Suspicion: 40 Years Cold

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True Crime #140

Suspicion is the Toronto Star’s investigative true crime podcast. Season 3, "40 Years Cold," is a 4-part series. Four decades ago, two women were killed in their Toronto homes. Despite their efforts, police couldn’t trace any leads and the cases went cold. Then, nearly four decades later, science changed the way police close in on a killer. In this season, crime reporter Wendy Gillis and court reporter Betsy Powell take you through the nights of the murders, the tragic circumstances of a murderer, and the stunning conclusion of a 40 years long cold case.Season 2, “The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman,” is a 9-part podcast probing the strange case of the famous Toronto couple who were found strangled in their Toronto home in 2017. For five years, the Star’s chief investigative reporter Kevin Donovan has covered the Sherman case, fought court battles to access documents on the police investigation and the Shermans and their estate, and wrote a book about it. Suspicion season 1, Death in a Small Town, was also hosted by Donovan. What began as just another day for the McLellan family would end with their youngest son clinging to life in hospital and a cloud of suspicion hanging over his mother and father.

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Recent Reviews
  • Clamshell614
    White man’s fault
    The murderer rapist should pay for what he’s done. Oh but wait…..he was a Native American and the victim of white men when he was younger? That changes EVERYTHING. Let’s get him exonerated and place blame on everyone’s favorite villain, the white man. No biggie that two women are dead…let’s focus on the white gym teacher from the 60s that might’ve abused some kids.
  • Helpersonety
    Tronno?
    I’m just curious, as I am not Canadian, is this a common enunciation of “Toronto?” Tronno? It took me a while to figure out what city you were talking about.
  • coco shade
    Well done!!
    Didnt want the story to end
  • Skwilcox65
    Death in a Small Town
    Outstanding series!! Kevin is such a great interviewer, reporter and I’m sure, human being. Thank you for telling the McLellan’s story. Can’t wait for Season 2
  • Meh9873
    Tedious
    A 40 year old cold case that this podcast will take 40 years to tell! Just slow and tedious. Lingers are picayune details.
  • Joan Gold
    Good podcast with disappointed
    So you don’t tell us what the killer was sentenced to serve? Nothing new here. We are supposed to feel bad for the killer?? This is terrible.
  • RL...EN
    Very well done
    This is my kind of podcast! Season 1 and 2 were fascinating... no too repetitive, hardly any commercial breaks, and informative journalism. About to start season 3. Great job! Keep it up!
  • girl_style
    Love the story - expected better production
    I’m addicted to this real life “who don it” case but my lord is the production value horrible..anytime a recording is played or the use a voice changer it becomes nearly impossible to understand ANYTHING being said!
  • Tollie527
    Riveting
    Excellent podcast. I am hooked on the Barry and Honey Sherman murders and hope that someday soon their murderers will be brought to Justice. I have my suspicions as to who hired the hit as do most who follow this. I hope he’s caught. And soon.
  • bouticca
    Note to self; don’t get murdered in Toronto
    Stellar reporting. Pray that this case sees some resolution.
  • MizLizW
    So interesting
    Wondering why in episode 1 you give a physical description of the realtor. That sticks out like a sore thumb.
  • Laura Trotchie
    Well Crafted Journalism
    This podcast is fascinating because it is superbly written, informative, and suspenseful. I think things should be sealed…maybe…but I am loving finding out what is being pealed back as the sealing is being exposed.
  • billthick
    Twenty stars
    Best podcast ever
  • COWBOY68
    Solved
    The son did it , seems obvious , doesn’t it
  • 19Wtf75
    Great story but bad audio quality
    I’ve heard about this sorry before but this podcast goes into so much more detail. It’s fascinating! Only challenge is that some of the audio is so hard to hear (ex: season 2 episode 5) and you wind up missing parts of the story.
  • Smarttoddy
    Excellent
    Great story and excellent pacing. Lookin g forward to hearing more about this!
  • 63Gran
    “Accident”
    I’m only in season 1, episode 4 so this may be explained later, but— in the interview with Megan she states that Nathaniel “collapsed,” but later refers to “the accident” twice. So, why call it an accident if she thought he just passed out?
  • ciaralin
    Rich people problems
    I get it, the police screwed up and the Sherman’s were people who like others to know they were rich but humble. After 5 episodes, can we get to something else? And with a $10 million reward and a still unsolved crime, I’m thinking it’s not a knucklehead from the street. Who knows, maybe the cops were right the first time.
  • Ms. Trixie
    Excellent
    I really enjoyed this. The Toronto Star has covered the case for years and this podcast had great information.
  • jipjopflop
    Could have been great
    Another aimless “investigative” true crime podcast that lacks a sense of cohesion. This season devoted to the Sherman murders was nothing but a bunch of episodes filled with speculation, tangents, rambling interviews only to abruptly end at episode 9. Really disappointed.
  • CancerBoA
    Joe-Genovesi
    His son did it.
  • Zywqoppppppp
    Easy listening
    Really straight to the point podcast. Super easy to listen to with little commercial interruptions. I work 12 hour shifts and find myself binging podcasts that draw me in. This one is a 5 star keep up the good work.
  • CWH2137
    Repetitive, dry, not insightful
    Poorly done. The CBC/Lionsgate podcast covers this story far better.
  • LadyCris
    Excellent podcast!
    Fascinating stories. Excellent research and professional narration.
  • sawyer dale
    Final episode
    Great up until a subscription is required only to hear the final episode. Sorry thing to do.
  • Dan. O
    Great Reporting
    Great reporting on this case
  • Keeblizzle
    Please!!
    Do the Lindsay Buziak case! I was quite honestly tired of the Sherman case, I have heard it so many times before! I only listened because I had run out of podcasts to listen to. I can confidently say, your story telling kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more! You took a stale, overplayed story and breathed new life into it. Excellent journalism and story telling! 5 ⭐️
  • BrittanyKS
    Canadians are TOO Polite.
    You guys, honestly. WHY is it not OBVIOUS to EVERYONE that the babysitter either shoot or hit or hurt that baby OR she was negligent and allowed him to get hurt in some way while under her care. I’m not sure WHY the police didn’t come to this conclusion when he was brought to the hospital in the condition he was in directly after being under HER care. There’s a limit to politeness. Honestly.
  • rachrae
    They’re not trying to be funny!
    Half of the interviews are either performed by people yelling into tin cans or by terrible voice actors. The host’s contention that a woman at the funeral “looks like she knows everyone’s dirty secrets” had me laughing out loud. I had no idea Canadian “journalism” was this bad. My grade schooler would do a more thorough job.
  • kelly-4
    Where is the Hunt, as the title suggests?
    I’ve finished 5 episodes and this reporter has yet to report on anything other than the crummy police work and what nice people they were. Got it, the police screwed up, when are we going to hear about motives, suspects (aside from walking man), theories of who done it, etc. Not good enough to want to subscribe for further episodes and will probably have forgotten about it by the time new ones come out.
  • CHROME cake
    This is legit true crime!
    Finally a well researched true crime podcast. This isn’t just banter between two people reading from a wikipedia page. Heck, I could do that! Thanks for the hard work Kevin and keep it up!
  • james lisicky
    Season 1 good
    Season. 1 is good but 2 only two episodes that’s lame
  • Chele rn
    Amazing
    Kevin and company, You guys did such a fine, FINE, job. I appreciate what you did for these beautiful people. I shutter to think what happens to people when the press is not free to tell the truth. I worry for our United States. You made a difference and your work is so important. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
  • HarborGabby
    Sounds cause alarm
    The garage rocking sound at beginning practically gave me a heart attack! Keep in mind sounds in podcast can contribute but can be annoying it - in this case - dangerous! Was this just me?
  • cecegrrl
    Death in a small town
    Tragic. Continues to happen.. parents don’t slack! contact references, neighbors..online ..Make impromptu visits if you’re in. You have to. Babies, toddlers, preschoolers can’t tell but often signal their distress: bawling, clinging, nightmares.. the mother in Nathanials case describes worsening diaper rash! This woman (operator) was distracted - online, multiple businesses.. bless the babies. Thank you for the podcast, horrible as it is, children are so vulnerable. Law enforcement role here? omg 😱 I can’t even begin ..
  • MissCPR601
    London, England?
    Did this happen in London, England? Not one single person has a British accent. Confusing.
  • jimal263
    The babysitter
    Has anyone noticed when He was questioning Megan she referred that day as “ the day of the accident” what accident. If no one knows what happened why is she referring to it as “the day for the accident”. That statement alone instantly made me think she knows what happened to him.
  • JulesSootie
    Well done!
    This is sickening- what a lovely family! The babysitter and police should be ashamed.
  • Goddezz713
    Amazing
    Thank you
  • Neebonator
    Good content, but could have been one episode
    Interesting case, but a lot of repetition and some useless information and broken up into too small of episodes. Could have been a one hour episode.
  • Yellow1221417
    Wow…
    Terribly sad story but so well done! Rosanne, you are simply amazing. Kent, you have an awesome wife, and you’re pretty terrific too. You guys make the PERFECT team. Kevin, you did a brilliant job. Please tell me you have another series already out or you are currently working on something else now…. Definitely in my top three podcast series of all time (I’m currently subscribed to about 300 shows {pretty much all true crime} if that tells you anything).
  • gg88888ssss
    Well done but absolutely tragic
    It’s hard to say that this is a good podcast when it’s about something so horrible; The death of a child and the death of a child in a possible abuse scenario. I feel so bad for these parents. Just horrible.
  • Cadennme
    Great Research & Fact Finding_Story Told Very Well
    The subject matter is heartbreaking & I applaud every member of this family for being willing participants to speak their truth in this format~ up to & including Nathaniel’s 3 older brothers. My main take-away is: once again being reminded how people that have careers where they are in positions of great authority have a tendency to very quickly create a narrative within their own minds of what/how a situation took place - and then they look for “facts” that support that narrative & simply ignore facts that disprove that narrative. My perception of Rose-Anne (after listening to the entire Series) is that statements that were made about her by these different “Professionals” (Dr’s, Nurse’s, Law Enforcement)are statements that would be made about Me; as she & I both talk at a rapid speed, we are speaking so rapidly & our brains moving so quickly that we are stumbling over our words a bit as we tell a story, we go into a great amount of detail when telling a story - when others would probably tell the same story w/70% less detail, etc… Every human - every mother and/or father should not be watched like zoo animals & “gossiped” about amongst Professionals when they are reacting from minute to minute during the worst hours of their lives. The Medical Staff provided their observations to Law Enforcement of how these parents acted during their time spent in both hospitals & were allowed to report their opinions & not required to speak only to the facts (the mother acted odd, the father was unemotional, I don’t believe I saw real tears from their eyes)… personal opinions are not facts & unacceptable to be regarded as such. We have so many people in this World that have certain medical diagnoses that may cause their actions/reactions, in a similar situation, to each be very different (ADHD, Autism Spectrum, Asperger’s Syndrome, PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and on & on). I’m an adult w/ADHD & I’m often judged as being eccentric, not responding to emotion in ways that I’m expected to, speaking in great detail - when I’m handling a crisis situation all of these are amplified. I feel if I were in Rose-Anne’s shoes the exact same observations & opinions would have been made about Me; and that’s a frightening thought. God Bless this entire Family Unit; the immediate & extended family + all of their friends. Thank you for telling their story & I thank them for their candor; a lot of lessons can be learned from their story.
  • aehoags
    Touching, devastating, and powerful
    Beautifully reported. The journalist and the family give powerful insight and interviews on a death of a child. I am an unapologetic mama bear and related completely to Nathaniel’s mom. I am going to keep following this case. Justice for Nate! ❤️
  • Aptlf3156
    Overall good, two stars off - see below.
    Overall good storytelling, but the narration is robotic given the subject matter. Music is a bit too intense in parts, distracts from compelling interviews. Had to take off a star for all of the iPhone alert sounds in episode 4. Totally took me out of the story, had to keep checking my phone as I was listening during the work day. Bad choice.
  • wilfulgreen
    😶‍🌫️
    Grating & annoying Yep ,, parents shouldn’t be interviewed when their child shows up w many brain injuries ( interviewed the brothers in a basement)
  • Carb Loaded
    Terrific podcast
    This podcast has amazing story telling, brought much needed attention to a terrible case and I binged the entire thing in one day. This was just really well done!
  • RKeith
    Five Stars
    I don’t usually rate - excellent reporting, amazing tragic story, great use of media. I binged in one afternoon. Please continue using your platform to document cases that need to be known.
  • MsLH76
    I’m out
    I wanted to listen to this but the narrators voice is very unpleasant to listen to. Couldn’t get through the first 3 minutes. Sorry…
  • ElizaJane17
    Truly Heartbreaking
    The reporting here is excellent, especially in light of the tragic story. The parents - especially the mother - are both articulate and determined despite being grossly mistreated. The hospital staff and team of investigators are overly dramatic and so, so, so judgmental. Poor Nathaniel. Sympathy to the family.
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