The Parkdale Murder Mystery Part 2

A mysterious Toronto murder, a disputed confession, and a trial that captivated the city, welcome back to Canada Is Boring for part two of the Parkdale murder mystery.

In 1894, 18-year-old Frank Westwood was shot and killed, and Clara Ford, a Black woman who made her living as a seamstress, was arrested for the crime. Ford reportedly confessed to detectives, but later claimed her confession was fabricated under hours of police questioning. Her alibi fell apart, the physical evidence was inconclusive, and the case became as much a spectacle about Ford’s race, gender expression, and reputation as it was a search for the truth.

Rhys walks Jesse through Clara Ford’s arrest, the sensational press coverage, the courtroom drama, and the role of a very famous visitor to Toronto: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. Ford was acquitted by an all-male jury, but did she really shoot Frank Westwood, or did the case turn an unconventional woman into the perfect suspect? The murder remains unresolved, and the truth is still uncertain.

After the murder mystery, step into the Small Talk Dimension for Jesse’s stories from Tuscany, including painting the countryside and discovering an underground garage in a tiny Italian village. Rhys also tells the story of seeing Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond at a Top Gear recording, and helping Tom Cruise when someone in the audience fainted.

Plus, a preview of next week’s episode: a bold, clever gentleman thief with an unusual accomplice.

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