1 00:00:00,250 --> 00:00:02,794 (ominous music) 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:09,092 - [Narrator] Christine Wood, a young Indigenous woman, 3 00:00:09,092 --> 00:00:12,429 goes missing in a city with a notorious reputation 4 00:00:12,429 --> 00:00:15,724 for missing and murdered Indigenous women. 5 00:00:17,017 --> 00:00:19,227 - We've always gotta push and push and push. 6 00:00:19,227 --> 00:00:20,979 We've gotta find this girl. 7 00:00:22,355 --> 00:00:24,399 - [Narrator] It's a parent's worst nightmare. 8 00:00:25,692 --> 00:00:28,486 - Without a lead, a suspect or an arrest, 9 00:00:28,486 --> 00:00:30,697 the trail can go cold fast. 10 00:00:30,697 --> 00:00:32,365 - [Narrator] It's months before detectives 11 00:00:32,365 --> 00:00:34,409 get their first clue in the case, 12 00:00:34,409 --> 00:00:37,954 one that involves a social media account. 13 00:00:39,456 --> 00:00:42,167 As investigators piece the clues together, 14 00:00:42,167 --> 00:00:45,587 their search goes in many directions and places, 15 00:00:47,005 --> 00:00:51,009 both physical and virtual, as they try to unravel 16 00:00:51,009 --> 00:00:55,013 the mystery of what happened to Christine Wood. 17 00:00:58,516 --> 00:01:02,228 - The unsolved ones, we have to stand up. 18 00:01:02,228 --> 00:01:06,232 - And approach these cases in a way outside the box. 19 00:01:06,232 --> 00:01:08,359 - Let the world know those out there 20 00:01:08,359 --> 00:01:09,736 that did commit a murder, 21 00:01:09,736 --> 00:01:11,696 there are people that are coming after you. 22 00:01:11,696 --> 00:01:12,655 - There's just a lot of good people 23 00:01:12,655 --> 00:01:14,324 trying to do the right thing. 24 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:16,575 - Because it's something 25 00:01:16,575 --> 00:01:18,203 that you have to be passionate about. 26 00:01:18,203 --> 00:01:21,247 - Solve this, bring some peace to the family, at least. 27 00:01:21,247 --> 00:01:22,581 Just doing my job. 28 00:01:22,581 --> 00:01:25,752 (unsettling music) 29 00:01:30,632 --> 00:01:32,300 - [Narrator] The Woods have just stepped out 30 00:01:32,300 --> 00:01:36,304 to run an errand, leaving their daughter Christine behind. 31 00:01:36,304 --> 00:01:39,099 (tense music) 32 00:01:40,517 --> 00:01:44,395 When they return and find their hotel room empty, 33 00:01:44,395 --> 00:01:45,688 they aren't concerned. 34 00:01:46,773 --> 00:01:48,358 They recall her saying 35 00:01:48,358 --> 00:01:50,193 she's going to meet up with some friends, 36 00:01:50,193 --> 00:01:52,320 and they expect they'll see her later. 37 00:01:53,655 --> 00:01:56,950 The next morning when they wake, Christine isn't there. 38 00:01:58,034 --> 00:02:00,662 On August 21st, two days since the last time 39 00:02:00,662 --> 00:02:01,704 they saw their daughter, 40 00:02:01,704 --> 00:02:04,874 they call the police and report her missing. 41 00:02:06,251 --> 00:02:07,919 - Well, this is a nightmare for any parent. 42 00:02:07,919 --> 00:02:10,296 It's especially frightening given the statistics 43 00:02:10,296 --> 00:02:13,341 for murdered and missing Indigenous women. 44 00:02:13,341 --> 00:02:15,718 - Winnipeg has a notorious reputation, 45 00:02:15,718 --> 00:02:17,220 which makes her disappearance 46 00:02:17,220 --> 00:02:19,013 even more of a cause for concern. 47 00:02:20,264 --> 00:02:22,100 - [Narrator] Christine Wood and her family 48 00:02:22,100 --> 00:02:25,478 are visiting the city of Winnipeg, Canada from Oxford House, 49 00:02:25,478 --> 00:02:29,023 a First Nations Cree community in Northern Manitoba. 50 00:02:30,191 --> 00:02:32,026 Oxford House is an incredibly remote 51 00:02:32,026 --> 00:02:36,489 First Nations community 600 miles north of Winnipeg 52 00:02:36,489 --> 00:02:38,491 and is only accessible by plane. 53 00:02:39,826 --> 00:02:43,496 Christine is 21 years old, and like most people her age, 54 00:02:43,496 --> 00:02:47,709 she spends a lot of time online using social media. 55 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,671 - For older generations, the shock of coming to the big city 56 00:02:51,671 --> 00:02:54,883 would be much greater, but for someone like Christine, 57 00:02:54,883 --> 00:02:57,719 she spends a lot of time online 58 00:02:57,719 --> 00:02:59,387 and knows more about the world 59 00:02:59,387 --> 00:03:01,889 than her parents would have at her age. 60 00:03:01,889 --> 00:03:04,767 But knowing about the world from online 61 00:03:04,767 --> 00:03:09,314 is not the same thing as experiencing it firsthand. 62 00:03:09,314 --> 00:03:12,025 (tense music) 63 00:03:12,025 --> 00:03:15,778 - [Narrator] On the evening of August 19th, 2016, 64 00:03:15,778 --> 00:03:18,698 Christine Wood says goodbye to her mom and dad 65 00:03:18,698 --> 00:03:21,659 as they step out to run an errand, 66 00:03:21,659 --> 00:03:24,162 leaving Christine alone at the hotel. 67 00:03:25,330 --> 00:03:27,332 But shortly after their departure, 68 00:03:27,332 --> 00:03:30,001 Christine leaves and isn't heard from again. 69 00:03:31,752 --> 00:03:33,504 - A report from Statistics Canada 70 00:03:33,504 --> 00:03:36,883 shows that between the years 1997 and 2000, 71 00:03:36,883 --> 00:03:38,718 the national rate of homicide for Indigenous 72 00:03:38,718 --> 00:03:43,181 versus non-Indigenous women was almost seven times higher. 73 00:03:43,181 --> 00:03:46,351 (tense music) 74 00:03:46,351 --> 00:03:49,354 Another report from 2014 estimates 75 00:03:49,354 --> 00:03:53,233 between the years of 1982 and 2012, 76 00:03:53,233 --> 00:03:57,111 there were approximately 1,200 murdered and missing 77 00:03:57,111 --> 00:03:59,739 Indigenous women and girls. 78 00:03:59,739 --> 00:04:03,076 The issue of violence against Indigenous women in Canada 79 00:04:03,076 --> 00:04:05,078 is endemic of a bigger problem 80 00:04:05,078 --> 00:04:09,332 that reflects on the ongoing colonialism in this country. 81 00:04:10,833 --> 00:04:13,753 - [Narrator] In 2014, Tina Fontaine, 82 00:04:13,753 --> 00:04:15,046 a 15 year old Indigenous girl, 83 00:04:15,046 --> 00:04:18,591 is found in Winnipeg's Red River. 84 00:04:18,591 --> 00:04:19,968 Her body is wrapped in plastic 85 00:04:19,968 --> 00:04:23,721 and discarded near the notorious Alexander Docks. 86 00:04:23,721 --> 00:04:26,266 Her murder remains unsolved. 87 00:04:27,767 --> 00:04:29,351 - Her death is tragic, 88 00:04:29,351 --> 00:04:32,272 but it did spark a conversation that was long overdue. 89 00:04:33,690 --> 00:04:35,692 - [Narrator] Following the death of Tina Fontaine, 90 00:04:35,692 --> 00:04:40,113 a January 2015 issue of a Canadian national magazine 91 00:04:40,113 --> 00:04:43,908 called out Winnipeg as the most racist city in Canada 92 00:04:43,908 --> 00:04:46,911 for the daily injustices and indignities 93 00:04:46,911 --> 00:04:49,747 suffered by the Indigenous peoples. 94 00:04:52,041 --> 00:04:54,585 On August 3rd, 2016, 95 00:04:54,585 --> 00:04:57,714 a mere two weeks before Christine Wood goes missing, 96 00:04:57,714 --> 00:05:00,967 the Federal Government of Canada finally launches an inquiry 97 00:05:00,967 --> 00:05:04,095 into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. 98 00:05:05,513 --> 00:05:07,140 - It was an initiative by the Canadian government 99 00:05:07,140 --> 00:05:09,809 to impact that disproportionate level of violence 100 00:05:09,809 --> 00:05:12,687 that was being experienced by Indigenous women and girls 101 00:05:12,687 --> 00:05:14,689 and Two-spirited people. 102 00:05:14,689 --> 00:05:17,608 - The inquiry is much needed for a country 103 00:05:17,608 --> 00:05:19,944 that is looking towards reconciliation 104 00:05:19,944 --> 00:05:23,323 and to deal with its history of colonization. 105 00:05:24,532 --> 00:05:25,950 - You know the inquiry is really important, 106 00:05:25,950 --> 00:05:28,952 but you think about what was happening in 2016, 107 00:05:28,952 --> 00:05:30,663 and really it was of little assistance 108 00:05:30,663 --> 00:05:33,750 to Christine's parents who were searching frantically 109 00:05:33,750 --> 00:05:35,752 for their daughter and hoping. 110 00:05:35,752 --> 00:05:38,629 I can just imagine how worried they were 111 00:05:38,629 --> 00:05:40,757 that she was gonna become one of those statistics. 112 00:05:40,757 --> 00:05:42,216 It would be heartbreaking. 113 00:05:42,216 --> 00:05:44,719 I'm sure that the detectives from the Missing Persons Unit 114 00:05:44,719 --> 00:05:46,137 who were working on this case 115 00:05:46,137 --> 00:05:48,639 were doing everything they could to solve it, 116 00:05:48,639 --> 00:05:51,726 and the timing of the inquiry just added to the pressure 117 00:05:51,726 --> 00:05:54,354 for them to find Christine, hopefully alive. 118 00:05:55,813 --> 00:05:57,982 - [Narrator] As detectives begin their search for Christine, 119 00:05:57,982 --> 00:06:00,234 a key component of their investigation 120 00:06:00,234 --> 00:06:02,779 is her online presence. 121 00:06:02,779 --> 00:06:05,156 - In looking at Christine's online footprint, 122 00:06:05,156 --> 00:06:07,992 it's clear that she's very active on social media, 123 00:06:07,992 --> 00:06:11,120 but as of August 19, the day she goes missing, 124 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:13,623 there isn't a single post from her. 125 00:06:15,041 --> 00:06:17,710 Detectives need to explore the possibility 126 00:06:17,710 --> 00:06:21,005 that Christine has left and doesn't want to be found, 127 00:06:21,005 --> 00:06:23,257 but there's no activity from her bank account 128 00:06:23,257 --> 00:06:25,802 and no witnesses who have seen someone 129 00:06:25,802 --> 00:06:27,220 matching her description. 130 00:06:27,220 --> 00:06:31,099 The lack of her online activity is cause for alarm. 131 00:06:31,099 --> 00:06:34,101 - It would be quite easy to let it lie and say, 132 00:06:34,101 --> 00:06:36,396 well, she just doesn't want to be found, 133 00:06:36,396 --> 00:06:38,898 but there's no evidence of that. 134 00:06:38,898 --> 00:06:40,400 That's not like this girl. 135 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:41,609 She's a young girl. 136 00:06:41,609 --> 00:06:43,986 She's been on social media lots, 137 00:06:43,986 --> 00:06:45,779 she's been on Facebook quite a lot 138 00:06:45,779 --> 00:06:48,282 and communicating with different people, different things, 139 00:06:48,282 --> 00:06:52,954 commenting on whatever it is, and now there's dead silence. 140 00:06:52,954 --> 00:06:54,330 - [Narrator] As time passes, 141 00:06:54,330 --> 00:06:57,750 the likelihood of finding Christine alive diminishes. 142 00:06:57,750 --> 00:07:00,545 Detectives in the Missing Persons Unit fear the worst, 143 00:07:00,545 --> 00:07:04,589 though they continue to work the case. 144 00:07:04,589 --> 00:07:05,967 The police tracked down 145 00:07:05,967 --> 00:07:08,803 Christine's friends and acquaintances. 146 00:07:08,803 --> 00:07:11,264 - Detectives learned that Christine didn't have a data plan 147 00:07:11,264 --> 00:07:14,434 on her phone, so she didn't communicate through texts. 148 00:07:14,434 --> 00:07:17,103 Instead, when she could connect to wifi, 149 00:07:17,103 --> 00:07:19,772 she used Facebook to send messages. 150 00:07:19,772 --> 00:07:21,190 According to her friends, 151 00:07:21,190 --> 00:07:24,360 this was her primary means of communication. 152 00:07:25,319 --> 00:07:27,321 - [Narrator] Detectives don't have any kind of picture 153 00:07:27,321 --> 00:07:30,324 of the hours leading up to Christine's disappearance. 154 00:07:31,159 --> 00:07:33,578 The last time she's seen is by her parents 155 00:07:33,578 --> 00:07:35,955 before they leave the hotel. 156 00:07:35,955 --> 00:07:38,624 Following that is a huge gap. 157 00:07:38,624 --> 00:07:40,168 - But in this day and age, 158 00:07:40,168 --> 00:07:43,296 everyone with a cellphone and online presence 159 00:07:43,296 --> 00:07:46,132 leaves behind digital fingerprints. 160 00:07:46,132 --> 00:07:50,052 They can help paint a picture of where someone was 161 00:07:50,052 --> 00:07:51,804 and who they were last with. 162 00:07:51,804 --> 00:07:56,100 If Christine was as active online as her friends say, 163 00:07:56,100 --> 00:07:59,145 then the best hope the detectives have 164 00:07:59,145 --> 00:08:04,609 of painting a picture of her last day is online. 165 00:08:06,027 --> 00:08:07,278 - [Narrator] But acquiring records 166 00:08:07,278 --> 00:08:08,571 and creating someone's digital fingerprint 167 00:08:08,571 --> 00:08:09,489 is easier said than done. 168 00:08:10,990 --> 00:08:14,327 - At this time, Facebook doesn't have any Canadian offices, 169 00:08:14,327 --> 00:08:16,662 so the only way to acquire these records 170 00:08:16,662 --> 00:08:18,915 is to contact US law enforcement. 171 00:08:20,124 --> 00:08:22,210 - [Narrator] Eventually the Missing Persons Unit 172 00:08:22,210 --> 00:08:26,005 is able to get a record of Christine's social media use, 173 00:08:26,005 --> 00:08:28,424 but it's a lot of data to comb through, 174 00:08:28,424 --> 00:08:31,928 necessary work if they hope to understand her final days 175 00:08:31,928 --> 00:08:33,513 before her disappearance. 176 00:08:34,514 --> 00:08:36,390 - A key piece of information 177 00:08:36,390 --> 00:08:38,434 that comes from accessing Christine's social media accounts 178 00:08:38,434 --> 00:08:41,896 allows detectives to see the last wifi network she used 179 00:08:41,896 --> 00:08:45,232 to log onto Facebook, and that network leads them 180 00:08:45,232 --> 00:08:47,902 to an address in Winnipeg's North End. 181 00:08:48,819 --> 00:08:50,196 - Missing Persons find out 182 00:08:50,196 --> 00:08:52,573 that the last time she used her social media 183 00:08:52,573 --> 00:08:56,285 was August 20th at Burrows, 184 00:08:56,285 --> 00:09:01,457 and it was used on a HTC phone, not her own phone. 185 00:09:01,457 --> 00:09:03,458 It was used on a HTC device. 186 00:09:03,458 --> 00:09:06,254 This is something that become very relevant 187 00:09:06,254 --> 00:09:08,756 as the investigation goes on. 188 00:09:08,756 --> 00:09:10,341 - [Narrator] Detectives are hopeful 189 00:09:10,341 --> 00:09:12,176 that whoever lives at this address 190 00:09:12,176 --> 00:09:16,764 has some information that will help them locate Christine. 191 00:09:17,598 --> 00:09:20,601 (unsettling music) 192 00:09:27,316 --> 00:09:30,695 On the evening of August 19th, 2016, 193 00:09:30,695 --> 00:09:32,530 the Woods returned to their hotel room 194 00:09:32,530 --> 00:09:35,658 to find their daughter Christine isn't there. 195 00:09:36,784 --> 00:09:38,785 After two days without word from her, 196 00:09:38,785 --> 00:09:40,788 they contact the Missing Persons Unit 197 00:09:40,788 --> 00:09:42,582 at the Winnipeg Police. 198 00:09:43,583 --> 00:09:45,710 The search for Christine is extensive, 199 00:09:45,710 --> 00:09:47,378 but no one has seen or heard from her, 200 00:09:47,378 --> 00:09:51,465 and she hasn't used social media since her disappearance. 201 00:09:52,133 --> 00:09:53,551 Four months go by, 202 00:09:53,551 --> 00:09:56,261 but detectives are hopeful they found a lead 203 00:09:56,261 --> 00:09:59,432 when they obtain access to her social media account 204 00:09:59,432 --> 00:10:02,809 and discover she connected to wifi at a Winnipeg address 205 00:10:02,809 --> 00:10:04,812 on the night of her disappearance. 206 00:10:06,188 --> 00:10:08,274 Investigators get their first break in the case 207 00:10:08,274 --> 00:10:09,650 when they discover that the last time 208 00:10:09,650 --> 00:10:11,485 Christine used her Facebook account, 209 00:10:11,485 --> 00:10:15,280 she connected to the wifi network at a North End address 210 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:17,658 using a phone that isn't hers. 211 00:10:19,368 --> 00:10:22,663 - They interview the resident at Burrows. 212 00:10:24,165 --> 00:10:25,875 His name is Brett Overby. 213 00:10:28,294 --> 00:10:32,340 Brett Overby has nothing, no history with the police. 214 00:10:32,340 --> 00:10:35,676 He's an ordinary person living in that address, 215 00:10:35,676 --> 00:10:39,221 goes about his daily business and goes to work. 216 00:10:39,221 --> 00:10:41,390 - [Narrator] Overby tells detectives 217 00:10:41,390 --> 00:10:44,143 that he doesn't know and has never met Christine, 218 00:10:44,143 --> 00:10:45,436 and he describes his place 219 00:10:45,436 --> 00:10:48,147 as having a kind of open door policy. 220 00:10:48,147 --> 00:10:52,735 - He said that he often has people over in his place 221 00:10:52,735 --> 00:10:55,112 and anybody can use his wifi. 222 00:10:55,112 --> 00:10:57,615 He displays the wifi password, 223 00:10:57,615 --> 00:11:00,701 said he'd often have a bonfire in his backyard 224 00:11:00,701 --> 00:11:03,746 and people would come by and they could use his wifi, 225 00:11:03,746 --> 00:11:08,793 and could be any number of reasons why his wifi was used. 226 00:11:08,793 --> 00:11:10,586 Somewhat plausible. 227 00:11:10,586 --> 00:11:13,673 - [Narrator] When Overby is asked if he has an HTC phone 228 00:11:13,673 --> 00:11:16,467 or device, he replies no. 229 00:11:16,467 --> 00:11:20,261 As Brett Overby is not a suspect at this time, 230 00:11:20,261 --> 00:11:22,056 detectives release him. 231 00:11:23,474 --> 00:11:25,726 There's still another lead they need to explore. 232 00:11:25,726 --> 00:11:29,271 - As detectives continue their digital deep dive, 233 00:11:29,271 --> 00:11:32,441 they find the only phone connected to the wifi 234 00:11:32,441 --> 00:11:36,654 the night Christine goes missing is the HTC device 235 00:11:36,654 --> 00:11:39,699 she used to log on to Facebook. 236 00:11:39,699 --> 00:11:42,368 The theory that Christine was one of many 237 00:11:42,368 --> 00:11:44,828 to log on to the network that night, 238 00:11:44,828 --> 00:11:48,999 either at a house party or a bonfire, isn't tracking. 239 00:11:50,083 --> 00:11:51,293 - [Narrator] Detectives interview 240 00:11:51,293 --> 00:11:53,671 Brett Overby's ex-girlfriend. 241 00:11:53,671 --> 00:11:55,548 She and Overby are on good terms, 242 00:11:55,548 --> 00:11:57,925 and she doesn't believe he has anything to do 243 00:11:57,925 --> 00:11:59,760 with Christine's disappearance, 244 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,888 but she does let one major detail slip. 245 00:12:02,888 --> 00:12:04,473 - She also said that she did know 246 00:12:04,473 --> 00:12:07,684 that he did at one time have a HTC phone. 247 00:12:07,684 --> 00:12:09,352 That's a big red flag. 248 00:12:09,352 --> 00:12:10,896 Brett Overby has lied to us. 249 00:12:12,064 --> 00:12:14,066 We do know that she used a HTC phone, 250 00:12:14,066 --> 00:12:17,653 and he's denied ever having a HTC phone. 251 00:12:17,653 --> 00:12:19,530 - [Narrator] Christine Wood has been missing for months, 252 00:12:19,530 --> 00:12:22,992 and the Missing Persons Unit finally has some evidence 253 00:12:22,992 --> 00:12:24,785 that there may be foul play. 254 00:12:24,785 --> 00:12:28,706 It's time for them to escalate the investigation. 255 00:12:28,706 --> 00:12:30,541 - It's taken months to get to this. 256 00:12:30,541 --> 00:12:35,379 March 2017 is when Missing Persons actually consulted us 257 00:12:35,379 --> 00:12:38,549 and we decide that, me as a homicide supervisor, 258 00:12:38,549 --> 00:12:42,678 decide that it's time to get more involved in this case 259 00:12:42,678 --> 00:12:45,681 and let's look at it now as a homicide, 260 00:12:45,681 --> 00:12:49,727 and we've got somebody here who's lying to us. 261 00:12:49,727 --> 00:12:54,190 We decide that he is definitely now more than a witness. 262 00:12:54,190 --> 00:12:56,484 He's definitely a person of interest 263 00:12:56,484 --> 00:12:59,779 and heading closely towards being a suspect. 264 00:13:01,614 --> 00:13:03,824 - [Narrator] Detective O'Donovan and the Homicide Unit 265 00:13:03,824 --> 00:13:07,787 come to the conclusion that Overby is hiding something. 266 00:13:08,996 --> 00:13:11,540 - Christine's Facebook account is used for the last time 267 00:13:11,540 --> 00:13:14,794 at his address on a device he denies having, 268 00:13:14,794 --> 00:13:17,838 but his ex-girlfriend says he still possesses. 269 00:13:17,838 --> 00:13:19,715 This is enough circumstantial evidence 270 00:13:19,715 --> 00:13:23,469 for detectives to justify investigating him further. 271 00:13:23,469 --> 00:13:26,263 - It's not a search warrant that we're applying for. 272 00:13:26,263 --> 00:13:27,765 It's a general warrant, 273 00:13:27,765 --> 00:13:30,601 and it's a very difficult warrant to get. 274 00:13:30,601 --> 00:13:33,312 Basically it can only be issued by a judge, 275 00:13:33,312 --> 00:13:35,481 and it gives police the authority 276 00:13:35,481 --> 00:13:40,069 to go and look for evidence that may or may not be there. 277 00:13:40,069 --> 00:13:44,949 It's almost at the point of being a fishing expedition. 278 00:13:46,575 --> 00:13:48,118 - [Narrator] At this point of the investigation, 279 00:13:48,118 --> 00:13:51,163 Brett Overby and the acquaintance of Christine's 280 00:13:51,163 --> 00:13:53,624 are likely the last two people 281 00:13:53,624 --> 00:13:56,794 that spoke to her the day she goes missing. 282 00:13:56,794 --> 00:14:00,548 Investigators are confident one or both of them 283 00:14:00,548 --> 00:14:04,009 knows something that they aren't telling the police. 284 00:14:04,885 --> 00:14:06,303 - Canada is a massive country 285 00:14:06,303 --> 00:14:09,181 with over 6 million square miles of land. 286 00:14:09,181 --> 00:14:11,934 In the past, if someone wanted to disappear, 287 00:14:11,934 --> 00:14:15,062 it would not be hard, but in this digital age 288 00:14:15,062 --> 00:14:18,732 to leave behind zero trace is extremely difficult. 289 00:14:18,732 --> 00:14:20,401 - According to the RCMP's 290 00:14:20,401 --> 00:14:22,027 National Center for Missing Persons 291 00:14:22,027 --> 00:14:27,491 and Unidentified Remains, even though about 85% of cases 292 00:14:28,742 --> 00:14:30,619 are resolved within the first week, 293 00:14:30,619 --> 00:14:34,331 there are still approximately 500 cases left unresolved 294 00:14:34,331 --> 00:14:36,500 each year in Canada. 295 00:14:37,710 --> 00:14:39,211 - [Narrator] As time passes, 296 00:14:39,211 --> 00:14:42,256 the likelihood of ever finding Christine diminishes. 297 00:14:43,591 --> 00:14:48,470 Detectives are racing the clock before her trail runs cold. 298 00:14:50,431 --> 00:14:52,850 Late in March, Detective O'Donovan 299 00:14:52,850 --> 00:14:55,102 gets the green light to go ahead. 300 00:14:55,102 --> 00:14:58,647 His warrant is granted by a judge on March 22nd, 301 00:14:58,647 --> 00:15:02,359 roughly seven months after Christine's disappearance. 302 00:15:03,485 --> 00:15:06,155 - We coordinate a search of that residence. 303 00:15:06,155 --> 00:15:09,533 We have enough to arrest Brett Overby at that point, 304 00:15:09,533 --> 00:15:12,703 but we certainly don't have anywhere near enough 305 00:15:12,703 --> 00:15:14,246 to charge him, but we can arrest him 306 00:15:14,246 --> 00:15:16,582 because he is a suspect. 307 00:15:17,875 --> 00:15:21,462 I organize for the Forensic Unit to be ready 308 00:15:21,462 --> 00:15:24,798 to go into his house to do an absolute, 309 00:15:24,798 --> 00:15:28,177 complete search of his house. 310 00:15:28,177 --> 00:15:29,595 By complete search, 311 00:15:29,595 --> 00:15:32,014 I mean we're going to search it from top to bottom. 312 00:15:32,014 --> 00:15:34,183 We're not just going to look for fingerprints. 313 00:15:34,183 --> 00:15:35,392 We're going to examine everything. 314 00:15:35,392 --> 00:15:37,102 We're gonna look for bloodstain, 315 00:15:37,102 --> 00:15:39,063 we're going to look for blood spatter. 316 00:15:39,063 --> 00:15:41,982 We're gonna look for any technological evidence 317 00:15:41,982 --> 00:15:44,193 that may be there in his computers. 318 00:15:44,193 --> 00:15:48,614 We're actually going to do a complete, total search. 319 00:15:48,614 --> 00:15:51,075 If we have to, we're gonna look behind drywall, 320 00:15:51,075 --> 00:15:52,660 we're gonna look in the floor. 321 00:15:52,660 --> 00:15:54,411 We're gonna look wherever we have to look. 322 00:15:54,411 --> 00:15:57,164 - [Narrator] Detective O'Donovan and the Homicide Unit 323 00:15:57,164 --> 00:15:58,791 are now deeply involved, 324 00:15:58,791 --> 00:16:01,377 which means the hopes of finding Christine alive 325 00:16:01,377 --> 00:16:03,420 have greatly diminished. 326 00:16:03,420 --> 00:16:06,423 What will they find when they enter the home 327 00:16:06,423 --> 00:16:08,801 in the West End of Winnipeg? 328 00:16:08,801 --> 00:16:14,306 On March 22nd, 2017, two days after the warrant is issued, 329 00:16:15,683 --> 00:16:17,434 Detective O'Donovan and his team are in position. 330 00:16:17,434 --> 00:16:19,395 - We decide that we're going to do this 331 00:16:19,395 --> 00:16:22,398 first thing in the morning at 6:00 a.m. 332 00:16:22,398 --> 00:16:24,525 We set up at Burrows. 333 00:16:25,901 --> 00:16:29,446 At 7:27, Brad Overby leaves the house to go to work 334 00:16:29,446 --> 00:16:32,157 and he's arrested outside his house. 335 00:16:32,157 --> 00:16:34,702 (tense music) 336 00:16:38,038 --> 00:16:39,373 He's taken into custody. 337 00:16:39,373 --> 00:16:42,459 He's told that he may be charged with a murder 338 00:16:42,459 --> 00:16:43,836 or a similar offense, 339 00:16:43,836 --> 00:16:46,880 and he's brought into police headquarters 340 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:50,384 where he's now going to be questioned. 341 00:16:51,677 --> 00:16:53,095 - [Narrator] With Overby in custody, 342 00:16:53,095 --> 00:16:54,847 the forensics team enters the residence 343 00:16:54,847 --> 00:16:57,349 to begin their thorough search for any signs 344 00:16:57,349 --> 00:16:59,393 that a crime was committed here. 345 00:17:00,728 --> 00:17:04,440 Detective O'Donovan conducts his interview with Overby. 346 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:06,442 Everything must be by the book, 347 00:17:06,442 --> 00:17:10,320 as Overby is a suspect in a potential murder case. 348 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:12,364 - We can't bring him in and pretend that oh no, 349 00:17:12,364 --> 00:17:13,490 he is not a suspect. 350 00:17:13,490 --> 00:17:15,200 We have to give him his rights. 351 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:16,910 We have to tell him what his rights are 352 00:17:16,910 --> 00:17:19,455 and we have to tell him what his jeopardy is. 353 00:17:19,455 --> 00:17:20,998 - [Narrator] Brett Overby once again 354 00:17:20,998 --> 00:17:23,042 denies knowing or having anything to do 355 00:17:23,042 --> 00:17:25,669 with Christine Wood's disappearance. 356 00:17:26,837 --> 00:17:29,548 Detective O'Donovan then brings up the HTC phone 357 00:17:29,548 --> 00:17:32,217 that Christine used to log on to Facebook 358 00:17:32,217 --> 00:17:34,803 using Overby's wifi. 359 00:17:34,803 --> 00:17:38,223 He gives him the opportunity to retract his former statement 360 00:17:38,223 --> 00:17:40,309 and explain why he lied. 361 00:17:41,602 --> 00:17:44,438 - It's as much in his best interest 362 00:17:44,438 --> 00:17:46,148 if he's got something to explain, 363 00:17:46,148 --> 00:17:49,193 to explain to us and say no, I lied about the phone 364 00:17:49,193 --> 00:17:51,320 because of this or for whatever reason, 365 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:55,157 and now it makes him, okay, well maybe he didn't. 366 00:17:55,157 --> 00:17:57,326 He's got nothing to do with this. 367 00:17:57,326 --> 00:17:58,702 - [Narrator] But Overby insists 368 00:17:58,702 --> 00:18:01,205 that he doesn't have an HTC phone. 369 00:18:01,205 --> 00:18:04,416 Either he's lying or his ex-girlfriend is. 370 00:18:05,584 --> 00:18:06,794 Detectives will need to keep digging 371 00:18:06,794 --> 00:18:10,422 if they hope to learn the truth. 372 00:18:10,422 --> 00:18:12,965 (tense music) 373 00:18:15,511 --> 00:18:18,638 (unsettling music) 374 00:18:25,729 --> 00:18:28,190 Investigators interview Brett Overby, 375 00:18:28,190 --> 00:18:32,611 who owns the home where Christine last connects to wifi, 376 00:18:33,779 --> 00:18:35,405 though he claims he's never met her. 377 00:18:37,532 --> 00:18:39,868 But when they interview his ex-girlfriend, 378 00:18:39,868 --> 00:18:41,744 they discover he lied about the cell phone 379 00:18:41,744 --> 00:18:44,998 Christine used to sign into social media. 380 00:18:46,875 --> 00:18:49,169 Fearful that they're dealing with a murder, 381 00:18:49,169 --> 00:18:52,548 the Missing Persons Unit involves the Homicide Unit, 382 00:18:52,548 --> 00:18:54,842 and Detective O'Donovan gets a warrant 383 00:18:54,842 --> 00:18:57,052 to search Brett Overby's house. 384 00:18:58,137 --> 00:19:02,683 On March 22nd, 2017, the warrant is executed 385 00:19:02,683 --> 00:19:04,935 and Overby is brought in for questioning 386 00:19:04,935 --> 00:19:07,521 while forensics and investigators search his home 387 00:19:07,521 --> 00:19:10,440 for any signs of Christine Wood. 388 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,943 - We're going to search it from top to bottom. 389 00:19:12,943 --> 00:19:17,906 We're actually going to do a complete, total search. 390 00:19:19,157 --> 00:19:20,868 - [Narrator] While Overby is being questioned, 391 00:19:20,868 --> 00:19:23,537 investigators conduct a search of his home. 392 00:19:24,705 --> 00:19:26,748 - They spend the entire morning upstairs 393 00:19:26,748 --> 00:19:29,835 searching everything, and this is a small house, 394 00:19:29,835 --> 00:19:32,337 but it's got quite a bit of clutter in it. 395 00:19:32,337 --> 00:19:35,007 They take fingerprints, they dust for fingerprints, 396 00:19:35,007 --> 00:19:36,675 they search for blood, 397 00:19:36,675 --> 00:19:39,720 they use all the equipment available to them. 398 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:44,558 They use black lights and they use the luminol spray. 399 00:19:44,558 --> 00:19:49,271 - Luminol spray is a reagent specifically formulated 400 00:19:49,271 --> 00:19:52,566 for the detection of blood at a crime scene. 401 00:19:52,566 --> 00:19:55,903 Even if the blood is invisible to the human eye 402 00:19:55,903 --> 00:19:59,031 or someone has attempted to wash the area, 403 00:19:59,031 --> 00:20:00,782 under the black light, 404 00:20:00,782 --> 00:20:04,161 the spray will illuminate areas indicating blood. 405 00:20:05,621 --> 00:20:07,122 - [Narrator] But so far on the main floor, 406 00:20:07,122 --> 00:20:09,499 investigators find nothing to indicate 407 00:20:09,499 --> 00:20:11,001 a crime occurred here. 408 00:20:11,919 --> 00:20:13,629 Detectives have 24 hours 409 00:20:13,629 --> 00:20:16,465 in which they can hold Overby as a suspect 410 00:20:16,465 --> 00:20:19,218 without formally charging him with a crime. 411 00:20:20,469 --> 00:20:22,387 If he won't confess anything in the interview 412 00:20:22,387 --> 00:20:24,513 and if investigators find no evidence in his home 413 00:20:24,513 --> 00:20:28,685 during this time, they'll have no choice but to release him. 414 00:20:28,685 --> 00:20:30,938 The clock is ticking. 415 00:20:30,938 --> 00:20:32,898 - It's a very difficult interview 416 00:20:32,898 --> 00:20:34,775 because Brett Overby isn't answering any questions. 417 00:20:34,775 --> 00:20:37,319 He's basically telling us his name and his date of birth 418 00:20:37,319 --> 00:20:38,779 and his address, and he's not saying, 419 00:20:38,779 --> 00:20:40,530 everything else is no comment. 420 00:20:40,530 --> 00:20:42,950 I'm also looking at his past phone records, 421 00:20:42,950 --> 00:20:44,493 and there's people I want to speak to. 422 00:20:44,493 --> 00:20:46,828 Who are the two people he spoke to directly 423 00:20:46,828 --> 00:20:49,830 after the HTC phone was used? 424 00:20:49,830 --> 00:20:52,876 There's his friend and there's his ex-girlfriend. 425 00:20:54,586 --> 00:20:57,923 His ex-girlfriend is also shocked, 426 00:20:57,923 --> 00:21:00,509 but she tells us a few different things 427 00:21:00,509 --> 00:21:03,804 and she tells us that he asked her to lie 428 00:21:03,804 --> 00:21:07,474 about Plenty Of Fish and who his friends are. 429 00:21:07,474 --> 00:21:11,478 He asked her to lie about the phone, 430 00:21:11,478 --> 00:21:13,438 and she wasn't gonna lie for him. 431 00:21:13,438 --> 00:21:16,650 - [Narrator] Overby's ex-girlfriend has been told by him 432 00:21:16,650 --> 00:21:20,779 to lie about the popular dating app that he was using, 433 00:21:20,779 --> 00:21:22,948 which connects him to Christine. 434 00:21:24,282 --> 00:21:28,578 Overby also asks her to lie about who his friends are. 435 00:21:29,830 --> 00:21:32,124 - She had a good relationship with him still, 436 00:21:32,124 --> 00:21:33,667 even though they had split up. 437 00:21:33,667 --> 00:21:35,919 They texted every day. 438 00:21:35,919 --> 00:21:37,546 - [Narrator] But in spite of this, 439 00:21:37,546 --> 00:21:41,174 Overby's ex-girlfriend is forthcoming with detectives. 440 00:21:42,592 --> 00:21:44,970 - She also disclosed that during their relationship, 441 00:21:44,970 --> 00:21:46,972 which went on for several years, 442 00:21:46,972 --> 00:21:49,891 he had grown violent during that relationship, 443 00:21:49,891 --> 00:21:51,977 and she had been a victim of domestic abuse, 444 00:21:51,977 --> 00:21:53,854 and she said that was the reason 445 00:21:53,854 --> 00:21:55,522 that they had split up. 446 00:21:55,522 --> 00:21:58,817 She said that his drinking had progressed over the years 447 00:21:58,817 --> 00:22:00,027 that they had been together. 448 00:22:00,027 --> 00:22:02,487 She described specifically 449 00:22:02,487 --> 00:22:06,074 a couple of instances of domestic violence. 450 00:22:06,950 --> 00:22:09,703 These were things that I couldn't ignore. 451 00:22:09,703 --> 00:22:11,455 - [Narrator] As detectives learn 452 00:22:11,455 --> 00:22:14,499 of Overby's history of violence, they become more convinced 453 00:22:14,499 --> 00:22:17,336 of his involvement in Christine's disappearance. 454 00:22:18,879 --> 00:22:20,589 - At this point, I was certain that he was involved 455 00:22:20,589 --> 00:22:23,592 in the disappearance of Christine Wood. 456 00:22:23,592 --> 00:22:25,510 - [Narrator] It's approximately 3:00 p.m., 457 00:22:25,510 --> 00:22:28,055 and Detective O'Donovan steps out of the interview 458 00:22:28,055 --> 00:22:31,141 to take a phone call from the forensic supervisor. 459 00:22:31,141 --> 00:22:35,103 The supervisor informs him that the reagent spray 460 00:22:35,103 --> 00:22:37,647 that they're using has reacted, 461 00:22:37,647 --> 00:22:41,568 indicating that there is blood in a sink in the basement. 462 00:22:41,568 --> 00:22:44,196 - To the naked eye, this place will look perfect, 463 00:22:44,196 --> 00:22:45,614 it will look clean. 464 00:22:45,614 --> 00:22:47,074 It'll look as if nothing has been done there. 465 00:22:47,074 --> 00:22:49,826 When you put the ultraviolet light on the Bluestar, 466 00:22:49,826 --> 00:22:52,829 it lights up like a blue Christmas tree, 467 00:22:52,829 --> 00:22:56,124 and this is the case of the sink. 468 00:22:56,124 --> 00:22:59,795 This to me is telling me okay, we got the right guy here. 469 00:22:59,795 --> 00:23:01,380 We're in the right place. 470 00:23:03,048 --> 00:23:04,549 - [Narrator] Detective O'Donovan has just learned 471 00:23:04,549 --> 00:23:06,885 that the forensics team has detected blood 472 00:23:06,885 --> 00:23:10,472 in the basement sink at Overby's house, 473 00:23:10,472 --> 00:23:12,182 and not 20 minutes later, 474 00:23:12,182 --> 00:23:14,393 he gets another call from the team. 475 00:23:15,727 --> 00:23:18,021 They've discovered more blood spatter. 476 00:23:19,106 --> 00:23:21,148 From the small droplets of blood that remain, 477 00:23:21,148 --> 00:23:25,195 it's clear that someone has made the attempt to clean it up. 478 00:23:25,195 --> 00:23:28,115 - He's finding blood spatter, and where he's finding it 479 00:23:28,115 --> 00:23:30,157 is there's a weight bench in the basement, 480 00:23:30,157 --> 00:23:32,702 and he's finding some blood spatter 481 00:23:32,702 --> 00:23:34,162 on the legs of the weight bench 482 00:23:34,162 --> 00:23:37,958 that hadn't been cleaned up, and underneath. 483 00:23:37,958 --> 00:23:41,128 What it's doing is it's showing to him 484 00:23:41,128 --> 00:23:46,425 that somebody was lying on the floor and was being beaten. 485 00:23:47,926 --> 00:23:50,887 - Given where forensics is finding the blood, 486 00:23:50,887 --> 00:23:54,015 it is unlikely that Overby has cut himself 487 00:23:54,015 --> 00:23:56,852 and the blood is dripping downward. 488 00:23:56,852 --> 00:23:58,520 - The blood is under the bench, 489 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:02,691 which means that it's been spattered from the floor upwards. 490 00:24:02,691 --> 00:24:06,153 - [Narrator] The major question now is whose blood is it? 491 00:24:06,153 --> 00:24:09,823 - At this time, forensics doesn't know whose blood it is. 492 00:24:09,823 --> 00:24:14,035 It may or may not be Christine's, but given this trajectory 493 00:24:14,035 --> 00:24:15,912 and where they're finding the blood, 494 00:24:15,912 --> 00:24:18,540 it's telling them the story that this is a result 495 00:24:18,540 --> 00:24:20,292 of a violent act. 496 00:24:20,292 --> 00:24:23,837 - To the naked eye, he did a fantastic job in cleaning up. 497 00:24:23,837 --> 00:24:27,007 To the forensic eye, he didn't do a good job. 498 00:24:27,007 --> 00:24:30,385 He was sloppy and left a lot of evidence there. 499 00:24:31,261 --> 00:24:32,846 - [Narrator] But the one piece of evidence 500 00:24:32,846 --> 00:24:34,598 that isn't there is the body. 501 00:24:34,598 --> 00:24:37,392 (tense music) 502 00:24:39,769 --> 00:24:42,939 The circumstantial evidence against Brett Overby 503 00:24:42,939 --> 00:24:44,398 is piling up. 504 00:24:44,398 --> 00:24:46,026 He lied about the cell phone. 505 00:24:46,026 --> 00:24:48,737 He has a history of violence against women, 506 00:24:48,737 --> 00:24:52,115 and now there's been blood discovered in his basement. 507 00:24:52,115 --> 00:24:53,909 But even when confronted with all of this, 508 00:24:53,909 --> 00:24:56,494 he refuses to cooperate. 509 00:24:57,287 --> 00:24:58,914 Without hard evidence, 510 00:24:58,914 --> 00:25:00,499 investigators can't hold their suspect 511 00:25:00,499 --> 00:25:02,959 for more than 24 hours. 512 00:25:02,959 --> 00:25:05,170 There's little chance of getting a confession 513 00:25:05,170 --> 00:25:07,297 from the silent Overby, 514 00:25:07,297 --> 00:25:10,258 and while the blood found in the basement can be tested, 515 00:25:10,258 --> 00:25:12,052 it could take weeks or even months 516 00:25:12,052 --> 00:25:13,678 before the results come back. 517 00:25:15,222 --> 00:25:17,891 The investigation's best hope is to find some evidence 518 00:25:17,891 --> 00:25:20,268 that Christine was in the home. 519 00:25:20,268 --> 00:25:22,686 (tense music) 520 00:25:30,487 --> 00:25:33,532 (unsettling music) 521 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:44,209 The Forensics Team carefully search Brett Overby's house 522 00:25:44,209 --> 00:25:46,711 for any signs that Christine was here. 523 00:25:50,048 --> 00:25:52,133 Meanwhile, detectives are getting nowhere 524 00:25:52,133 --> 00:25:54,344 with their tight-lipped suspect. 525 00:25:56,263 --> 00:25:59,391 But when forensics finds traces of blood 526 00:25:59,391 --> 00:26:02,185 and the cleanup of a crime scene in the basement, 527 00:26:02,185 --> 00:26:05,230 detectives know they're finally on the right track. 528 00:26:08,942 --> 00:26:14,446 - Winnipeg has a rich black topsoil, great for agriculture, 529 00:26:15,782 --> 00:26:18,243 but beneath that is an impervious soil or hard clay 530 00:26:18,243 --> 00:26:22,414 that is often found in older, unfinished basements. 531 00:26:23,455 --> 00:26:26,167 The forensic team discovers in Overby's basement 532 00:26:26,167 --> 00:26:28,461 an area of the soil that looks soft, 533 00:26:28,461 --> 00:26:31,298 as if it's been recently dug up. 534 00:26:32,257 --> 00:26:34,426 - The earth is soft in there, 535 00:26:34,426 --> 00:26:38,096 which is different to what you'd see in a lot of houses 536 00:26:38,096 --> 00:26:40,098 this age where it's hard packed. 537 00:26:40,098 --> 00:26:42,309 It was covered with a sheet of plastic 538 00:26:42,309 --> 00:26:46,354 and it was actually a construction type of plastic 539 00:26:46,354 --> 00:26:48,815 that would be used as a vapor barrier. 540 00:26:48,815 --> 00:26:51,359 There was very little dust on top of this plastic. 541 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:54,195 There was a bunch of household components 542 00:26:54,195 --> 00:26:57,407 like small appliances stacked on top of this plastic, 543 00:26:57,407 --> 00:26:59,618 and none of them had dust on them. 544 00:27:00,994 --> 00:27:02,871 The forensic unit thought that this was odd. 545 00:27:02,871 --> 00:27:04,455 I thought this was odd. 546 00:27:04,455 --> 00:27:07,417 I said well, okay, let's try and find out 547 00:27:07,417 --> 00:27:09,044 what's under this plastic, 548 00:27:09,044 --> 00:27:12,339 so they meticulously moved all the components 549 00:27:12,339 --> 00:27:16,134 that were on top, cut back the plastic and took it away. 550 00:27:16,134 --> 00:27:18,261 I arranged for a cadaver dog to come 551 00:27:18,261 --> 00:27:22,182 and to assist in the search of the basement. 552 00:27:22,182 --> 00:27:23,933 - [Narrator] Investigators suspect that the earth 553 00:27:23,933 --> 00:27:27,436 may be tampered with because a body might be buried there, 554 00:27:27,436 --> 00:27:29,689 but the cadaver dog won't be able to assist 555 00:27:29,689 --> 00:27:31,398 until the following day. 556 00:27:31,398 --> 00:27:33,943 In the meantime, they'll either have to charge Overby 557 00:27:33,943 --> 00:27:37,238 with a crime or be forced to let him go. 558 00:27:37,238 --> 00:27:39,324 - It was a judgment call and a decision that I made 559 00:27:39,324 --> 00:27:42,160 that I need to get this guy off the street. 560 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,412 I don't know if this girl is around. 561 00:27:44,412 --> 00:27:46,665 I don't know if he's going to interfere with witnesses 562 00:27:46,665 --> 00:27:48,541 that we don't know about yet. 563 00:27:48,541 --> 00:27:50,417 I don't know what he's going to do or what he's capable of, 564 00:27:50,417 --> 00:27:54,422 so the safest place for him right now is locked up. 565 00:27:55,465 --> 00:27:57,967 - [Narrator] O'Donovan makes the call to use the testimony 566 00:27:57,967 --> 00:28:00,804 of Overby's ex-girlfriend against him. 567 00:28:02,722 --> 00:28:07,060 - Once we found out about the domestic violence, 568 00:28:07,060 --> 00:28:11,398 I authorized my investigators who were interviewing him 569 00:28:11,398 --> 00:28:14,067 to charge him, arrest him and charge him 570 00:28:14,067 --> 00:28:16,486 with the domestic violence incident. 571 00:28:17,445 --> 00:28:19,948 - [Narrator] Overby is taken to a pre-trial detention center 572 00:28:19,948 --> 00:28:21,324 to be held. 573 00:28:21,324 --> 00:28:24,244 - The next day, the cadaver dog is brought in 574 00:28:24,244 --> 00:28:26,371 to search the house. 575 00:28:26,371 --> 00:28:29,332 - Cadaver dog didn't find anything in the basement. 576 00:28:29,332 --> 00:28:31,417 There was no reaction whatsoever. 577 00:28:31,417 --> 00:28:33,503 I'm still not satisfied, 578 00:28:33,503 --> 00:28:37,507 and we arrange for ground-penetrating radar to come. 579 00:28:37,507 --> 00:28:41,261 - [Narrator] The radar arrives and the team goes to work. 580 00:28:41,261 --> 00:28:43,304 - We run the ground-penetrating radar, 581 00:28:43,304 --> 00:28:47,142 and there is definitely some anomalies under the ground. 582 00:28:47,142 --> 00:28:49,310 We're thinking, oh my goodness, what could this be? 583 00:28:49,310 --> 00:28:51,479 It could be anything, because the radar doesn't tell us. 584 00:28:51,479 --> 00:28:54,274 It just tells us that there's an anomaly. 585 00:28:54,274 --> 00:28:57,193 We've got nothing left to do except dig. 586 00:28:57,193 --> 00:29:00,196 These guys never questioned that. 587 00:29:00,196 --> 00:29:02,365 They said okay, well, there's only one way 588 00:29:02,365 --> 00:29:04,242 we're gonna find out what the anomaly is, 589 00:29:04,242 --> 00:29:07,704 and that is to dig it, and we'll have to dig it out. 590 00:29:07,704 --> 00:29:11,416 They just picked up these short little shovels 591 00:29:11,416 --> 00:29:13,334 and they're on their hands and knees 592 00:29:13,334 --> 00:29:15,670 digging through this clay. 593 00:29:16,755 --> 00:29:18,631 Winnipeg clay is hard. 594 00:29:18,631 --> 00:29:22,969 It can be like concrete, and you can't swing a shovel. 595 00:29:22,969 --> 00:29:24,763 You can't swing a pick axe. 596 00:29:24,763 --> 00:29:28,433 You literally have to pick away inch by inch, 597 00:29:28,433 --> 00:29:31,144 and they're doing this because there's a victim. 598 00:29:31,144 --> 00:29:32,854 We need to find this victim. 599 00:29:34,439 --> 00:29:37,108 - [Narrator] Investigators dig down four feet into the earth 600 00:29:37,108 --> 00:29:38,777 and come up empty handed. 601 00:29:39,402 --> 00:29:40,862 There is no body. 602 00:29:42,030 --> 00:29:44,491 - There isn't a body in the basement, 603 00:29:44,491 --> 00:29:48,286 but there are signs that lead detectives to believe 604 00:29:48,286 --> 00:29:50,622 that a crime was committed there. 605 00:29:50,622 --> 00:29:55,502 The samples of blood collected will tell the full story. 606 00:29:55,502 --> 00:29:58,463 - We've got the presence of human blood in the basement. 607 00:29:58,463 --> 00:30:01,758 We've got a massive sign of a cleanup in the basement. 608 00:30:01,758 --> 00:30:03,927 Is this Christine Wood's blood? 609 00:30:03,927 --> 00:30:05,678 We don't know that for certain, 610 00:30:05,678 --> 00:30:08,389 because her DNA is not on file. 611 00:30:08,389 --> 00:30:10,350 Christine is just an ordinary girl. 612 00:30:10,350 --> 00:30:12,644 There's no reason for us to have her DNA. 613 00:30:12,644 --> 00:30:15,605 I assign the Missing Persons Unit to get hold of her family 614 00:30:15,605 --> 00:30:20,527 and to get her parents' DNA, and we'll do a familial match. 615 00:30:20,527 --> 00:30:23,238 - [Narrator] To request DNA from Christine's parents 616 00:30:23,238 --> 00:30:25,114 is a harrowing thing. 617 00:30:26,282 --> 00:30:27,534 - This is upsetting. 618 00:30:27,534 --> 00:30:30,370 I mean, now they know that we know something. 619 00:30:30,370 --> 00:30:32,372 We can't really tell them what we're doing 620 00:30:32,372 --> 00:30:34,707 because we don't do that. 621 00:30:34,707 --> 00:30:38,503 We don't share too much early on in the investigation. 622 00:30:38,503 --> 00:30:39,796 Even though we're months into it, 623 00:30:39,796 --> 00:30:42,131 it's still early in the homicide investigation. 624 00:30:43,675 --> 00:30:45,093 - [Narrator] All these months they've held onto the hope 625 00:30:45,093 --> 00:30:47,887 that their daughter may be alive, 626 00:30:47,887 --> 00:30:50,348 but the Woods know what this means. 627 00:30:51,432 --> 00:30:52,892 In spite of their fears 628 00:30:52,892 --> 00:30:55,687 that the worst thing imaginable may have happened, 629 00:30:55,687 --> 00:30:58,648 the Woods want to know the truth about their daughter. 630 00:30:58,648 --> 00:31:00,859 They provide DNA samples to see if the blood 631 00:31:00,859 --> 00:31:04,654 found in Overby's basement is Christine's. 632 00:31:04,654 --> 00:31:07,657 For now, both Christine's parents and investigators 633 00:31:07,657 --> 00:31:11,286 will have to wait to see what the results tell them. 634 00:31:12,662 --> 00:31:14,664 O'Donovan has arranged to have the blood samples 635 00:31:14,664 --> 00:31:18,126 from Overby's basement tested against the DNA samples 636 00:31:18,126 --> 00:31:20,503 provided by Christine's parents. 637 00:31:20,503 --> 00:31:22,922 Unfortunately however, 638 00:31:22,922 --> 00:31:25,466 there are a limited number of labs in Canada 639 00:31:25,466 --> 00:31:27,093 that do this kind of testing. 640 00:31:28,344 --> 00:31:30,513 - It's not CSI TV stuff 641 00:31:30,513 --> 00:31:32,724 where they can have it in half an hour. 642 00:31:32,724 --> 00:31:34,392 Here, it takes a lot longer. 643 00:31:34,392 --> 00:31:36,895 In real life, things take a while. 644 00:31:38,563 --> 00:31:40,440 - [Narrator] But given the nature of the case 645 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:42,483 and the ongoing search for Christine, 646 00:31:42,483 --> 00:31:45,278 the lab promises a remarkable seven day turnaround 647 00:31:45,278 --> 00:31:46,779 for the results. 648 00:31:46,779 --> 00:31:49,032 In the meantime, O'Donovan is concerned 649 00:31:49,032 --> 00:31:51,701 that the charges against Overby for domestic abuse 650 00:31:51,701 --> 00:31:54,913 aren't going to stick and that he'll be released. 651 00:31:55,872 --> 00:31:57,624 O'Donovan talks with the prosecutor, 652 00:31:57,624 --> 00:32:01,044 who doesn't think the judge will oppose Overby's bail. 653 00:32:02,503 --> 00:32:04,756 O'Donovan's fear has come to pass. 654 00:32:04,756 --> 00:32:08,551 The domestic abuse charges against Overby don't stick, 655 00:32:08,551 --> 00:32:11,596 and he is released from the pre-trial detention center. 656 00:32:12,722 --> 00:32:14,849 - So this is between the week or 10 days 657 00:32:14,849 --> 00:32:18,269 I'm waiting for the DNA, and him getting released 658 00:32:18,269 --> 00:32:20,104 under domestic violence charges, 659 00:32:20,104 --> 00:32:25,026 so I authorize surveillance on him 24/7, 660 00:32:25,026 --> 00:32:28,655 and that's a huge undertaking. 661 00:32:28,655 --> 00:32:32,909 It means that we have to have undercover people 662 00:32:32,909 --> 00:32:35,703 follow him around, follow his every move 663 00:32:35,703 --> 00:32:39,165 for seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 664 00:32:39,165 --> 00:32:40,458 and see where he goes. 665 00:32:40,458 --> 00:32:42,627 I am hoping that he's gonna panic 666 00:32:42,627 --> 00:32:45,004 and go back and check on the body. 667 00:32:45,004 --> 00:32:46,547 - [Narrator] Undercover detectives 668 00:32:46,547 --> 00:32:49,425 keep a 24 hour a day watch on Overby. 669 00:32:50,510 --> 00:32:52,095 After a couple of days of surveying him, 670 00:32:52,095 --> 00:32:55,640 they follow him by car as he leaves his house. 671 00:32:57,016 --> 00:32:58,726 - This is odd. 672 00:32:58,726 --> 00:33:00,144 It's a dead end street. 673 00:33:00,144 --> 00:33:03,064 He drives in and he parks at this pond, 674 00:33:03,064 --> 00:33:04,983 and he's parked there for 20 minutes 675 00:33:04,983 --> 00:33:06,859 and the Surveillance Unit are watching him, 676 00:33:06,859 --> 00:33:09,404 and it's just strange. 677 00:33:09,404 --> 00:33:11,030 What is he doing there? 678 00:33:11,030 --> 00:33:14,409 Of course I'm thinking, why is he here? 679 00:33:14,409 --> 00:33:15,785 What's he looking at? 680 00:33:15,785 --> 00:33:16,828 This pond is still frozen. 681 00:33:16,828 --> 00:33:18,454 It's still early April. 682 00:33:18,454 --> 00:33:19,789 We keep looking at it, 683 00:33:19,789 --> 00:33:22,041 keep thinking maybe she is, maybe she is. 684 00:33:22,041 --> 00:33:24,794 He goes to that pond twice, two nights, 685 00:33:24,794 --> 00:33:26,045 not two nights in a row, 686 00:33:26,045 --> 00:33:27,922 but two nights within a few days of each other. 687 00:33:27,922 --> 00:33:31,342 I'm thinking, oh my God, is Christine in the pond? 688 00:33:31,342 --> 00:33:34,012 (tense music) 689 00:33:37,265 --> 00:33:40,518 (unsettling music) 690 00:33:47,942 --> 00:33:50,403 - [Narrator] Detectives believe they may have found a grave 691 00:33:50,403 --> 00:33:52,030 dug in Overby's basement. 692 00:33:53,531 --> 00:33:56,409 They try many things, but the results are inconclusive. 693 00:33:58,077 --> 00:34:01,622 The only option left is to manually dig up the basement. 694 00:34:03,833 --> 00:34:05,835 When the search yields no results, 695 00:34:05,835 --> 00:34:08,838 detectives rely on blood samples taken from the scene, 696 00:34:10,672 --> 00:34:12,633 but they must keep round the clock surveillance 697 00:34:12,633 --> 00:34:16,971 on their prime suspect while they await the DNA results. 698 00:34:16,971 --> 00:34:18,806 John O'Donovan of the Winnipeg Police 699 00:34:18,806 --> 00:34:22,852 wants to search the frozen pond for Christine's body. 700 00:34:22,852 --> 00:34:24,312 - I consult with my dive team 701 00:34:24,312 --> 00:34:26,564 and the Underwater Recovery Team 702 00:34:26,564 --> 00:34:28,190 in the Winnipeg Police Service, 703 00:34:28,190 --> 00:34:30,026 and they say they can't get into the water right now. 704 00:34:30,026 --> 00:34:33,362 It's frozen, and they've got to wait until the end of April 705 00:34:33,362 --> 00:34:35,823 before, the earliest they can get into it. 706 00:34:35,823 --> 00:34:39,577 - [Narrator] In the meantime, the DNA results come back. 707 00:34:39,577 --> 00:34:42,246 - The results show that it was a match. 708 00:34:42,246 --> 00:34:44,498 The blood found in Overby's basement 709 00:34:44,498 --> 00:34:46,667 belongs to Christine Wood. 710 00:34:48,878 --> 00:34:51,839 - Once we get confirmation that Christine's blood 711 00:34:51,839 --> 00:34:56,219 is in the basement, the Crown attorney authorizes a charge 712 00:34:56,219 --> 00:34:58,888 of second degree murder for Brett Overby. 713 00:34:58,888 --> 00:35:01,681 This is good, this is positive. 714 00:35:03,142 --> 00:35:07,396 - [Narrator] Overby is arrested on April 7th, 2017. 715 00:35:08,564 --> 00:35:10,650 - [John] The Crown attorney is confident 716 00:35:10,650 --> 00:35:11,943 that he's got a good case 717 00:35:11,943 --> 00:35:13,861 with the evidence that we've given him, 718 00:35:13,861 --> 00:35:17,614 and he authorizes the charge and we bring him in. 719 00:35:18,699 --> 00:35:20,284 - [Narrator] But O'Donovan is worried. 720 00:35:20,284 --> 00:35:22,745 Without a body or Overby's cooperation, 721 00:35:22,745 --> 00:35:25,498 the investigation is going to have to rely heavily 722 00:35:25,498 --> 00:35:28,251 on the physical evidence found in the home. 723 00:35:29,335 --> 00:35:31,254 - Brett Overby says nothing. 724 00:35:31,254 --> 00:35:33,005 He will not make a comment. 725 00:35:33,005 --> 00:35:35,883 He will not engage the investigators in conversation. 726 00:35:35,883 --> 00:35:39,262 He just keeps saying no comment, no comment. 727 00:35:40,555 --> 00:35:42,181 During the search of Overby's home, 728 00:35:42,181 --> 00:35:45,643 we find some blood stains under the stairs 729 00:35:45,643 --> 00:35:47,061 which appear to be blood drops. 730 00:35:47,061 --> 00:35:50,356 We find a massive sign of blood and a cleanup 731 00:35:50,356 --> 00:35:51,983 at the end of the stairs. 732 00:35:51,983 --> 00:35:54,402 The stairs in their house are sheer. 733 00:35:54,402 --> 00:35:56,821 They're almost like a cliff face. 734 00:35:56,821 --> 00:35:59,907 It looked like Christine was thrown down these stairs 735 00:35:59,907 --> 00:36:02,201 and something happened at the end of the stairs, 736 00:36:02,201 --> 00:36:05,454 and then she was dragged to the middle of that basement 737 00:36:05,454 --> 00:36:08,791 where something else happened and she was attacked again. 738 00:36:11,127 --> 00:36:14,255 We now have some blood spatter on the weight bench. 739 00:36:14,255 --> 00:36:15,882 We have blood spatter on the stairs 740 00:36:15,882 --> 00:36:20,428 and we have the massive signs of clean up. 741 00:36:20,428 --> 00:36:24,098 We have a good case, but we don't have a body. 742 00:36:24,098 --> 00:36:26,976 - [Narrator] By mid-April, the dive team is able to get into 743 00:36:26,976 --> 00:36:29,478 the 10 foot deep retention pond. 744 00:36:29,478 --> 00:36:30,897 They find nothing. 745 00:36:30,897 --> 00:36:33,565 They then perform an expensive sonar search from a boat. 746 00:36:33,565 --> 00:36:36,319 They're unable to find anything, 747 00:36:36,319 --> 00:36:38,571 but they do detect some anomalies. 748 00:36:39,614 --> 00:36:40,864 - I've always had a motto 749 00:36:40,864 --> 00:36:42,450 that you can ever have enough evidence. 750 00:36:42,450 --> 00:36:43,701 That's always been my motto. 751 00:36:43,701 --> 00:36:45,578 We've always gotta push and push and push. 752 00:36:45,578 --> 00:36:47,246 We've gotta find that body. 753 00:36:47,246 --> 00:36:48,915 We've gotta find this girl. 754 00:36:48,915 --> 00:36:52,543 So we drain the lake and we find an old car in there 755 00:36:52,543 --> 00:36:56,797 that's been there for 15 or 18 years or something. 756 00:36:56,797 --> 00:36:59,550 That was pretty much all that we found in there. 757 00:36:59,550 --> 00:37:03,346 The extent that we went to to try and find this girl, 758 00:37:03,346 --> 00:37:05,598 it's just, can't do enough. 759 00:37:05,598 --> 00:37:08,726 We're gonna follow every single thing. 760 00:37:08,726 --> 00:37:11,187 - [Narrator] But without Overby's cooperation, 761 00:37:11,187 --> 00:37:13,940 there's no telling where Christine's body is. 762 00:37:15,149 --> 00:37:18,402 Several months later, on June 1st, 2017, 763 00:37:18,402 --> 00:37:21,530 Detective O'Donovan gets a call out of the blue 764 00:37:21,530 --> 00:37:23,324 that a body has just been found 765 00:37:23,324 --> 00:37:25,159 outside the city of Winnipeg. 766 00:37:26,410 --> 00:37:28,746 - Right away, I know it's Christine. 767 00:37:28,746 --> 00:37:30,456 Right away, I just knew it. 768 00:37:30,456 --> 00:37:34,752 That's the only one that it could be, 769 00:37:34,752 --> 00:37:37,922 and that was without hearing any of the details. 770 00:37:37,922 --> 00:37:41,050 A farmer passing on his narrow road 771 00:37:41,050 --> 00:37:44,679 driving through his property, checking on his crops, 772 00:37:44,679 --> 00:37:50,142 noticed some plastic blowing in the field on the ground, 773 00:37:51,518 --> 00:37:54,814 and he went to investigate it and take a closer look. 774 00:37:54,814 --> 00:37:58,317 He was absolutely distraught and devastated 775 00:37:58,317 --> 00:38:00,444 to find that it's actually a body 776 00:38:00,444 --> 00:38:02,863 that had been buried on his property. 777 00:38:02,863 --> 00:38:06,659 He knew right away that he was staring at skeletal remains 778 00:38:06,659 --> 00:38:09,620 and called the police. 779 00:38:10,830 --> 00:38:13,791 Once Christine's remains were removed from the ground, 780 00:38:13,791 --> 00:38:16,210 she was wearing the clothing, 781 00:38:16,210 --> 00:38:19,755 the same clothing that she had been reported missing in. 782 00:38:19,755 --> 00:38:23,592 Again, I'm certain that this is Christine Wood. 783 00:38:23,592 --> 00:38:26,429 The clothing is a match. 784 00:38:26,429 --> 00:38:27,930 - Early in their investigation, 785 00:38:27,930 --> 00:38:31,017 Missing Persons obtains the dental records 786 00:38:31,017 --> 00:38:33,643 of Christine Wood, which they now use 787 00:38:33,643 --> 00:38:35,688 to compare against the remains. 788 00:38:35,688 --> 00:38:37,857 They come back a match. 789 00:38:37,857 --> 00:38:40,526 This is the body of Christine Wood. 790 00:38:40,526 --> 00:38:43,195 - [Narrator] Further investigation into Overby's computer 791 00:38:43,195 --> 00:38:46,614 reveals a photo of him with Christine. 792 00:38:47,742 --> 00:38:50,953 - There was three pictures of Brett Overby 793 00:38:50,953 --> 00:38:52,955 sitting with Christine Wood 794 00:38:52,955 --> 00:38:54,832 in the clothes that she went missing in, 795 00:38:54,832 --> 00:38:56,584 and the clothes that she was wearing 796 00:38:56,584 --> 00:39:00,296 when her remains were found, and he's holding the camera, 797 00:39:00,296 --> 00:39:02,757 taking a selfie of the two of them, 798 00:39:02,757 --> 00:39:05,968 his other arm around her as he's taking a selfie. 799 00:39:05,968 --> 00:39:09,055 No doubt they were taken in the minutes or hours 800 00:39:09,055 --> 00:39:11,766 before she was killed in his basement by him. 801 00:39:13,100 --> 00:39:15,268 - [Narrator] With all the evidence stacked against him, 802 00:39:15,268 --> 00:39:19,732 Brett Overby finally admits that he did kill Christine, 803 00:39:22,902 --> 00:39:25,279 though he claims that it's self-defense, 804 00:39:25,279 --> 00:39:27,364 that she went crazy and attacked him, 805 00:39:27,364 --> 00:39:30,743 that he blacked out and doesn't remember killing her. 806 00:39:33,871 --> 00:39:35,373 Overby argues in court 807 00:39:35,373 --> 00:39:38,334 that he kills Christine in self-defense. 808 00:39:38,334 --> 00:39:41,670 - He tried to justify it somewhat. 809 00:39:41,670 --> 00:39:44,799 Killers, they always go to self-preservation 810 00:39:44,799 --> 00:39:47,843 and to try and justify things and make things easier 811 00:39:47,843 --> 00:39:49,553 and better for themselves. 812 00:39:49,553 --> 00:39:52,431 I think Brett Overby was looking for the lesser charge 813 00:39:52,431 --> 00:39:55,351 of manslaughter, which wouldn't have made it any better, 814 00:39:55,351 --> 00:39:58,854 but the jury saw through him, the court saw through him, 815 00:39:58,854 --> 00:39:59,897 the system saw through him, 816 00:39:59,897 --> 00:40:02,983 and no, this was a murder all the way. 817 00:40:03,984 --> 00:40:06,737 - [Narrator] On July 2nd, 2017, 818 00:40:06,737 --> 00:40:08,406 Overby is sentenced to life in prison 819 00:40:08,406 --> 00:40:12,993 with no possibility of parole for at least 15 years. 820 00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:15,663 Detectives worked the case diligently 821 00:40:15,663 --> 00:40:18,416 and didn't give up hope of finding Christine. 822 00:40:18,416 --> 00:40:22,085 They also knew that they had a little luck on their side. 823 00:40:22,085 --> 00:40:23,546 - It would never have been resolved 824 00:40:23,546 --> 00:40:27,007 if the Missing Persons Unit hadn't followed up 825 00:40:27,007 --> 00:40:29,468 on her last communication on Facebook, 826 00:40:29,468 --> 00:40:33,472 where it came from and what device was used. 827 00:40:33,472 --> 00:40:35,056 Her body might have been found, 828 00:40:35,056 --> 00:40:38,102 but we would have never known who killed this girl. 829 00:40:39,478 --> 00:40:41,689 - [Narrator] Christine Wood's case is a tragedy. 830 00:40:41,689 --> 00:40:43,107 Unfortunately, in this country, 831 00:40:43,107 --> 00:40:46,527 it is only one amongst many cases of violence 832 00:40:46,527 --> 00:40:48,988 being perpetrated against Indigenous women, 833 00:40:48,988 --> 00:40:52,491 Indigenous girls and Two-spirited people. 834 00:40:52,491 --> 00:40:54,535 This injustice has been going on 835 00:40:54,535 --> 00:40:58,831 far too long in this country, and it's a stain on Canada's 836 00:40:58,831 --> 00:41:00,373 human rights record. 837 00:41:00,373 --> 00:41:04,210 In 2016, a national inquiry commenced. 838 00:41:04,210 --> 00:41:06,797 Recently the commission published their findings 839 00:41:06,797 --> 00:41:09,133 in the final report of the National Inquiry 840 00:41:09,133 --> 00:41:12,844 into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. 841 00:41:12,844 --> 00:41:14,972 The final report is comprised of the truth 842 00:41:14,972 --> 00:41:20,436 of more than 2,380 family members, survivors of violence, 843 00:41:21,770 --> 00:41:23,898 experts and knowledge keepers. 844 00:41:23,898 --> 00:41:28,902 It delivers 231 individual calls for justice. 845 00:41:28,902 --> 00:41:31,071 These calls are directed at government, 846 00:41:31,071 --> 00:41:35,784 institutions, social service providers, 847 00:41:35,784 --> 00:41:37,995 industries and all Canadians. 848 00:41:37,995 --> 00:41:41,873 Fortunately in this case, the police acted immediately 849 00:41:41,873 --> 00:41:44,460 upon Christine being reported missing, 850 00:41:44,460 --> 00:41:47,922 and that resulted in the case being solved. 851 00:41:47,922 --> 00:41:49,882 - Christine Wood was somebody's baby. 852 00:41:49,882 --> 00:41:53,093 She was once a child, a baby, 853 00:41:53,093 --> 00:41:57,097 and her parents deserve that closure. 854 00:41:57,097 --> 00:42:00,142 - There are far too many Indigenous women, girls, 855 00:42:00,142 --> 00:42:03,562 and Two-spirited people that don't get the same result 856 00:42:03,562 --> 00:42:06,524 as Christine Wood, and that has to change. 857 00:42:07,815 --> 00:42:09,318 - She didn't deserve to die, 858 00:42:09,318 --> 00:42:12,988 and her parents didn't deserve to go through the anguish. 859 00:42:12,988 --> 00:42:14,657 They deserve the closure. 860 00:42:14,657 --> 00:42:19,036 It's just our job to put that effort in, 861 00:42:19,036 --> 00:42:20,579 and why wouldn't we? 862 00:42:20,579 --> 00:42:24,833 I mean, we've gotta do this for these people, 863 00:42:24,833 --> 00:42:28,796 and hopefully, if it was ever me, 864 00:42:28,796 --> 00:42:30,089 somebody would do it for me. 865 00:42:30,089 --> 00:42:32,550 It's our job and we're serious about it. 866 00:42:34,843 --> 00:42:38,097 (unsettling music)