Hot off the press 🔥 A new project for crime lovers

HOT OFF THE PRESS

From our Producer!

Well here we are, one month into spring and I’m looking at snow on the ground! Gotta love Canadian weather! But the magnolia trees and forsythia bushes are in bloom so at least we have some beautiful nature to admire on our walks. Unfortunately for many of us, we are still in lock down due to a deadly third wave of COVID, so getting out for fresh air and walks is one of the few things we can still enjoy.

But I hope you’ve also had a chance to enjoy our latest series at Story Hunter Podcasts. I have to say that I was personally very intrigued by the story of Lawrencia (Bambi) Bembenek. It had all the right ingredients for tabloid television – a beautiful woman accused of a heinous crime, a police cover-up, a prison escape, and finally, two countries fighting over a famous fugitive. Although there were three books written about the story, I really wanted to focus on the Canadian aspect of Laurie’s plight to clear her name. The people of Thunder Bay stood by her and her Canadian legal team did an amazing job in poking holes in her conviction in Wisconsin. Thank you again to Jack Lakey for his insight and memories of Laurie.

It’s sad that Laurie died at such a young age and never received the exoneration she so desperately wanted. I have personally written to Tony Evers, the Governor of Wisconsin to voice my support in giving Laurie Bembenek a posthumous pardon.

NEWS

If you follow us on social media (and I hope you do!) you may have seen a few posts about another project I have been working on. I have just published my first non-fiction book called Murder on the Inside: The True Story of the Deadly Riot at Kingston Penitentiary. I began researching this story in 2017 and I’m thrilled to be finally releasing it. The book takes the reader into Canada’s most notorious prison during it’s darkest days in April 1971, when over 500 inmates rioted to protest dehumanizing living conditions and degrading treatment. For four intense days, the country held its collective breath as inmates held six guards captive and tried to negotiate a peaceful surrender. Two lives were lost and many others were irrevocably altered. And sadly, fifty years later we’re still dealing with many of the same issues in our prisons that inmates were rebelling against in 1971.

Here are a few reviews of the book:

For readers who have ever wondered about life behind bars, this is a must-read
- Publishers Weekly
Today, Canada is still struggling to live up to the principles of justice, fairness, and decency
- The Globe and Mail
Hard time: Account of 1971 Kingston prison riot highlights dehumanizing conditions, many of which persist
- The Winnipeg Free Press

While I was researching and writing about the 1971 Kingston Penitentiary riot, I came across a number of other fascinating stories from “The Pen.” In its 178 year-old history, there are many more ghosts and voices from within those limestone walls. Our next podcast is about the last man who ever escaped from the Kingston Penitentiary. Only three people ever scaled the walls of Canada’s oldest prison. What led Ty Conn to his daring escape is a fascinating and tragic story of a kid raised by “the system” and the all too common consequences of that reality. I hope you get a chance to listen to Escape from Kingston Penitentiary: The Life and Death of Ty Conn.

Thank you again for being part of Story Hunter Podcasts and if you like our stories, please pass them on.

Happy Listening!

Catherine

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