Amber Tuccaro was 20 years old when she left her infant son with a friend at a motel on the outskirts of Edmonton, and got into a vehicle with an unknown man.
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In this bonus episode, we share Jana's interview with The Decibel's Menaka Raman-Wilms. Follow The Decibel for more stories from The Globe and Mail's newsroom, delivered to you every weekday morning.
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23:46
Persevere, keep trying, don’t give up / âhkamêyimok
What was Amber doing when she disappeared? Police provide some new information about the rest of the phone call, and their investigation. Amber’s mother faces a serious new threat, but vows to keep fighting.Email the reporter, Jana Pruden, at [email protected] more about this podcast at https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/inherdefence/#01Our cover art is a painting of Amber by Lauren Crazybull. Our theme song is No Surrender by Ms.PAN!K. Episode titles were translated into Plains Cree by Dorothy Thunder.Individuals impacted by the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls can contact the MMIWG Crisis Line toll-free at 1-844-413-6649.Support for families impacted by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is also available through the Indian Residential School Survivors Society at irsss.ca.In Her Defence: 50th Street is recorded at Gabby Road Studio on Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton, also known as amiskwaciy-wâskahikan, or Beaver Hills House.
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39:40
The Voice / ni nisitawinawâw
The release of the voice brings out a flood of tips and suspects. Experts study the tape for clues about the voice, while police come to realize the recording doesn’t have the investigative value they once hoped. Amber’s biological brother says he knows who killed Amber.Email the reporter, Jana Pruden, at [email protected] more about this podcast at https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/inherdefence/#01Our cover art is a painting of Amber by Lauren Crazybull. Our theme song is No Surrender by Ms.PAN!K. Episode titles were translated into Plains Cree by Dorothy Thunder.Individuals impacted by the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls can contact the MMIWG Crisis Line toll-free at 1-844-413-6649.Support for families impacted by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is also available through the Indian Residential School Survivors Society at irsss.caIn Her Defence: 50th Street is recorded at Gabby Road Studio on Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton, also known as amiskwaciy-wâskahikan, or Beaver Hills House.
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32:47
Blatant Failures / mâmâsîs ê-tôtahkik
A notorious serial killer prompts a broad reckoning around the murder of Indigenous women and girls in Canada. Amber’s family files an official complaint around how her missing persons investigation was handled, and a review of the case forces a public apology — with an unexpected twist. Questions persist about Evangeline, the last person known to have seen Amber alive.Email the reporter, Jana Pruden, at [email protected] more about this podcast at https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/inherdefence/#01Our cover art is a painting of Amber by Lauren Crazybull. Our theme song is No Surrender by Ms.PAN!K. Episode titles were translated into Plains Cree by Dorothy Thunder.Individuals impacted by the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls can contact the MMIWG Crisis Line toll-free at 1-844-413-6649.Support for families impacted by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is also available through the Indian Residential School Survivors Society at irsss.ca.In Her Defence: 50th Street is recorded at Gabby Road Studio on Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton, also known as amiskwaciy-wâskahikan, or Beaver Hills House.
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29:55
What the trees know / kîkwây mîtosak ê-kiskêyihtahkik
Police decide to release the tape to the public, hoping someone will recognize the voice of the man who was with Amber when she disappeared. Amber’s remains are found in a field outside the city, close to where four other women have been found, raising the spectre of a serial killer. A raven visits.Email the reporter, Jana Pruden, at [email protected] more about this podcast at https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/inherdefence/#01Our cover art is a painting of Amber by Lauren Crazybull. Our theme song is No Surrender by Ms.PAN!K. Episode titles were translated into Plains Cree by Dorothy Thunder.Individuals impacted by the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls can contact the MMIWG Crisis Line toll-free at 1-844-413-6649.Support for families impacted by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is also available through the Indian Residential School Survivors Society at irsss.caIn Her Defence: 50th Street is recorded at Gabby Road Studio on Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton, also known as amiskwaciy-wâskahikan, or Beaver Hills House.
Amber Tuccaro was 20 years old when she left her infant son with a friend at a motel on the outskirts of Edmonton, and got into a vehicle with an unknown man.
She was never seen alive again.
But Amber left an important clue: A chilling recording of what appear to be the final moments of her life, and the voice of the man who may be her killer. Days after police released that recording to the public, Amber’s remains were found in a field outside the city. She would be one of five women whose bodies were discovered in that area, and one of dozens more found in rural areas around Edmonton, the victims of a suspected serial killer – or killers.
Following the success of the hit first season, In Her Defence: 50th Street takes listeners to Amber’s home in the Indigenous community of Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, retracing the final days of Amber’s life, and revealing suspects and information that have never before been made public.
In Her Defence: 50th Street explores the flawed police investigation into Amber’s disappearance and death, and asks serious questions about her unsolved murder.
Was Amber’s case compromised by what her family alleges was a racist and biased police investigation?
And does it mean a serial killer is still out there?