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106 episodes

S9 E6 The Paper Trail
26/06/2026 | 41 mins.
After months of searching, the police file on the 1959 murders of Curly and Lizzie Kostyniuk has finally arrived, but it's not what Shauna and I hoped for. Over 100 pages of heavily redacted administrative paperwork instead of the real investigative file. Still, buried inside: new names, hints of an undercover operation, and a suspect who may have still been alive years later.

Retired RCMP homicide detective Garry Rodgers joins host Laura Palmer to break down the crime scene, the killer's behaviour, and why this case may not be as cold as it seems.
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S9 E5 Bad Grandpa Part 2
19/06/2026 | 42 mins.
Janet Piper is the great-granddaughter of the victims, Lizzie and Curly Kostyniuk. In this episode, she speaks publicly for the first time about the man she believes committed the murders, a man who was her grandfather. A man who went to jail twice. A man who terrorized three generations of women and children. The episode delves into the intergenerational trauma of abuse, secrecy, and justice. Featuring survivor testimony and expert insights, it highlights the importance of uncovering hidden truths for healing and justice.

Note: This episode contains discussion of incest and other forms of familial abuse. Some listeners may find the material disturbing. Please take care while listening, and consider whether this episode is right for you or those around you.

This is a resource recommended by Professor Freyd.
https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/for-survivors-of-child-sexual-abuse/
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S9 E4 Bad Grandpa
19/06/2026 | 40 mins.
A double murder. A robbery motive that doesn't add up. And a family theory that's been passed down in whispers for decades.
In this episode, host Laura Palmer digs into the suspect, Shauna's family calls "Bad Grandpa" Joseph Charles Phillips, a convicted predator with a grudge, a motive, and, according to someone who knew him, sudden money after the killings. Through long-buried psychiatric records, jailhouse letters, and a remarkable conversation with an 85-year-old who knew both the victims and the suspect, the story of who may have killed Andrew "Curly" and Lizzie Kostyniuk comes into sharper focus.
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S9 E3 What Wasn't in the Newspapers
12/06/2026 | 36 mins.
In 1959, South Wellington residents Andrew “Curly” Kosteniuk and his wife Lizzie are found stabbed to death, and the killer is never caught. Host Laura Palmer reexamines the case through archives and family memories. New details from Margaret Kostyniuk’s psychiatric records suggest escalating family conflict and a key suspect connected to secrets that never made the papers.

This series includes original news reports from the time, presented as radio news stories.
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S9 E2 What the Bodies Revealed
05/06/2026 | 41 mins.
In June 1959, newspapers pile up outside the Kostyniuk home in South Wellington until neighbours find the house ransacked, the phone line cut, and the bodies of Andrew “Curly” and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Kostyniuk in the bedroom. Police back then suspect robbery, but the coroner’s inquest and autopsies suggest a more complex story.

I've posted the full Coroners Inquest report, including autopsies, on the Island Crime Facebook page.

And if you'd like to learn more about Dr. Crossland's life's work, check out his book: http://www.deathcalls.ca/

This series includes original news reports from the time, presented as radio news stories. As well, in this episode, you'll hear original witness testimony dramatized as all of the witnesses are now deceased.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About Island Crime

Each season of Island Crime delves into an unsolved murder or missing person case on Vancouver Island. Host/Producer Laura Palmer updates the cases when she finds new evidence or fresh perspectives. Original journalism, leaving no stone unturned.Season 9: 'The Dead File' The unsolved double stabbing of a husband & wife in their own home.Season 8: 'My Best Friend Bree' -the unsolved murder of Bree Gamble (Lozano)Season 7: 'Evaporated' explores the disappearance of Victoria's Ian Indridson.Season 6: ‘Sweethearts’ examines the unsolved cases of three teenage girls who were murdered in Victoria, Canada between 1990 and 1991.Season 5: ‘Whiskey Creek’ is the untold story of a Halloween night massacre.Season 4: ‘Finding Amber’ follows the case of a Port Alberni woman who disappeared on July 8, 2022.Season 3: ‘Missing Michael’ is the story of Michael Dunahee, a little boy from Victoria, BC, who vanished from a playground in 1991 at the age of 4.Season 2: ‘Gone Boys’ follows the mystery of men who have gone missing in recent years on Vancouver Island.Season 1: ‘Where is Lisa?’ digs into the disappearance of 21-year-old Lisa Marie Young. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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