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00:03This program is rated 14-plus and contains scenes of violence and mature subject matter.
00:08Viewer discretion is advised.
00:13It looks like this is a robbery that has gone horribly wrong.
00:17We found her on the floor. She was hit in the back of the head. There was blood all over
00:21the floor.
00:23This is now 100% a homicide investigation.
00:28Why was she in this area working by herself? I didn't sleep for weeks after that.
00:35Within a fairly short distance of each other, within just a couple hours, we had two significant attacks.
00:43The victim had been very severely beaten and was in life-threatening condition at the moment.
00:49What really made a difference in the ATM robbery was there was CCTV.
00:56We thought, oh, we just were watching a homicide.
00:59We're not saying the incidents are connected, but there's a number of similarities that make us tend to look that
01:08way.
01:11Acknowledge that you're still under oath.
01:13Okay, this is all of your own free will.
01:15Not being forced to do this.
01:17Our number one priority is to get that offender in custody.
01:21That offender has killed an innocent individual already, and who knows what they're capable of.
01:29Welcome to Cry Beat. I'm Antony Robart.
01:31A brazen and violent attack on a young store clerk left an entire city in fear.
01:37There were no eyewitnesses and no CCTV.
01:41But soon, police discovered she wasn't the only victim.
01:46Here now is Nancy Hickst with The Night Shift.
01:55On a cold and snowy Thursday in February of 2000,
02:00two young men took a break from a night of watching movies to go get some fast food.
02:07As they approached a nearby subway,
02:10they noticed a sign on the door that read,
02:13Less than $50 in till.
02:16Clerk cannot open safe.
02:18They joked about how pointless a hold-up at this shop would be.
02:25Seconds later, they saw the outcome of that very scenario.
02:30I believe she was robbed.
02:32We found her on the floor.
02:34She was hit in the back of the head.
02:35There was blood all over the floor.
02:38She was vomiting.
02:39We saw the mess behind the counter,
02:41and when he walked around the counter,
02:43we started calling 911,
02:45and I started giving her CPR.
02:48At 11.42 p.m. on February 17th,
02:51the Calgary Police Service get a phone call
02:55to assist the paramedics at a subway along 17th Avenue,
03:00and that particular subway,
03:01when the paramedics get there,
03:04when the police get there,
03:05we have a 25-year-old employee of the subway
03:07that is in critical condition,
03:10and the paramedics are working on her.
03:12She's been attacked.
03:13The young woman had suffered massive head injuries.
03:19She was rushed to hospital by ambulance,
03:22but despite best efforts,
03:25just minutes after she arrived,
03:27she passed away.
03:28This is now 100% a homicide investigation.
03:34The entire subway restaurant and parking lot
03:38is now part of the crime scene.
03:40So we've called in our forensic crime scenes unit.
03:43Again, they're going to take photographs.
03:45They're going to look at what evidence they can collect.
03:47They're going to look for fingerprints.
03:49They're going to look for swabs.
03:51Even back then, we had DNA that we were looking for.
03:54There's napkins and pieces of paper
03:56that would normally be on a counter
03:58that are scattered on the floor.
03:59They can see that there's a large pool of blood.
04:02There appears to be some things
04:05that have been moved around or are missing,
04:07and one of the things that they noted fairly quickly
04:10is it looks like a cash register is missing.
04:18One of the things that the investigators did right away
04:20is start talking to neighbouring businesses,
04:25asking people if they saw anything.
04:27We start, again, doing neighbouring inquiries
04:29to find out, do we have any witnesses?
04:31Is there film footage somewhere?
04:34The subways back then, again, like most businesses,
04:38just didn't have the cameras,
04:40certainly not like you see today.
04:41But we were really coming up dry.
04:42Police identified the victim
04:45from a wallet and ID found at the scene.
04:49Tara MacDonald had been working alone
04:51at the subway that night
04:53when her attacker burst into the store.
04:57It looks like this is a robbery
04:59that has gone horribly wrong.
05:01This is a significant event in our community.
05:04You have a young 25-year-old woman
05:07working alone in what should be a safe job
05:11making sandwiches for people.
05:13And so it's not lost in anybody that responded
05:17or anybody working in the city
05:18that this was a significant event.
05:21And it was really all hands on deck
05:23to do whatever we could as quickly as we could.
05:26One of the techniques that we used
05:29and used in this case
05:30is we called our canine unit.
05:34Utilizing their canine dog,
05:36they began a track.
05:38What the dog followed
05:39was a trail of coins
05:42that led officers directly from the crime scene
05:45towards a nearby residential neighborhood.
05:48We were able to determine
05:50which way the subject left from the subway.
05:55And so the working theory is that
05:57the coins probably fell out of a cash register
06:00or a cash drawer
06:01that may have come from the subway.
06:05Investigators located parts of a cash register
06:07not far from the coins in a dark alley.
06:11The crime scene unit would go
06:14to any of the pieces of evidence
06:15that we were finding.
06:18But once again,
06:19hopes of identifying a suspect
06:21were quashed.
06:23Yeah, unfortunately,
06:23when we examined the evidence
06:25that we had at this point,
06:26it was still a whodunit.
06:27We did not have a name of an offender.
06:29Our number one priority
06:30is to get that offender in custody.
06:32That offender has killed
06:34an innocent individual already
06:35and who knows what they're capable of.
06:50Welcome back to Crime Beat.
06:51A violent robbery for petty cash
06:54left a young store clerk dead.
06:56This happened decades ago
06:58and surveillance cameras weren't as common.
07:00So the killer eluded police.
07:02That is, until officers realized
07:05he had a signature M.O.
07:09Here again is Nancy Hicks
07:11with the Night Shift.
07:18Police worked around the clock
07:21as the hunt for a killer intensified.
07:24This was indeed an extremely,
07:26you know, brutal, brutal homicide.
07:29The police service is doing everything
07:31in its power, you know,
07:32to they're leaving no stones unturned
07:36in this one.
07:41Early on Friday, February 18th, 2001,
07:46Deb Dorr was getting ready
07:47to leave her home in Lethbridge.
07:50She had a two-and-a-half-hour drive
07:52ahead of her to see her daughter in Calgary.
07:55Earlier that week,
07:57she had confirmed plans with Tara on the phone,
08:00not realizing those would be
08:03their final words to each other.
08:05Love you.
08:07We never ended a conversation
08:09without saying that.
08:14At about seven in the morning,
08:16Deb got a strange phone call.
08:20My ex-husband phoned.
08:23He was sobbing.
08:24And he had said,
08:26hey, there's been a robbery.
08:27Tara's dead.
08:28And as he said that,
08:29I turned the TV on
08:30and there's Tara on the TV
08:33because he had released her name to the press.
08:36So they had a picture and her name
08:40as I'm being told
08:41because the Lethbridge police
08:42hadn't got to us yet.
08:44Oh, I screamed.
08:46It was, yeah.
08:48So we went to the police station in Lethbridge
08:52and I walked up to the front desk
08:54and they had been notified
08:56and they had said,
08:58oh, I'm sorry, Deb.
08:59We were just putting a few things together for you.
09:02I said, don't worry about it.
09:03I already know.
09:04And we left and came to Calgary.
09:07Later that day,
09:09Deb met with Calgary police
09:11at the sandwich shop.
09:13They had just said
09:14that she was working alone
09:16and they hadn't caught the person yet,
09:19but they had some leads
09:22and that two young boys
09:23had tried to save her.
09:27They administered first aid and tried.
09:30They knew that there was robbery.
09:32The cash register was missing
09:34and that they would keep me posted
09:38as soon as they knew anything.
09:40It was roped off
09:42and there was hundreds of bouquets of flowers
09:46and teddy bears
09:47and everything outside the door.
09:50A stream of strangers
09:52had stopped by
09:53to pay their respects to Tara,
09:56including a former employee
09:58of that very subway.
10:00It's sad to see someone die
10:02over less than $50.
10:05Officers continued to search,
10:08retracing all steps
10:09previously taken in the dark,
10:12hoping to find further evidence,
10:14including the murder weapon.
10:16So the autopsy of Tara McDonald
10:18indicated that she died
10:20as a result of blunt force trauma
10:22to the head
10:23and that it was a blunt instrument
10:25that had struck her
10:26and the investigators believed
10:28that it was likely a hammer.
10:30Police didn't release details
10:32of the murder weapon to the public.
10:35As you know,
10:35holdback is very crucial
10:36to an investigation
10:37and it's a significant piece of evidence
10:40that, or information
10:42that only the killer
10:43and the police investigators would know.
10:46A hammer as a weapon
10:47stood out to investigators.
10:50We've got the blood trail, right?
10:52There had been another
10:54similar violent attack
10:56two hours before Tara's murder
11:00just down the street.
11:01We're not saying
11:02the incidents are connected
11:03but there's a number of similarities
11:06that make us
11:07tend to look that way.
11:09On February 17th of 2000,
11:12the Calgary Police Service
11:13received a phone call.
11:15There had been an individual
11:16from our community
11:17that had been
11:18at a Bank of Montreal ATM
11:21and had been doing
11:22some banking transactions.
11:23It's about 9.30 at night.
11:25As the community member
11:27is doing his transaction,
11:29somebody comes up from behind
11:31and begins assaulting him
11:33with what turns out
11:35to be a hammer
11:36and strikes him
11:37multiple, multiple times.
11:39The victim had been badly injured
11:42but was somehow able
11:44to stagger to a nearby business
11:46to ask for help.
11:48All covered in blood.
11:49That's all I see.
11:50Blood was dripping, actually,
11:52from his head,
11:53right on forehead
11:54and all over his face.
11:55It was literally covered in blood.
11:58Minutes later,
11:59police and EMS arrived.
12:01The victim was taken to hospital
12:04by ambulance
12:04with severe head injuries.
12:07Certainly we had a lot
12:08of resources put into that.
12:09There were cameras
12:10and so we were doing
12:12neighborhood inquiries.
12:14We were looking for evidence.
12:15We would have had
12:16a significant patrol response.
12:18And then also detectives
12:20from our general investigation unit
12:22came out to take over
12:24that investigation.
12:26We were told that there was
12:27what we call a roll job.
12:29So a person had been
12:30a personal robbery.
12:32But the victim had been
12:33very severely beaten
12:35and was in life-threatening condition
12:37at the moment.
12:39Investigators immediately noticed
12:41surveillance cameras at the bank
12:43and put a rush
12:44on getting access to CCTV.
12:47In the meantime,
12:48witnesses were interviewed
12:50and forensic evidence gathered.
12:54Just hours later,
12:57officers were shocked to learn
12:58the victim had miraculously
13:00regained consciousness in hospital.
13:03Around 4 o'clock in the morning,
13:05my partner and I
13:06attended the hospital.
13:07He couldn't recollect anything
13:08about the incident at all.
13:09He remembers running
13:11some errands prior to
13:12and then going to the bank
13:14to take some money out
13:16for groceries
13:17and pay some bills.
13:18And that last,
13:19he remembers.
13:21Didn't remember getting hit.
13:22Didn't remember stumbling
13:24along 17th Avenue.
13:25Nothing like that.
13:28Later that day,
13:30the victim underwent surgery
13:32as doctors tried to mitigate
13:34the damage caused
13:35by multiple depressed
13:37skull fractures
13:38that were putting pressure
13:39on his brain.
13:41His injuries were
13:42the result of repeated blows
13:44to the head
13:45with a hammer,
13:46all captured on CCTV.
13:49It was amazing.
13:50We thought,
13:50oh, we just were watching
13:51a homicide.
13:52It was amazing
13:53that he pulled through.
13:55We reckon that
13:56had he not escaped
13:57the vestibule at that point
13:59and got out into the public,
14:01he probably would have
14:02perished, yes.
14:04Investigators learned
14:05that his wallet,
14:06which only had about $30
14:08inside,
14:09had been stolen.
14:10his red Toyota Corolla
14:13was also missing.
14:15Just the sheer brutality
14:16of it.
14:17There really was no reason
14:18to strike a person
14:19in the back of the head.
14:21Simply brandishing it
14:22and demanding money
14:23would have been sufficient.
14:26Horrific violence
14:27for a $30 payoff.
14:30Thankfully,
14:31the attacker left behind
14:33evidence that couldn't
14:34be disputed.
14:36His face
14:37was captured on video.
14:39He had a very unique
14:40look about him
14:41and if you were a cop
14:43in Forest Lawn
14:44in the late 90s
14:46and early 2000s,
14:47you knew exactly
14:48who he was.
14:50I call him a opportunistic
14:52career criminal,
14:53I suppose.
14:54His big thing was
14:55break-in-enters,
14:56typically commercial
14:57break-in-enters.
14:58He'd done a couple
14:59residential ones,
15:00stealing cars,
15:01a lot of car thefts,
15:04simple drug possessions,
15:06being intoxicated
15:07in a public place,
15:09stuff like that,
15:09but just a career guy
15:11that everybody knew.
15:13With a person
15:14of interest identified,
15:15investigators began
15:17the arduous task
15:18of finding
15:19the career criminal
15:20who had a way
15:21of disappearing.
15:24Just blocks
15:25from the ATM investigation,
15:27detectives
15:28at the subway
15:29homicide scene
15:30wondered if they
15:31could be looking
15:32for the same offender.
15:34When you have
15:35two violent crimes
15:36like that
15:37in close proximity,
15:39that's a flag
15:41and really
15:42the ATM robbery
15:44is still being
15:45actively investigated
15:46and being pursued.
15:48So it didn't take
15:50long for the investigators
15:51to figure out
15:51there might be a linker.
15:53It is possible
15:53that's the same offender
15:54that committed
15:55the ATM robbery
15:56a few hours earlier
15:57and then traveled
15:59to the subway
16:00and committed
16:02another robbery
16:03except this time
16:03also committed
16:04homicide.
16:23In her hometown
16:24of Lethbridge,
16:26hundreds gathered
16:27to remember
16:28Tara MacDonald.
16:30We are in a state
16:31of disbelief,
16:33shock,
16:34horror,
16:34and sadness
16:35that a member
16:36of our family
16:37would be the victim
16:39of such a violent crime.
16:41It's not going to be
16:41easy to live through,
16:43but God calls you
16:44to walk close with him
16:45and he will pour out
16:46his grace upon you.
16:48He will touch your hearts
16:49with his love
16:50and you will have
16:51your memories of Tara
16:52to carry you through.
16:57Loved ones reminisced
16:59about Tara's determination
17:00and how her strength
17:02inspired others,
17:04especially after being
17:06badly injured
17:07when she was just
17:08six years old.
17:10She stuck a piece
17:12of cardboard
17:12into the furnace
17:14and it ignited her.
17:17She was burnt
17:18from her neck
17:19to her knees
17:20and her arms
17:23from her shoulders
17:25to her elbows
17:27and both her hands.
17:30For more than a decade,
17:32Tara was in and out
17:33of hospitals
17:34undergoing reconstructive surgery.
17:37It was awful,
17:38but she came through it
17:40with such a phenomenal attitude.
17:44She had a compassionate heart
17:45and aspired to be
17:47a police officer.
17:48I came home
17:49from work one day
17:50and there was
17:50a homeless person
17:52sleeping on the couch.
17:54Who's that?
17:55She said,
17:56I don't know.
17:56I said,
17:57how did you get here?
17:58I brought them home.
17:58It's not right
17:59that people sleep outside.
18:01And she just
18:02would help anyone
18:03if she could.
18:07Now,
18:08her life had been stolen
18:10for the pittance
18:12that the robber
18:12got away with.
18:14There will be nothing
18:15that I believe
18:16will take away our pain.
18:21back in Calgary,
18:23detectives were making progress
18:25in both the murder investigation
18:27and the attack
18:28at the ATM.
18:32Just a few blocks
18:33from the bank
18:34on a nearby residential road,
18:36police recovered
18:38the victim's car
18:39and seized it
18:40for a full forensic examination.
18:45In the meantime,
18:46the public got
18:47their first glimpse
18:48at the person
18:49of interest
18:50in connection
18:51with both attacks
18:52when investigators
18:54released a sketch.
18:55We had some really,
18:57really good
18:57descriptive details
18:58from the person
18:58that helped us
18:59with that composite.
19:00So we were confident
19:00that that would be
19:01a good composite.
19:02And in fact,
19:02it was.
19:03First thought was,
19:04he's a regular.
19:05He's been here for years.
19:06He's been drinking
19:06and associating
19:07around TNC for years.
19:10Detectives were able
19:11to confirm
19:12that Trevor Stang
19:13was their suspect
19:14for both crimes.
19:16Sometimes we put out
19:17sketches
19:19and we might get
19:20one or two tips.
19:21In this case,
19:22you know,
19:23we had well over 60 tips,
19:24all indicating
19:26that it was Stang.
19:28Trevor Stang
19:29was a,
19:31at that time,
19:31a lifelong offender,
19:33amassing a lot
19:34of convictions
19:34over his life
19:35up until the subway
19:36sandwich shop
19:37for crimes of violence.
19:39break and enter
19:40his possession
19:40of stolen property,
19:42that sort of thing.
19:43This was a significant break
19:45and Tara's mother
19:47reacted by sending
19:48a message to Stang
19:50through a local newspaper.
19:52Back in those days
19:53prior to social media,
19:55newspapers were
19:56a significant way
19:58of communication
19:59as was the traditional news.
20:01And so,
20:03I don't think
20:04there's anybody
20:04in the city
20:05that didn't know
20:06what had happened
20:07and that we have
20:08of an innocent
20:0825-year-old woman
20:10that's murdered
20:10while working.
20:12That shouldn't happen
20:13in our city.
20:14And so,
20:14when the family
20:16comes forward
20:17and when the victim's
20:18mom comes forward
20:19and basically
20:22pleads
20:22for the killer
20:23to turn himself in,
20:24that was pretty powerful.
20:27By now,
20:28investigators had also
20:30finally tracked down
20:31Stang
20:32and put him
20:33under 24-hour surveillance.
20:35There was a lot
20:36going on
20:37and the investigators
20:38are trying to balance
20:39the investigation
20:40as well as the risk
20:41of keeping this person
20:42in our community
20:43and not locked up.
20:44So,
20:44we didn't have
20:45anything significant
20:46to charge him
20:48when it comes
20:48to the murder.
20:49Again,
20:49it's all speculation.
20:51He's our suspect
20:52but it's because
20:53of the MO,
20:53it's because
20:54of the location
20:54but that's not good
20:55enough to arrest somebody.
20:58But police felt
20:59the risk was too high
21:01when covert officers
21:03saw him head
21:04towards the same
21:05busy area
21:06where both violent crimes
21:08had taken place.
21:11At 5.30 in the morning,
21:13our surveillance units
21:15indicate that
21:16Stang is walking
21:17by himself
21:18on a sidewalk
21:19on 17th Avenue
21:20and that's our opportunity.
21:22There's nobody else around.
21:23There's very few
21:24pedestrians,
21:25very few cars.
21:26that was our opportunity
21:27to make the arrest
21:28and the detectives
21:29themselves arrested him.
21:31Trevor Stang
21:32was taken into custody.
21:34He's transported
21:35to the arrest processing unit
21:37and not only
21:40is he photographed
21:40but also
21:42we seized the clothing
21:43that he was wearing
21:44and ultimately
21:45we sent that clothing
21:46up to the crime lab
21:47for analysis.
21:48Stang immediately
21:50called his sister.
21:52Hey.
21:52Hey.
21:54What's happening?
21:55Not much.
21:56I'm just being questioned.
21:57I'm in an interrogation cell.
21:59Oh.
22:00They let me have
22:01a phone call
22:03and a couple
22:04let me use the phone
22:05because I'm
22:06looking at this stuff
22:07so scary.
22:09Yeah.
22:09But you know,
22:10it got me
22:10pretty emotional
22:11anyways.
22:13Yeah.
22:14At that point,
22:16Trevor Stang
22:17was only charged
22:18in connection
22:19with the attack
22:20and robbery
22:20at the ATM.
22:21He called
22:23to update
22:23his mother.
22:24My charges
22:25are attempted
22:26murder,
22:28aggravated
22:29assault,
22:30robbery,
22:31and I'm
22:32wanted for
22:33questioning
22:33on that
22:34Sarah
22:35McDonald murder.
22:36Oh yeah.
22:38That's when
22:39key evidence
22:40related to the murder
22:41came to light.
22:43The investigators
22:43realized that
22:44where
22:45Stang's sister's
22:47house is
22:47and where
22:48Stang has
22:48been staying
22:49multiple times
22:49is just a short
22:51walk from where
22:52the subway
22:53homicide took place.
22:54On February
22:5526th at
22:5711pm,
22:58investigators
22:59go to the
22:59sister's residence
23:00with a search
23:01warrant and
23:02we were able
23:02to talk to
23:03the sister
23:03and obviously
23:04search the
23:05residence for
23:06some things
23:06that we were
23:06looking for.
23:08As officers
23:09searched
23:10Stang's
23:11sister's
23:11home,
23:12she agreed
23:13to go to
23:13police headquarters
23:14and speak
23:15with detectives.
23:16As part
23:17of that
23:18interview,
23:20she was
23:21showing the
23:21video of
23:22the ETM
23:22robbery
23:23and she
23:24broke down.
23:25It was pretty
23:26clear that
23:26she knew
23:27who the
23:28offender was
23:28and again
23:29it's a
23:29very violent
23:30attack
23:30and she
23:32decided at
23:33that point
23:33that she
23:34wanted to
23:34speak to
23:35police
23:36and tell
23:37what happened.
23:47In the
23:48days following
23:49the murder
23:49of Tara
23:50McDonald,
23:51police
23:52expanded
23:52their search
23:53from the
23:54trail
23:54canine
23:55trackers
23:55had
23:56originally
23:56identified.
23:58We've
23:59had a number
24:00of Crime
24:00Stoppers
24:00tips come in
24:01as you
24:01well know
24:01and some
24:02of the
24:03tips indicate
24:03that perhaps
24:04something was
24:05either deposited
24:06or thrown
24:06into the
24:06field here
24:07so that's
24:08what we're
24:08searching
24:08for.
24:11Police
24:11recruited
24:12volunteers
24:13skilled in
24:14using metal
24:15detectors.
24:16How good
24:16are these
24:17things?
24:17Very.
24:18I can pick
24:19up the
24:19back off
24:19an earring
24:20three inches
24:21underground
24:21with a good
24:22clear signal.
24:23But in the
24:24end, it
24:25wasn't these
24:25volunteers who
24:27located key
24:28evidence in
24:29this case.
24:30We were doing
24:31a grid search
24:31there with
24:31searchers
24:32including
24:32canine
24:33and the
24:34team came
24:35across what
24:35we were looking
24:36for, one of
24:36the things
24:37we were looking
24:37for.
24:37It's
24:38significant
24:38because it's
24:39close to the
24:40subway shop
24:41where the
24:41homicide took
24:42place and
24:42the ATM.
24:43That helps
24:43us to
24:44establish a
24:44number of
24:45things including
24:45the path of
24:48the person
24:48who took
24:48the cash
24:49register.
24:51We found
24:52some black
24:53pieces of
24:54plastic.
24:55We also
24:55found what
24:56looked like
24:57a metal
24:57cash drawer
24:58and we
24:59also found
25:00that some
25:01of the
25:01items had
25:01been duct
25:02taped and
25:02they were
25:03inside a
25:03plastic bag.
25:04All of
25:05the exhibits
25:05were sent
25:06for
25:07fingerprinting
25:08and sometimes
25:09this happens
25:09but unfortunately
25:10we weren't
25:11able to get
25:11any further
25:12forensics
25:13from those
25:13pieces of
25:15evidence that
25:16we found.
25:18In the meantime,
25:20forensic crime
25:21scenes officers
25:22continued to
25:23search Trevor
25:24Stang's sister's
25:25home as she
25:26opened up to
25:27homicide
25:28investigators.
25:29So she talked
25:30about how
25:31earlier in the
25:32day that
25:33Stang had
25:33indicated that
25:34he needed
25:34to go get
25:35some drugs.
25:36He left
25:37for a period
25:38of time.
25:39When he
25:39came back
25:40he had
25:41$30 cash.
25:42He had
25:43some vehicle
25:44that had
25:45not been
25:46seen before.
25:47As investigators
25:48start piecing
25:48this together
25:49and putting
25:49it together
25:49they realize
25:50that the
25:52timeline seems
25:53to fit
25:53with the
25:53ATM robbery
25:54where $30
25:55were stolen
25:56from the
25:56victim and
25:57the vehicle
25:58matches the
25:58vehicle that
25:59was stolen
25:59from him.
26:00She also
26:01talks about
26:02her boyfriend
26:02being at
26:03the house
26:03at the
26:03same time
26:04so when
26:05Stang came
26:06back it
26:07was her
26:08her brother
26:09and her
26:09boyfriend
26:10and they
26:10all did
26:10drugs
26:11together.
26:11Throughout
26:12this time
26:12Stang is
26:14showing up
26:14with some
26:15money and
26:17or drugs
26:17or he
26:18has money
26:19he leaves
26:19gets drugs
26:20comes back
26:20they smoke
26:21it he
26:21then leaves
26:22again so
26:23there's this
26:24coming and
26:24going of
26:25Stang
26:25throughout
26:25that time.
26:27Carol Stang
26:28told police
26:29that around
26:3010.30
26:31on the
26:31night of
26:32the
26:32attacks
26:32her brother
26:33once again
26:34left to
26:35get more
26:35money and
26:36drugs.
26:38She said
26:39he returned
26:40about an
26:40hour later
26:41carrying a
26:43steel box.
26:44And the
26:44three of
26:45them
26:46Stang,
26:47his sister
26:47and her
26:48boyfriend
26:48all are
26:49attempting
26:50to gain
26:50access to
26:51this box.
26:52When they
26:53did get
26:53access to
26:54the box
26:54there was
26:55a couple
26:55hundred
26:56dollars in
26:56there.
26:57Stang's
26:57sister
26:57indicates
26:58that
26:58she knew
26:59that the
27:00box came
27:01from
27:01Subway
27:01because
27:02of the
27:02pieces
27:02of paper
27:03that were
27:03in there
27:03but she
27:04just assumed
27:05that it
27:05was a
27:06theft.
27:06And it
27:07wasn't until
27:07the next
27:07morning when
27:09it really
27:09broke on
27:10the news
27:11that she
27:11saw that
27:12there had
27:12been a
27:12homicide
27:13at the
27:14subway
27:14and that's
27:15when she
27:15was able
27:16to piece
27:16things
27:16together
27:17and realize
27:18that her
27:19brother
27:19very, very
27:20likely
27:21committed a
27:21homicide.
27:22She
27:23indicated
27:23to us
27:23that as
27:24she was
27:24panicking
27:25and trying
27:25to clean
27:26some of
27:26these items
27:27she took
27:27them out
27:28of the
27:28house
27:28and got
27:29rid of
27:29them
27:29but that
27:30she would
27:31be willing
27:31to show
27:31us where
27:32they were.
27:33In the
27:34middle of
27:34the night
27:35the murder
27:35suspect
27:36Trevor
27:37Stang's
27:37own sister
27:38agreed to
27:40walk
27:40investigators
27:41to the
27:41place she
27:42had disposed
27:43of key
27:44evidence.
27:45This is
27:46Sunday
27:47February
27:47the 27th
27:48it's
27:493.30
27:49a.m.
27:50we're
27:50now at
27:512804
27:5246th
27:53Street
27:53Southeast
27:53and this
27:54is Carol
27:55Stang.
27:56I'm
27:56John
27:56Dukes
27:58acknowledge
27:58that you're
27:58so under
27:59oath
27:59that we
28:00provided you
28:01with a KGB
28:01statement
28:02and you've
28:03offered to
28:03take me
28:03from your
28:04house
28:04and show
28:04me where
28:05some items
28:05were stashed
28:06okay this
28:07is all of
28:07your own
28:08free will
28:08you're not
28:09being forced
28:10to do
28:10this
28:10I appreciate
28:11your cooperation
28:12and this
28:12is all
28:13the truth
28:18Carol Stang
28:18told police
28:19she hid
28:20the cash
28:21drawer
28:21near this
28:22tree
28:22which is
28:23exactly
28:24where officers
28:25had located
28:26it during
28:27their grid
28:27search
28:28just hours
28:29earlier
28:29from here
28:30you told me
28:32there's some
28:32other items
28:33placed
28:34now where
28:34would they be
28:34at?
28:34behind those
28:35blue condos
28:36there's
28:37the blue track
28:38okay
28:38now what's
28:39over there
28:40um
28:41blackened
28:42hammer
28:44and
28:45the other
28:47pieces
28:47of the
28:48register
28:57stang's
28:58sister told
28:59us that
28:59she found
29:00a ball
29:01peen
29:01hammer
29:01in the
29:02residence
29:03she believed
29:04that it was
29:04the homicide
29:05weapon
29:06and in fact
29:07had taken
29:08step to
29:08clean that
29:09particular
29:09hammer
29:10again that
29:11was hold
29:11back
29:11information
29:12that we
29:13hadn't
29:13told anybody
29:16the hammer
29:16was covered
29:17in snow
29:19and really
29:19it was just
29:20a partial
29:20piece of
29:21the hammer
29:21that we're
29:23seeing but
29:23the fact that
29:24she was able
29:25to lead
29:25directly to
29:26there and
29:27point out
29:27exactly where
29:28she put
29:28the hammer
29:29again just
29:30adds to
29:31the reliability
29:32of the
29:32information
29:33she's giving
29:33she did
29:34say that
29:35she had
29:35cleaned
29:36the hammer
29:36and when
29:38we sent
29:39it to
29:39the lab
29:39forensics
29:40did indicate
29:41that it
29:42looked like
29:42it had been
29:43cleaned and
29:43so there
29:44was no
29:45DNA that
29:46we were able
29:46to get
29:46that was
29:47usable
29:48that night
29:49Carol Stang
29:50told her
29:50boyfriend
29:51to cooperate
29:52and tell
29:52officers the
29:53truth
29:54Mario I want
29:55you to
29:56understand that
29:56we're still
29:57under the
29:57KGB statement
29:59oath
30:00okay you're
30:01still required
30:02to tell us
30:02the truth
30:02okay so
30:03I'm asking
30:05you to take
30:05us to the
30:06location that
30:07you indicated
30:07in your
30:08statement
30:09okay are
30:10you willing
30:10to do that
30:11for us
30:12okay
30:12just show
30:14us the
30:15way
30:15before you
30:16went
30:16first
30:17yeah
30:17show us
30:18the direction
30:18that you
30:19went
30:33okay
30:34good
30:37suddenly
30:38police had
30:39a mountain
30:39of evidence
30:40against Trevor
30:41Stang
30:42for both
30:42the attack
30:43at the ATM
30:44and the
30:45murder of
30:45Tara McDonald
30:46but
30:47investigators
30:48continued to
30:49gather further
30:50proof against
30:51him while he
30:53was in custody
30:53awaiting trial
30:55so one of the
30:56things that
30:57Stang was doing
30:57while he was
30:58in remand
30:59was he was
30:59calling people
31:00and having
31:01conversations
31:01with them
31:02about what
31:02he did
31:03and essentially
31:05was making
31:05confessions
31:06to them
31:06those calls
31:08were recorded
31:09and included
31:10this one
31:10to his
31:11mother
31:29Stang reached
31:30out to
31:30several
31:31friends
31:43in one
31:45conversation
31:46he complained
31:47about his
31:48sister's
31:49cooperation
31:49with police
31:50I have
31:51my own
31:52family
31:52you know
31:53rat me
31:53out
31:54and now
31:54I'm being
31:54charged
31:54with first
31:55degree murder
31:56you know
31:57my charges
31:58would have
31:58been
31:58that
31:59slaughter
31:59charge
31:59it's not
32:00first degree murder
32:01if you were
32:02kept it
32:03or set
32:03oh I got
32:05that paper
32:06right here
32:06in front of me
32:08the paper
32:09for the family
32:10oh
32:12for paint
32:13murder charge
32:14at hand
32:15ah yeah
32:17announcement
32:18today
32:18to a
32:19murder charge
32:20page 3
32:21murder charge
32:23at hand
32:24at least
32:25expected to
32:26announce
32:26today
32:26they'll charge
32:27Trevor Kirsten
32:28with murder
32:29of Subway Park
32:29Tara McDonald
32:30tomorrow
32:32and then
32:33Stang admitted
32:35to attacking
32:36Tara McDonald
32:37with a hammer
32:38what you used
32:40a hammer
32:40or something
32:41yeah
32:42that's what
32:43they're saying
32:45that's what
32:46I did
32:46use
32:47yeah
32:59we have
33:00Stang
33:01who
33:02is caught
33:03on wiretap
33:04actually admitting
33:05to
33:07striking
33:07Tara McDonald
33:08on the head
33:09with a hammer
33:10and killing her
33:10also striking
33:12the ATM victim
33:13on the head
33:14with a hammer
33:14and that's all
33:17caught with his
33:18own voice
33:18which is a very
33:19very powerful
33:20confession
33:22but would this
33:23new evidence
33:24be enough
33:25to convince
33:26a jury
33:26beyond a
33:27reasonable doubt
33:39welcome back
33:41two seemingly
33:42random acts
33:43of violence
33:43just 10 blocks
33:44from each other
33:45left one person
33:46dead
33:47another badly
33:48injured
33:48both victims
33:49were attacked
33:50with a hammer
33:51leading police
33:52to look at
33:52the same suspect
33:53but will key
33:54evidence from
33:55his own sister
33:56be enough
33:56to secure justice
33:58for Tara McDonald
34:01here now
34:01is Nancy Hickst
34:02with a conclusion
34:03of the night shift
34:17so this here
34:18is the
34:19the BMO
34:20where the first
34:21attack happened
34:22right in the
34:23in the vestibule
34:24here at the ATM
34:27and then
34:28about 10 blocks
34:29behind us
34:30in that direction
34:31is where the
34:32subway is
34:33or was
34:34and where
34:35we had the murder
34:40on a cold winter night
34:42in February
34:43of 2000
34:44police believed
34:45a drug addict's
34:47desire for money
34:48and cocaine
34:49fueled a violent
34:51crime spree
34:52that left one man
34:53with a brain injury
34:55and a young woman
34:56dead
34:57what we have
34:58is a prolific
34:58offender
34:59that was addicted
35:00to drugs
35:01and that's what
35:02he cared about
35:03was getting money
35:04to buy drugs
35:05that would be
35:06the prosecution's
35:07theory
35:07in two separate
35:08trials
35:09so after the
35:10ATM robbery
35:11where he gets
35:12$30 from
35:13the victim's
35:15wallet
35:15and the car
35:16he goes back
35:17to his sister's
35:18place
35:18tells them
35:19that he has
35:19this car
35:20which they ask
35:21him to park
35:21somewhere else
35:22and he's got
35:23$30
35:23so he then goes
35:24out to buy
35:25some crack cocaine
35:26comes back
35:27$30 of crack cocaine
35:29doesn't last long
35:29they use up
35:30the crack cocaine
35:31then he has
35:32the brilliant idea
35:33of going to get
35:34more money
35:35to buy more
35:35crack cocaine
35:36that's where
35:37Tara McDonald
35:37came in
35:38these types of crimes
35:39are target
35:41focused
35:42the target
35:42is the money
35:44and however you
35:45get the money
35:46doesn't really matter
35:47so whether it is
35:48hitting someone
35:49over the head
35:49with a hammer
35:50stealing a car
35:51breaking into a home
35:54any of those things
35:55the target
35:55is to get the money
35:56to get the drugs
35:57and then you need
35:59to get more money
35:59to get more drugs
36:00and so it is crime
36:02that fuels
36:04that repetitive
36:05endless cycle
36:06at the onset
36:07of the first trial
36:09for the attack
36:10at the ATM
36:11that was caught
36:12on video
36:12Trevor Stang
36:14pleaded guilty
36:15to robbery
36:15but he denied
36:17attempting to kill
36:18the victim
36:19a key forensic
36:20finding in this case
36:22came from the
36:23jeans that Trevor
36:24Stang was wearing
36:25when he was arrested
36:26those jeans
36:28had blood on them
36:30and through DNA
36:31testing
36:31that was linked
36:32not to Tara McDonald
36:33but to the
36:35ATM robbery victim
36:37and so that
36:38also helped
36:39to link
36:40his involvement
36:41in the spree
36:43that occurred
36:43that evening
36:44in the end
36:46a judge
36:46acquitted him
36:47of attempted murder
36:48and convicted him
36:50of aggravated assault
36:52in handing down
36:54a 10 year prison term
36:56the judge noted
36:57Stang made
36:58no expression
36:59of remorse
37:03then
37:04in the fall
37:05of 2001
37:06Tara McDonald's
37:07mother
37:08went to court
37:09to see her daughter's
37:10accused killer
37:11stand trial
37:12in front of a jury
37:17The subway sandwich shop
37:19murder was a crime
37:22of convenience
37:23Tara McDonald
37:24was a young woman
37:25working at the subway
37:26sandwich shop
37:27working by herself
37:28at night
37:29she wasn't hanging
37:30around with the wrong
37:30people
37:31she wasn't doing
37:31bad things
37:32she was just
37:33doing her job
37:34and that's the kind
37:36of murder
37:36that people
37:37are more afraid
37:38of
37:38where you're
37:38just doing
37:40your life
37:40you're just
37:41doing things
37:41in life
37:42and you happen
37:43to be the
37:44chosen victim
37:45little did she know
37:46but Trevor Stang
37:47was out
37:48looking to make
37:49some quick cash
37:50to buy some
37:50crack cocaine
37:51he went into
37:52the subway sandwich
37:53shop
37:54she was working
37:54alone
37:55there were no
37:55customers
37:56he went up
37:57to her
37:57and with a
37:58four pound
37:59hammer
38:00struck her
38:01on the back
38:02of the head
38:03collapsing
38:03her skull
38:05and then
38:06stole the
38:07cash register
38:08he wasn't smart
38:09enough to open
38:09the cash register
38:10so he actually
38:11stole the entire
38:12cash register
38:13and then
38:15ran away with it
38:16along with
38:18wiretap
38:18admissions
38:19Stang made
38:20while in custody
38:21awaiting trial
38:22the jury heard
38:24evidence from
38:24Stang's own
38:25sister
38:26and her boyfriend
38:28his calls
38:29from the
38:29remand center
38:30made it very
38:31clear
38:32that he was
38:33the killer
38:33his remand
38:35center calls
38:35alone
38:36probably
38:37would have
38:38put him
38:39in the
38:40frame for
38:41conviction
38:42but his
38:42sister's evidence
38:43really gave us
38:44the context
38:45for the robbery
38:47for coming
38:47home with
38:48the cash
38:48drawer
38:49for getting
38:50rid of the
38:50evidence
38:51that sort
38:52of thing
38:54the evidence
38:55against
38:56Stang
38:56was overwhelming
38:58yet he refused
38:59to admit
39:00to the murder
39:01the defense
39:02was that this
39:04was a
39:04manslaughter
39:05the argument
39:06before the
39:06jury was that
39:08there was no
39:09intent to kill
39:10no intent to
39:10cause bodily
39:11harm that would
39:12rise to the
39:12level of murder
39:13this was an
39:15unintentional
39:15killing
39:16a robbery
39:17gone bad
39:19and that was
39:20the logical
39:21argument for the
39:21defense to make
39:22to the jury
39:24after hearing
39:25nearly three
39:26weeks of
39:27evidence
39:27the jury
39:28deliberated
39:29for just
39:30five hours
39:31the jury
39:32did not
39:33convict
39:33of first
39:34degree murder
39:35and it was
39:35absolutely
39:36open to them
39:37to do what
39:38they did
39:38they convicted
39:39him of second
39:40degree murder
39:40they could have
39:41convicted him of
39:42first degree
39:42murder but they
39:43clearly weren't
39:43satisfied beyond
39:44a reasonable
39:44doubt that there
39:46had been enough
39:46planning or
39:47premeditation to
39:48rise to the
39:49level of first
39:50degree murder
39:50but they clearly
39:51had no difficulty
39:52convicting him of
39:53second degree
39:53murder because
39:54they were satisfied
39:55there was an
39:56intent to kill
39:56or an intent to
39:58cause bodily harm
39:59and being reckless
40:00as to whether
40:01death ensued or
40:02not
40:02prior to being
40:04sentenced
40:05Stang stood up
40:06in court and
40:07said he wished
40:08he could take
40:09it back
40:09I mean you say
40:11I'm sorry to
40:11people when you
40:12bump into them
40:13on the street
40:13you don't say
40:14I'm sorry to
40:15their families
40:15after you hit
40:16them over the
40:16head with a
40:17hammer
40:17Stang was
40:18sentenced to
40:19life in
40:20prison with
40:20no chance of
40:21parole
40:22for 18
40:23years
40:25it's a fair
40:25sentence
40:26this was a
40:27terrible crime
40:28there's no doubt
40:29about it
40:29and it was
40:31resulted in
40:32very tragic
40:33consequences
40:33well all the
40:34evidence went
40:35before the
40:35judge
40:36I think he
40:37considered all
40:37the appropriate
40:38factors and he
40:39gave a decision
40:39that's within the
40:40range in law
40:42I'm a bit
40:43disappointed
40:43but that just
40:45meant that he
40:45can't fly to get
40:46out for any
40:47until 18 years
40:48is up
40:49just when he's
40:50going to get
40:50out if I
40:51have anything
40:51to do
40:52and say
40:52to love
40:54even with
40:55Tara's killer
40:56behind bars
40:57there was no
40:58peace for her
40:59mother
40:59I thought it
41:01was unfinished
41:01because I do
41:02believe that
41:04not out of
41:06revenge or
41:07anything they
41:08should have to
41:08face the
41:09victim's family
41:10she decided to
41:11visit Trevor
41:12Stang at
41:13Bowdoin
41:14institution
41:15because I was
41:16raised that
41:17prisons are
41:18country club
41:19settings and
41:20that they can
41:20get their
41:21education and
41:22you know
41:23I'd never had
41:25anything to do
41:25with the justice
41:26system so to
41:28go in and go
41:30through the
41:30doors that
41:32slam automatically
41:33behind you and
41:35the security
41:35clearance and
41:37then it was in
41:39a room half
41:40this size just
41:41across a table
41:42they brought
41:43him in
41:44handcuffed
41:45and shackled
41:46and he was
41:47absolutely
41:48terrified
41:50and I think
41:51that might have
41:51given me
41:53the strength
41:54to I wasn't
41:56going to buckle
41:56in front of him
41:57oh he was
41:58crying and
41:59he apologized
42:01prophetically
42:02and like he
42:04kept asking me
42:05if I forgave
42:07him and he
42:07says no
42:08I says that's
42:09not up to
42:09me I don't
42:11have to
42:12forgive you
42:12it's not
42:14my place
42:14you know
42:16he said
42:17Tara was
42:17his only
42:18victim he
42:19had ever
42:20left behind
42:20and I
42:22says but
42:22you had
42:2240 some
42:23prior convictions
42:24maybe not
42:25murder but
42:26other victims
42:29and he
42:30didn't see
42:31them as
42:31victims
42:32because they
42:32were alive
42:36Stang
42:37remains in
42:38prison
42:38Deb
42:40Dorr
42:40continues
42:41to attend
42:41his parole
42:42hearings
42:43and even
42:44visited him
42:44for a second
42:45time in
42:46custody
42:47in 2025
42:49he was just
42:50very quiet
42:51and reserved
42:52and said
42:54he'd served
42:55his sentence
42:55and I says
42:56yes but
42:56your 25
42:57year sentence
42:58is what
42:59they consider
43:00life where
43:01I get the
43:01life sentence
43:03without my
43:04daughter
43:04and that
43:06he didn't
43:07see nothing
43:07to that
43:08I really
43:09don't feel
43:09anything
43:10towards him
43:12like I
43:12say I
43:12think I'm
43:13more angry
43:14about
43:15well I'm
43:16angry at
43:16him and I
43:17always will
43:17be but not
43:18to the point
43:18where it's
43:19going to eat
43:19me alive
43:21I don't care
43:22if he
43:22forgets me
43:23but I don't
43:25want him to
43:25ever forget
43:26what he did
43:26to her
43:31Deb often
43:33visits her
43:34daughter's
43:34final resting
43:35place at
43:36a cemetery
43:37not far
43:38from the
43:38home where
43:39Tara grew
43:40up in
43:40Lethbridge
43:43every time
43:44she's reminded
43:46of the
43:46magnitude
43:47of what
43:48she lost
43:49there's been
43:50lots of
43:51weddings
43:51and births
43:53I'm lucky
43:53enough I've
43:54got 10
43:55grandchildren
43:55and two
43:56great
43:56grandchildren
43:59and I
44:00see what
44:00they missed
44:02out on
44:02to me all
44:03my kids
44:04were spectacular
44:05but Tara
44:07fought for
44:08everything she
44:08had and
44:11excelled at
44:11everything
44:12and still
44:13never lost
44:14the compassion
44:15or the
44:15caring
44:16or she
44:18would help
44:18anyone
44:18I mean if
44:19he demanded
44:20the money
44:20she probably
44:21would have
44:21made him
44:21a sandwich
44:22to go
44:22with it
44:27when Trevor
44:28Stang was
44:28convicted of
44:29murder he
44:30had a record
44:30with approximately
44:3140 prior
44:32convictions
44:33Stang was
44:34also investigated
44:35in relation to
44:36hammer attacks
44:37and robberies
44:38involving two
44:39cab drivers
44:40in 1999
44:41in the end
44:42he was convicted
44:43of one count
44:44of robbery
44:45Tara McDonald's
44:46family hoped
44:47her death
44:48would lead to
44:48laws being
44:49passed
44:49preventing
44:50businesses
44:51from having
44:51solo workers
44:53at night
44:53but that
44:54never happened
44:55in Alberta
44:58thank you for
44:59joining us
45:00tonight on
45:00Crime Beat
45:01I'm Anthony
45:02Robart
45:03want more
45:04episodes of
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45:14past episodes
45:15of Crime Beat
45:16go to the
45:17Global TV app
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45:19dot com
45:20or check out
45:21our Crime Beat
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