121 The Murder of Robert LeVoir

FORT MCMURRAY, ALBERTA

This episode is a continuation of our coverage of Mr Big stings. It’s an important case that ended up in the Supreme Court of Canada.

In 2002, the family of 25-year-old DJ Robert LeVoir reported him missing after they hadn't heard from him for two weeks. But the RCMP didn't seem to be doing much to help, in fact they didn't publicly announce Robert's disappearance for 8 months. 

Understandably frustrated by the lack of progress, his family had no way of knowing that an elaborate plan to discover what had happened to Robert was already being set in motion behind closed doors. 

Correction note: since releasing this episode, we've been advised that Robert’s surname LeVoir is pronounced Le-Vor instead of the French pronunciation we used. We're not able to correct all the instances of this in the episode, but our sincere apologies for the error.

Credits:

Research and writing: Emily G Thompson of Morbidology Podcast

Additional research and writing, sound design: Kristi Lee

Audio editing and production: We Talk of Dreams

Production assistance: Jesse Hawke 

Theme songs by We Talk of Dreams

Disclaimer voiced by the host of True

Resources and information sources

Court Documents and Legal Analysis:

• https://www.scc-csc.ca/WebDocuments-DocumentsWeb/35093/FM010_Appellant_Dax-Richard-Mack.pdf

• https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/2014/2014scc58/2014scc58.html

• http://www.thecourt.ca/revisiting-mr-big-confessions-r-v-mack/

• https://ca.vlex.com/vid/r-v-mack-d-681126121

• https://www.canlii.org/en/ab/abqb/doc/2007/2007abqb182/2007abqb182.html

• https://www.canlii.org/en/ab/abqb/doc/2006/2006abqb324/2006abqb324.html

• https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/304169806.pdf

• https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/14355/index.do 

Book:

Mr. Big: Exposing Undercover Investigations in Canada by Kouri T Keenan and Joan Brockman

News Archives:

• https://globalnews.ca/news/1584465/supreme-court-upholds-fort-mcmurray-murder-conviction/ 

• https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/mr-big-ruling-top-court-upholds-alberta-murder-conviction-1.2025786/comments-7.561599

• https://edmontonsun.com/2012/02/27/killer-dj-appeal-turfed

• https://www.pressreader.com/canada/edmonton-journal/20080223/281887294004014

• https://pressreader.com/article/281870116661759

• https://edmontonsun.com/2013/05/22/mr-big--brilliant-police-strategy-or-dangerous-and-coercive

• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-mr-big-sting-upheld-in-supreme-court-1.2778808

• “Murder Charge Laid in Fort Mac.” Edmonton Journal, 22 April, 2004 - https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95282513/

• “Ex-Roommate Charged in Ft. McMurray Slaying.” Edmonton Journal, 23 April, 2004 - https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95282896/

• “Man’s Remains Found Following April 21 Arrest.” Edmonton Journal, 6 July, 2004 - https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95288190/

• “Body Burned on Firestarter Logs, Trial Hears.” Edmonton Journal, 26 April, 2006 - https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95289174/

• “Mistrial Declared in Murder Case.” Edmonton Journal, 9 May, 2006 - https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95290627/

• “Killer DJ Appeal Turfed.” The Daily Herald-Tribune, 28 February, 2012 - https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95308076/

• "MURDER CHARGE IN MISSING CASE." Edmonton Sun, The (Alberta, Canada), April 22, 2004

• DUBINSKI, KATE. "MURDER CHARGE LAID IN 2002 CASE." Fort McMurray Today (Alberta, Canada), April 22, 2004 

• HOLLADAY, SHANE. "CHARGE DASHES DAD'S HOPES." Edmonton Sun, The (Alberta, Canada), April 23, 2004

• STAFF, TODAY. "ACCUSED KILLER IN COURT." Fort McMurray Today (Alberta, Canada), April 28, 2004

• STAFF, TODAY. "MISSING MAN'S BODY IDENTIFIED." Fort McMurray Today (Alberta, Canada), July 6, 2004

• STAFF, TODAY. "HEARING DATES SET." Fort McMurray Today (Alberta, Canada), December 2, 2004

• STAFF, TODAY. "MURDER TRIAL ORDERED." Fort McMurray Today (Alberta, Canada), May 13, 2005

• MORLEY, PATRICK. "FOUR YEARS, 12 MURDERS AFTER 2 1/2 YEARS WITHOUT A HOMICIDE, WOOD BUFFALO SAW A BIG RISE IN CRIMINAL DEATHS." Fort McMurray Today (Alberta, Canada), May 27, 2005

• "IN BRIEF." Daily Herald-Tribune, The (Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada), April 25, 2006

• BLAIS, TONY. "DID THE DJ DO IT? ACCUSED OF KILLING ROOMMATE." Edmonton Sun, The (Alberta, Canada), April 25, 2006

• "IN BRIEF." Daily Herald-Tribune, The (Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada), April 26, 2006

• BLAIS, TONY. "FORT MAC DJ MURDER CASE ENDS IN MISTRIAL JUDGE CITES LEGAL ISSUES IN DISMISSING JURY." Edmonton Sun, The (Alberta, Canada), May 9, 2006

• STAFF, TODAY. "Opening remarks in murder trial of Dax Richard Mack." Fort McMurray Today (Alberta, Canada), January 29, 2008

• BLAIS, TONY. "Tearful accused says he's no killer." Edmonton Sun, The (Alberta, Canada), February 12, 2008

• BLAIS, TONY. "Fort Mac killer gets life in jail." Edmonton Sun, The (Alberta, Canada), February 23, 2008

• JACOBS, MINDELLE. "Rusing the day Police tricks, including 'Mr. Big' routine, help solve murder cases." Calgary Sun, The (Alberta, Canada), February 26, 2008

• BLAIS, TONY. "New light on trial Court asked to look at 'credible' evidence." Edmonton Sun, The (Alberta, Canada), October 6, 2011

• QMI AGENCY, TONY BLAIS. "Killer DJ appeal turfed." Daily Herald-Tribune, The (Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada), February 28, 2012

• "High court narrows scope of allowable evidence from Mr. Big police stings." Hamilton Spectator, The: Web Edition Articles (Ontario, Canada), July 31, 2014

• "High court warns against 'Mr. Big' stings, says they're presumed inadmissible." Hamilton Spectator, The: Web Edition Articles (Ontario, Canada), July 31, 2014

• "Supreme Court upholds Alberta murder conviction, Mr. Big confession admissible." Waterloo Region Record: Web Edition Articles (Ontario, Canada), September 26, 2014

• HUME, JESSICA. "Mr. Big plea upheld." Calgary Sun, The (Alberta, Canada), September 27, 2014

• KAUTH, GLENN. "TRIAL INTO DEATH OF ROBERT LEVOIR STARTS MONDAY IN EDMONTON." Fort McMurray Today (Alberta, Canada), April 21, 2006

• BLAIS, TONY. "EXPERT SAYS HE FOUND BITS OF BONE." Edmonton Sun, The (Alberta, Canada), April 26, 2006

• MORRICE, JEFF. "PETER POND'S LEGEND LIVES ON." Fort McMurray Today (Alberta, Canada), June 10, 2005

• Dion, Jill. "Local writer explores life of Milford-born adventurer Peter Pond." Milford Mirror: Web Edition Articles (CT), January 3, 2018

• ASHCROFT, ROBERT. "SOCIETY FEARS LOSS OF HISTORIC SHIPYARDS." Fort McMurray Today (Alberta, Canada), April 17, 2001

Other Sources:

• https://explorewoodbuffalo.ca/explore-wood-buffalo/history 

• https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1320&context=sclr

• https://geramilaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/RvJeanvennebyArghavanGerami.pdf

• http://smu-facweb.smu.ca/~mpatry/Connorsetal2017.pdf

• https://www.statista.com/statistics/608354/gdp-distribution-of-alberta-canada-by-industry/ 

• https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/daab9fce-c2f6-49d1-a433-375b2b7aee24/resource/990e5587-6f76-4b6b-aeff-62e38e27d816/download/793034-2002-official-population-list.pdf

Alberta Oil Sands:

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/alberta-canadas-tar-sands-is-growing-but-indigenous-people-fight-back 

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/21112021/tar-sands-canada-oil/ 

• https://thenarwhal.ca/tailings-ponds-leaking-alberta-oilsands/ 

• http://www.oilsandsmoratorium.org/ 

Music Credits:

Theme Song and other original music: We Talk of Dreams

Blue Dot Sessions: Setting Pace, Sunset at Sandy Isle, Winter in Black, Minister Creek, Cold and Hard, Fissure Forming, Dawn Line Approaching, Evidence Room, Roadside Bunkhouse, Pigeon Falls, The Coal Hollow, Access Road 138