WILDCIDE

At first, they were called tragic accidents. Sudden, devastating events that seemed to end in the water, in the chamber, in the final moments no one could take back. But as investigations unfolded, the questions began to change — from what happened to who was responsible, who made the decisions that led there, and who failed when lives were still hanging in the balance. In this episode, we explore the Byford Dolphin disaster and the Paria diving disaster through the lens of negligence, corporate responsibility, and systemic failure. While Paria would later raise the question of corporate manslaughter, both cases reveal how preventable deaths can grow out of unsafe systems, ignored risks, delayed action, and choices made long before the disaster itself. Because sometimes the real story is not just how people died. It is how those deaths became possible in the first place — and what happened after.  

In Part 2 of this case, the investigation into Jeremy Skibicki reveals the full scope of what happened inside a small apartment in Winnipeg and how multiple women became connected to one of the most disturbing serial murder cases in modern Canadian history. As investigators reconstruct timelines, search landfills for evidence, and piece together Skibicki’s confession, the case expands far beyond a single murder investigation and becomes a national conversation about missing and murdered Indigenous women, systemic failures, and the value placed on vulnerable lives. This episode covers the discovery of multiple victims, the role of forensic and digital evidence, Skibicki’s confession, the landfill search controversy, and the 2024 trial that ultimately led to his conviction for four counts of first-degree murder. But even after the verdict, the story was not over. Because one victim was still known only as Buffalo Woman — and it would take years before she would finally be given her name back. This is Part 2 of the Jeremy Skibicki case — a story about violence, vulnerability, justice, and the women whose lives should never be reduced to a headline.

Three women vanish from the same area of Winnipeg within weeks of each other. At first, their disappearances don’t raise widespread alarm—lost phones, unstable housing, and the realities of life on the margins make it easy for cases like these to slip through the cracks. But their families knew something wasn’t right. Then, on a cold morning in May 2022, a man searching through a dumpster makes a discovery that changes everything. Human remains. As investigators work to identify the victim, they uncover a name: Rebecca Contois. And with that confirmation, the case shifts from a missing persons investigation to something far more disturbing. Because Rebecca isn’t the only woman who’s gone missing. Morgan Harris. Marcedes Myran. And Buffalo Woman, a victim who would remain unidentified for three years after her murder. All Indigenous. All last seen in the same area. All disappearing within weeks of another. As detectives begin retracing Rebecca’s final movements, their investigation leads them to a quiet apartment building just steps from where her remains were found. Inside, they begin to uncover something that suggests this may not be an isolated crime—but part of a much darker pattern. By the end of Part 1, investigators are no longer asking whether a murder occurred. They’re asking how many.   Resources: Hope for Wellness Help Line for Indigenous Peoples: 1-855-242-3310National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.): 1-800-799-7233StrongHearts Native Helpline: 1-844-7NATIVE If this case moved you, consider learning more about the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People and supporting organizations doing this work. MMIWG2S+ National Action Plan: Government of CanadaNational Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Final ReportAssembly of Manitoba ChiefsNative Women’s Association of CanadaManitoba Keewatinowi OkimakanakCanadian Human Rights Commission resources on MMIWGWinnipeg Bear Clan PatrolSiloam Mission, WinnipegN’Dinawemak – Our Relatives’ Place, Winnipeg  

A trusted pastor. A small Pennsylvania church. And a string of tragedies.  When a man named Joseph Mesante walked into a church office in Reeders, Pennsylvania and ended his life, the story seemed heartbreakingly simple: a husband devastated by the discovery of his wife’s affair with their pastor, Arthur “A.B.” Schirmer. But Joseph's suicide was the unfortunate catalyst to a horror story. As investigators began looking more closely at the pastor’s life, disturbing questions surfaced about another tragedy just months earlier—the death of Schirmer’s wife in what had been ruled a car accident. Then detectives uncovered an even older case: the mysterious death of Schirmer’s first wife years before. What initially appeared to be unrelated tragedies started forming a chilling pattern. In this episode, we unpack the case of Arthur Schirmer, a minister who spent decades guiding people through their darkest moments—while hiding secrets that would eventually lead to a murder conviction and a life sentence.   Resources If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or the impact of betrayal trauma, help is available. Suicide & Crisis Support • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 (U.S.)• 988lifeline.org – Chat and resources for immediate support• Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor Betrayal Trauma & Relationship Support • APSATS (Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists)https://www.apsats.org • Bloom for Women – Educational resources and support for betrayal traumahttps://bloomforwomen.com • RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)https://www.rainn.orgNational Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE Mental Health Support • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)https://www.nami.orgHelpLine: 800-950-NAMI

History doesn’t always change because of grand decisions. Sometimes it changes because of a wrong turn… or a forgotten petri dish. In today's Shortcide, Bailey tells the unbelievable story of how a driver’s accidental turn down the wrong street placed Archduke Franz Ferdinand directly in front of Gavrilo Princip—triggering a chain reaction that would lead to World War I, the rise of Hitler, and the deadliest century in human history. Then Chelsea explores the opposite side of fate: how a contaminated lab plate and one curious scientist led to the discovery of penicillin—an accident that would go on to save millions of lives. Two tiny moments. One that helped unleash global war. And one that quietly helped save the world.