The Ghosts of Highway 16

Was Wendy Ratte's husband her knight in shining armor, or a jealous murderer? How did Monica McKay vanish on the biggest New Years Eve ever, and miss the new millennium?

Sometimes parents do everything right--or at least, everything they can, and kids still go miss or make decisions that split the family apart. Sometimes, kids don't have anyone to reel them back in. When parents, law enforcement, and the legal system fail, we get our next two cases on the Highway of Tears.

In late 1994, three very similar disappearances occurred along the Highway of Tears. In this 2 part episode, we'll look at what tied them together, what set them apart, and what made the police turn a blind eye on three missing teenage girls.

Alcohol should never be an excuse for murder, but it seems I'm in the minority with that opinion. Tonight we have two cases dealing with extreme intoxication: one on the part of the killer, and one on the part of the victim. There is a trigger warning for the first half of the episode due to domestic violence and sexual assault. If you want to skip it, you can go straight into our second case by skipping ahead to 9:47.

In this episode, we get our first real look at how the systemic racism in British Columbia has set back investigations into the Highway of Tears, and let killers walk free.

In this episode, we finish out the deadliest year on highway 16, and the threads of our various cases start to come together. Now with new and improved sound! I got a new mic!

Summer, 1989: The entire Jack family disappears from Highway 16 on their way to take a dream job at a logging camp: work for Mom and Dad, housing provided, and even free child care. An absolute dream for a down-on-their-luck couple with two young kids. Did they have an accident along the way, or was the job offer just too good to be true?

There are multiple serial killers tied to the Highway of Tears, and today we'll be looking at the first: Bobby Jack Fowler.

Details are scanty on two of our cases this week, but nonethless we have our most heroic victim to date in the form of Hazel White. Apologies for the background noise this episode--frog season came a month early and I really can't do anything about it with a pond right outside my window. Hopefully it's more atmospheric than annoying.

Family has a huge impact on us. In the case of Delphine Nikal, her uncle not only took her in after her mother fell terribly ill, but then spent years trying to clear his own name while looking for her after she went missing. And then there's the case of Donna Mae Charlie. Donna's murderer convinced a nephew to help him bury her after murdering her in a motel room.

Tonight we have the tragic tale of the Rochon family, three women and an infant wiped out in a single night by an arsonist.

Sorry for the late episode--it's been a really rough week. But, you kind of get a twofer this time around. In the first part of the episode, we're looking at the three victims of serial killer Edward Issac, who liked to murder young women and girls "just for fun." In the second half, we look at the tragic tale of Shelley Ann Bascue, a disabled teen who did everything right, but was still swallowed by the Highway of Tears.

In this episode, we look at the history of the RCMP and why they have such a contentious relationship with the local population. Apologies for any background noise on this episode--Some days, I just can't get around the fact that I live near an airport.

It's never a good time to be on the Highway of Tears, but all three victims from 1970-71 were hitchhiking or walking along Highway 16 when they went missing or were killed. Learn what else they had in common--and what differentiates them. For transcripts and show notes, please visit 16Ghosts.com.

Welcome to the Ghosts of Highway 16, a true crime podcast exploring the missing and murdered women of the Highway of Tears in British Columbia, Canada. In this episode we look at the background of the Highway, get an overview of the investigations (or lack thereof), and look at the first two victims, Tracey Clifton and Gloria Levine "Lee" Moody.

Coming July 28th, 2023, The Ghosts of Highway 16 is a true crime podcast exploring the missing and murdered women along the Highway of Tears in British Columbia. While the RCMP only recognizes 18 cases, we'll be looking at all 83 cases (so far) and 90 victims (so far) to see if we can find patterns or maybe jog the memory of a witness who might take these victims from cold cases to solved. Find full transcripts, sources and more at 16Ghosts.com