Episode 210: In the summer of 2003, Ardeth Wood, a 27-year-old PhD candidate studying philosophy at the University of Waterloo, was enjoying a well needed break at her parent’s home in the Orleans neighbourhood of Ottawa. In the early afternoon of August 6, 2003, wanting to take advantage of a beautiful, warm summer day Ardeth borrowed her brother’s bike to go for a ride. Ardeth never came home.

Ardeth’s disappearance triggered one of the largest searches in Ottawa’s history up to that point covering the almost 200 kilometres of bike paths around the capital city and its suburbs. Five days later, Ardeth’s body was discovered. She’d been drowned on purpose and then hidden by her killer in a densely wooded area along the banks of Green’s Creek. Police had no suspects. Fearing for their own safety, many of the residents of Ottawa were terrified to use the parks and bike paths for some time even with increased police patrols. It would be more than two years before charges were laid against the man accused of Ardeth’s murder.