Scattered, Episode 9 – More Sounds of Dead Pig….

It seems that the previous episode with Amanda Johnson was a turning point for the Scattered podcast. That episode has an average of 200 downloads per day, so I want to thank everyone who listens for listening. It means the world to me that you are listening and interested in this topic! For this new...

Scattered, Episode 8 – A Chat with a Detective

What have we covered so far? Setting out pig carcasses for a study on searching for remains - check. Searching for said remains - check. How about applying this information to real contexts? How do the police approach searching for remains? What's the insider scoop on this? I talked to Amanda Johnson, Acting Detective with...

Scattered, Episode 7 – The Sound of Dead Pig….

You've read all about the searches, now listen to how we got there. Yes, it's a bit backward, mostly because producing a podcast episode takes longer than a grizzly bear scavenging on a pig carcass. Who knew? Check out the series of posts ("The Smell of Dead Pig in the Morning") that features pictures and...

The Smell of Dead Pig in the Morning: The Search, Pt IV

On August 4th, a team that consisted of Shari Forbes, a few Calgary Police Services Canine Unit officers and me, put out four pig carcasses in the wilds outside of Calgary so that we may see what scavenged upon them and eventually -- hopefully -- scattered the pigs' remains. On September 2nd, we returned, with...

The Smell of Dead Pig in the Morning: The Search, Pt III

On August 4th, a team that consisted of Shari Forbes, a few Calgary Police Services Canine Unit officers and me, put out four pig carcasses in the wilds outside of Calgary so that we may see what scavenged upon them and eventually -- hopefully -- scattered the pigs' remains. On September 2nd, we returned, with...

The Smell of Dead Pig in the Morning: The Search, Pt II

On August 4th, a team that consisted of Shari Forbes, a few Calgary Police Services Canine Unit officers and me, put out four pig carcasses in the wilds outside of Calgary so that we may see what scavenged upon them and eventually -- hopefully -- scattered the pigs' remains. On September 2nd, we returned, with...

The Smell of Dead Pig in the Morning: The Search, Pt I

A month ago, a team that consisted of Shari Forbes, a few Calgary Police Services Canine Unit officers and me, put out four pig carcasses in the wilds outside of Calgary so that we may see what scavenged upon them and eventually -- hopefully -- scattered the pigs' remains. On Thursday, we returned, with some...

The Smell of Dead Pig in the Morning

It isn't napalm. (Not a bad thing.) I don't love it. But it's a part of doing research with dead pigs. Why am I smelling dead pig in the morning (and still, back home, at night)? Because I was out with Calgary Police K9 officers and Shari Forbes (pictured) today helping to set up the...

Volunteering with Benefits

I recently became a collective member for the non-fiction section of fillingStation Magazine. Why? I like volunteering and, when choosing where and with whom I volunteer, I always try find someplace that suits my talents, desires, or where I want to go in life. Years ago, I volunteered with the Calgary Police Service. I'd grown...

Stories from the Field: Downton Abbey in Cowtown

Calgary ain't got nothing on Downton Abbey. But it tries. Like a 19-year old woman fast approaching spinsterhood in Victorian London, Yvonne is networking as if her life depended on it. Freelance writing and editing isn't a full-time gig, and Yvonne needs to secure herself an income. However, instead of focusing on a rich husband,...