The Murder of Liu Qian

ONTARIO, CANADA

Sometime after midnight in 2011, 23 year old York University student Liu Qian was chatting to an old friend via webcam as she studied in her tiny basement dorm room in Toronto. But there was a knock at her door—and her friend on the other side of the computer screen would be the only witness to the terror that would unfold.

* Correction - in the episode we incorrectly state that Qian was born in 1989. She was actually born in 1987. Our apologies.

Further Information:
Open Letter, Photos and Artworks of Liu Qian from her father, translated by Professor Charles Burton and published by the Toronto Star
Canadian Universities are Failing Students on Sexual Assault, by Zane Schwartz, published in Macleans 2018

Credits: 

Research: Gemma Harris
Additional research and writing: Kristi Lee
Audio editing and production: We Talk of Dreams 
Disclaimer voiced by the host of True

Music Credits:

Theme Song: We Talk of Dreams
Kai Engel - Mist and Clouds, Maree, Tumult, Chance, Delirium, Global Warming, Harbor, Mercy
Blue Dot Sessions - Dawn Line Approaching, Cover Letter, Darkened Treeline, Cold and Hard
Sergey Cherimisinov - Fog, Clouds

Main Information Sources:

COURT DOCUMENTS:
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/2016/2016onca665/2016onca665.html?resultIndex=7 
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2014/2014onsc2385/2014onsc2385.html

NEWS ARCHIVES:
1. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/man-accused-in-qian-liu-s-death-had-anti-psychotic-meds-trial-hears-1.2588874 (excerpts from Brian’s police interview)

2. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2445170371

3. https://toronto.citynews.ca/2014/03/28/man-tells-murder-trial-he-saw-ex-girlfriend-attacked-via-webcam/ 

4.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/qian-liu-died-of-neck-compression-pathologist-says-1.2593450 

5.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/man-accused-in-qian-liu-s-death-had-anti-psychotic-meds-trial-hears-1.2588874 

6.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/webcam-trial-brian-dickson-found-guilty-in-murder-of-qian-liu-1.2600631 

7.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/webcam-murder-parents-hope-for-improved-student-safety-1.2606360 

8.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/york-university-security-scrutinized-after-assault-1.989792 

9.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/murder-charge-laid-in-york-u-student-death-1.982456 

10.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/brian-dickson-files-notice-of-appeal-after-murder-conviction-1.2624436 

11.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/cause-of-york-student-s-death-still-unknown-police-1.1052358 

12.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/webcam-slaying-suspect-to-plead-not-guilty-lawyer-1.1053346 

13.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/man-charged-in-york-student-death-denied-bail-1.1206866 

14.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/york-student-s-death-indescribable-father-1.1011557 

15.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/man-charged-in-webcam-death-didn-t-mean-to-kill-york-u-student-lawyer-1.2598779 

16.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/york-u-student-in-webcam-attack-id-d-1.1059754 

17.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/robert-nuttall-was-a-natural-in-the-theatre-of-criminal-defence/article36122762/ 

18.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/accused-in-york-students-death-had-anti-psychotic-medication-murder-trial-hears/article17711540/ 

19.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/man-seen-entering-students-room-on-webcam-murder-trial-told/article17639059/ 

20.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/fate-of-man-accused-in-students-webcam-murder-now-in-jurys-hands/article17856528/ 

21.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/male-dna-found-on-york-students-body-murder-trial-told/article17762633/ 

22.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/webcam-death-of-york-university-student-was-not-intentional-says-lawyer/article17841393/ 

23.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/20-year-old-man-charged-in-string-of-york-university-sex-assaults/article4402605/ 

24.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/man-29-charged-with-first-degree-murder-in-death-of-york-university-student/article4359561/ 

25.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/police-treat-death-of-york-student-as-a-homicide/article577241/ 

26.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/police-investigating-if-york-students-death-result-of-lethal-injection/article577242/ 

27.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/china-warns-travellers-to-canada-after-killing-of-student/article4227228/ 

28.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/man-charged-with-murder-of-chinese-student-at-york-denied-bail/article4085476/ 

29.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/loved-ones-in-china-glad-to-hear-of-arrest-in-york-students-murder/article577313/ 

30.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/suspect-in-york-students-death-to-plead-not-guilty-lawyer/article4264311/ 

31.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/accused-in-death-of-york-student-had-studied-at-the-university/article4264307/ 

32.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-students-death-hits-nerve-with-foreign-students/article577438/ 

33.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/latest-incident-raises-more-questions-about-security-at-york-university/article579185/ 

34.https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/04/26/we_will_never_recover_from_this_awful_tragedy.html 

35.https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2014/04/07/webcam_murder_brian_dickson_found_guilty_of_murdering_york_student.html 

36.https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/04/07/jury_didnt_see_full_picture_of_dicksons_depravity_dimanno.html 

37.https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2014/04/07/jury_deliberations_begin_in_webcam_murder_trial.html 

38.https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2014/04/04/webcam_murder_trial_students_death_was_not_intentional_defence_says.html 

39.https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2014/03/28/court_hears_from_qian_liu_tragedys_online_witness_dimanno.html 

40.https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2014/03/27/accused_in_york_university_webcam_slaying_met_with_qian_liu_hours_before_she_died_court_hears.html 

41.https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2012/01/05/bail_denied_for_man_accused_in_killing_of_chinese_student.html 

42.https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2011/07/18/university_not_warning_us_of_assaults_york_students_say.html 

43. https://www.thestar.com/qa/news/gta/2011/05/10/behind_the_villages_doors.html 

44. https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2011/04/27/we_have_thought_of_joining_her.html 

45.https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2011/04/27/wake_up_my_child_mom_and_dad_are_bringing_you_home.html 

46.https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2011/04/21/family_in_china_ripped_apart_as_students_dream_turns_to_tragedy.html 

47.https://www.thestar.com/life/parent/2011/04/20/york_university_boosts_campus_security.html 

48.https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2011/04/19/it_felt_like_the_sky_had_collapsed_says_friend_who_found_webcam_victim.html 

49.https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/york-university-student-may-have-died-from-neck-compression-pathologist-1.1747100 

51.https://globalnews.ca/news/1265183/parents-of-webcam-murder-victim-say-they-have-lost-their-entire-future/ 

52.https://globalnews.ca/news/1255670/brian-dickson-found-guilty-of-first-degree-murder-in-york-u-student-death/ 

53.https://globalnews.ca/news/1256145/what-the-jury-didnt-know-about-man-convicted-in-webcam-murder/ 

54.https://nationalpost.com/opinion/christie-blatchford-parents-of-convicted-killer-brian-dickson-show-resilience-face-of-own-tragedy 

55.https://nationalpost.com/posted-toronto/brian-dickson-accused-in-death-of-york-student-qian-liu-to-stand-trial-for-first-degree-murder-judge-orders 

56.https://torontosun.com/2014/04/12/the-victim-impact-statement-of-qian-necole-lius-parents--jian-hui-liu-and-zheng-yaru 

57. https://torontosun.com/2014/04/12/detective-recounts-catching-webcam-killer 

58. https://toronto.citynews.ca/2011/04/27/funeral-held-for-york-university-student/