The Mad Trapper of Rat River

Dec 1

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND YUKON, CANADA

The story of Canada's longest manhunt. In 1931, a strange man arrived at Fort McPherson in the Northwest Territories—and disrupted the status quo.

Podcast recommendation:
True North True Crime

DOCUMENTARY:
Arctic Manhunt: The Hunt for the Mad Trapper (focuses on the exhummation and DNA testing)

Credits:
Research: Cailen Swain
Research and writing: Kristi Lee
Audio editing and production: We Talk of Dreams
Disclaimer voiced by the host of True
Theme Song: We Talk of Dreams

Music Credits:
Other tracks, including the theme song, by We Talk of Dreams.
Soularflair - Dark Somber Sad cue 5, and Dark Epic Deep Mancing - Cue 1b
Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder five
Swelling - Day II, Night I, Night II
Trans Atlantic - Space Sailing Soul
Sergey Cherimisinov - Fog
Kai Engel - Aspirato
Kevin Macleod / Incompetech - Dark Times
Vitus Von Deg - Black Gloves

Information Sources:
Arctic Manhunt - Hunt for the Mad Trapper Discovery doc: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2remij

Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story of Canada’s Biggest Manhunt, by Dick North: https://www.amazon.ca/Mad-Trapper-Rat-River-Canadas/dp/1592287719

Radio Canada International article: https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2017/02/17/canada-history-feb-17-1932-the-end-and-beginning-of-the-mystery-of-the-mad-trapper/

Mysteries of Canada, blog post: https://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/nwt/albert-johnson-mad-trapper/

Long-form Maclean’s article, 1955: https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1955/10/1/who-was-the-mad-trapper-of-rat-river

ATI article by Andrew Lenoir, historical researcher: https://allthatsinteresting.com/mad-trapper-albert-johnson

Whitehorse Daily Star: https://www.whitehorsestar.com/History/a-most-bizarre-case-the-mad-trapper-of-rat-river1

5-part series in the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal, by Barbara Roden https://www.ashcroftcachecreekjournal.com/community/golden-country/ https://www.ashcroftcachecreekjournal.com/community/the-mad-trapper-part-4-the-quest-to-identify-albert-johnson-begins/
https://www.ashcroftcachecreekjournal.com/community/golden-country-the-mad-trapper-part-5/

http://www.nwtandy.rcsigs.ca/stories/rat_river.htm

RCMP Veterans Association article on Edgar Millen (includes firsthand account from Millen’s great nephew): http://www.rcmpveteransvancouver.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Edgar-Millen-1.pdf

http://www.nwtandy.rcsigs.ca/persons/hersey_ef.htm (this includes multiple Globe and Mail articles)

https://www.officialdata.org/canada/inflation/1932?amount=2000

http://www.ramp-alberta.org/resources/hunting/non-native+species.aspx

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hudsons-bay-company