away that they were dealing with a serial killer and that these cases were definitely connected.
Donnie Wahlberg
On the next episode of Very Scary People, the Ken and Barbie Killers. Back in neighboring Scarborough, the investigation into the serial rapist is still coming up cold, but in a random turn of events, it's in St. Catharines, the same town where Kristen French is found dead, where there's a break in the Scarborough case. Carla was beaten so badly and went to the hospital, and the doctor there said it was the worst case of wife abuse he'd ever seen. Her husband Paul has beaten her with a flashlight. And while the police are carrying out routine questioning in the hospital, they have an epiphany. This is the same Paul Bernardo who was recognized in the composite sketch of the Scarborough Rapist. He'd already been on the radar squad as a potential suspect, but now he was sort of fitting the profile. And his wife has information about her husband that piques their interest. Very scary people. The Ken and Barbie Killers is hosted by me, Donnie Wahlberg. It's a production of ID in collaboration with Neon Humvee Media and is based on an original series created by CNN executive producer Nancy Duffy. At cnn, our senior producer is Sabina Ryman. Our producer is Allison O'Brien, and our associate producer is Michael Reyes from I.D. our executive producer is Jessica Lowther from Neon Hum Media. Our executive producer is Jonathan Hirsch. Cooper Mall is our producer, and our associate producer is Zoe Culkin. Our editor is Stephanie Serrano. Samantha Allison is our production manager. Our fact checker is Katherine Newhan. Josh Hahn is our mix engineer. Theme and original music composed by Asha Ivanovich.
Kathy Kenzorov
Hi, it's Eugenio Derbez. Did you know that with Boost Mobile, you can cut your phone bill in half this tax season?
Donnie Wahlberg
Yes, Half.
Kathy Kenzorov
Buy six months of service and get six months free. That's a full year of service.
Donnie Wahlberg
Paying half.
Kathy Kenzorov
That sounds good, doesn't it? And all on the boost network with 99% nationwide coverage.
Donnie Wahlberg
Don't wait. Visit your Boost store today. Requires upfront payment, taxes and fees.
Narrator
Extra terms and exclusions apply.
Donnie Wahlberg
Visit boostmobile.com for full terms.
Craig McCrary
Work management platforms. Ugh. Endless onboarding. IT bottlenecks, admin requests, but what if things were different? We found love in an open Monday.com is different. No lengthy onboarding, beautiful reports in minutes, custom workflows you can build on your own, easy to use prompt, free AI. Huh. Turns out you can love a work management platform. Monday.com the first work platform you'll love to use.
Narrator
My name is Karen Reed. I'm being charged with murdering a Boston police officer. This can't be real. Doing this film is my testimony.
Donnie Wahlberg
A Body in the Snow the Trial of Karen Reed, an ID documentary event tonight at 9. Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.
Narrator
How long was the original director's cut of the substance? It took how many days to shoot.
Mike McCready
The sandworms in Dune part 1 and 2?
Narrator
And why did Brighton beach become the location of this year's best picture winner, Anora? Hi, I'm Daniella Teflin Lundenberg and I host Hollywood Gold, a podcast where I interview filmmakers about their iconic films. Listen every Wednesday as we uncover untold stories and fascinating trivia from this year's Oscar nominees and other legendary movies like Apocalypse Now, Scream, and the Devil Wears Prada.
Kathy Kenzorov
All of a sudden, I see Harvey Weinstein marching towards me. He's over the table. He grabs me by the collar.
Narrator
Oh my God. Subscribe to Hollywood Gold wherever you get your podcasts.
Donnie Wahlberg
Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere.
Narrator
Acast.com.
Very Scary People: Season 2, Episode 3 - Kristen French
Host: Donnie Wahlberg
Release Date: October 30, 2023
In the third episode of Season 2, titled "Kristen French," host Donnie Wahlberg delves deep into a harrowing case that shook the Canadian community. The episode examines the disappearance and tragic death of 15-year-old Kristen French, intertwining her story with the notorious Ken and Barbie killers, Paul Bernardo and Carla Homolka. Through exclusive interviews, firsthand accounts, and investigative narration, Wahlberg paints a vivid picture of obsession, fear, and the relentless pursuit of justice.
Kristen French was a vibrant and beloved member of the St. Catharines community. Known for her academic excellence and active participation in extracurricular activities such as swimming and rowing, Kristen appeared to have a bright future ahead. Her charm and beauty, described by friend Kathy Kenzorov as a "gorgeous girl, long dark hair" (00:19), made her a popular figure among her peers.
On a gloomy spring afternoon, Kristen failed to return home from school, raising immediate concerns among her family. By 4:00 PM, her mother realized Kristen was missing when she couldn't return to complete her usual after-school chores (03:58).
Kristen was last seen on Thursday, walking home from Holy Cross Secondary School in her green plaid Catholic uniform. Her abduction occurred in broad daylight at a church parking lot, a scene that was both shocking and uncharacteristic for the typically peaceful town (04:34). Witnesses reported seeing Kristen struggle as she was forcibly pulled into a car, indicating a violent confrontation just moments before her disappearance.
Notable Quote:
"Kristen isn't the type to not call her mom or dad when her plans change. And nine times out of ten she heads straight home to get her chores and homework done."
– Donnie Wahlberg (04:04)
Following Kristen's disappearance, an overwhelming search effort ensued. Approximately 2,000 volunteers, including police officers from the region, organized extensive searches across fields, parks, and wooded areas. The community's unity was palpable as people from various backgrounds came together, symbolized by the green ribbons they wore (06:19).
Notable Quote:
"It was a community event. People from all walks of life, poor and rich, all different ethnicities pulled together and came together to search for her."
– Kathy Kenzorov (07:58)
Despite the relentless search, the key lead hinged on eyewitnesses who identified the make and model of the abductor's vehicle as a Camaro or Firebird, black or similar in color. However, this tip led nowhere, dampening the volunteers' morale and shifting the focus of the search from hope to despair (10:30).
As days turned into weeks without any significant leads, Kristen's case bore eerie similarities to that of Leslie Mahaffey, another young girl whose remains were found in Lake Gibson a year prior. Both cases involved young female victims from different cities in Ontario, yet their bodies were discovered in close proximity, suggesting the presence of a serial predator (23:01).
Notable Quote:
"You have to be kidding. Like, who? Who does this? This is not Canada."
– Kathy Kenzorov (23:47)
Fifteen days after her disappearance, Kristen French's body was tragically discovered in a ditch in north Burlington, approximately 35 miles from St. Catharines. The revelation provided closure for the frantic searchers but left the community grappling with the horrifying reality of a serial killer at large.
Notable Quote:
"It was shocking, like you were expecting it, but to hear it made it real."
– Mike McCready (18:34)
The discovery of Kristen's body not only intensified fears about the presence of a serial killer but also highlighted the community's vulnerability. The emotional toll on Kristen’s family was profound, as seen in their public appeals and the lasting grief portrayed in media specials like the 90-minute CHCH TV documentary "The Abduction of Kristen French."
Notable Quote:
"What really gets tough is if you think of the things that will never come. She thinks of Kristen never falling in love, never being a mother."
– Donnie Wahlberg (22:19)
The investigation took a pivotal turn when Paul Bernardo, already under suspicion for other crimes, was connected to Carla Homolka's severe abuse and her hospitalization. This connection led police to recognize Bernardo as the Scarborough Rapist, finally fitting him into the puzzle of the ongoing crimes.
Notable Quote:
"This is all like, there is something wrong here."
– Kathy Kenzorov (24:09)
The episode "Kristen French" masterfully intertwines personal narratives with broader criminal investigations, showcasing the devastating impact of serial crimes on individuals and communities. Donnie Wahlberg's poignant storytelling ensures that Kristen French's story is remembered not just as another statistic, but as a real-life tragedy that underscores the darkest facets of human obsession.
Selected Quotes with Timestamps:
Note: This summary excludes advertisement segments and non-relevant content to focus solely on the core narrative of Kristen French's case.