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restrictions apply [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
00:01:43
time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
00:01:49
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website [Music]
00:01:57
by 2009 the Canadian city of Mississauga had been home to Bill and Bridget Harrison for almost four decades
00:02:06
located in the leafy and peaceful Aaron Mills District the Harrison's bride and spacious two-story six-bedroom house was
00:02:14
a Gathering Place for their family and friends it played host to an array of backyard
00:02:20
get-togethers and Christmas celebrations but when Bridget returned to her typically Lively and warm home late on
00:02:29
Thursday April 16 2009 she found it uncharacteristically dark and quiet 62 year old Bridget had spent the latter
00:02:40
part of the day tied up in a board meeting for work by the time she pulled into her driveway
00:02:46
it had just ticked past to 9pm she parked her car in the garage and entered her house through an adjoining
00:02:53
door only to discover all the lights inside were off and nothing stirred Within Bridget called out for her husband bill
00:03:03
but was met with silence she began checking each room on the lower half of the house for him
00:03:11
a softer glow emanated from the living room where Bridget found the television playing to no one
00:03:18
on the coffee table in front of it was some neglected half-eaten takeout food thinking that bill might have gone to
00:03:26
bed Bridget headed upstairs to their room but he wasn't there either as Bridget made her way back downstairs
00:03:35
something caught her eye the door to the powder room at the left of the staircase was closed
00:03:44
Bridget tried to handle it was locked from the inside she retrieved a pin and used it to pick
00:03:53
the lock inside Bill's body lays slumped against the far wall wedged between the toilet
00:04:01
and the door [Music] [Music] First Responders gained access to the powder room where they immediately
00:04:32
pronounced the bill Harrison dead as there was no overt evidence of fair play police at the scene believed that
00:04:40
Bill had died from natural causes a coroner was summoned to the Harrison home as sudden death cases required
00:04:49
their input to formally rule out the possibility of a homicide when a coroner viewed a Bill's body in
00:04:56
situ he noticed faint bruising on Bill's forehead and nose there were also two linear red marks
00:05:04
around the Bill's throat that were believed to have been caused by a box gold chain he wore around his neck
00:05:11
the coroner ultimately agreed that bill Harrison's cause of death appeared to be
00:05:16
natural and didn't require any further police involvement [Music] an autopsy was performed to determine
00:05:25
why Bill had died [Music] given the coroner's thoughts on the matter the autopsy wasn't intended to
00:05:32
uncover evidence for a police investigation or any subsequent prosecution it was performed by a regular
00:05:40
pathologist whose knowledge was based in seeking the cause and effect of diseases
00:05:47
the pathologist performing Bill's autopsy discovered another relatively serious bruise at the front of Bill's
00:05:54
scalp as there was no trauma to the brain or skull the pathologist noted the bruising
00:06:01
was compatible with the victim striking his head during a sudden collapse it was also discovered that bill sternum
00:06:10
a t-shaped a vertical bone in the central part of their chest was broken aware that Bill's death was not being
00:06:18
viewed as suspicious the pathologist theorized that Bill's body had struck the powder room sink mid to fall causing
00:06:26
the fracture and bruising in his report the pathologist concluded that Bill had suffered from acute
00:06:33
cardiac arrhythmia an irregular heartbeat that can have fatal results Bill Harrison's death was officially
00:06:42
ruled the result of natural causes and his case was closed Bridget Harrison had lost her husband of
00:06:51
40 years Bridget was raised in London Ontario where she had found success as an actress it was backstage during one of
00:07:00
her theater shows where she met Bill who worked in the Productions costume Department
00:07:06
naturally calm wise and level-headed Bill complimented Bridget's more passionate and fiery personality
00:07:14
the pair married in 1969 and moved to Mississauga where Bridget began a new career in education
00:07:22
as a teacher she was beloved by colleagues and students alike a determined Visionary and engaging
00:07:29
Mentor Bridget was promoted into greater roles she Rose steadily through the ranks
00:07:36
before earning her current position working directly with Ontario's minister of Education
00:07:43
Bill found his footing in sales and management the Harrison's relationship wasn't
00:07:50
without hardships bill was black and Bridget was white as a result they endured judgment from
00:07:58
Outsiders for being a quote mixed race couple Bill and Bridget Rose above the bigotry
00:08:06
to become an Inseparable team known for their warmth and generosity in 1973 upon learning they were unable
00:08:14
to conceive children the couple adopted a six-month-old black boy named Caleb described as a little rascal Caleb's
00:08:24
cheekiness and curiosity kept the Harrisons on their toes but they were nevertheless happy with the life they
00:08:30
had fostered together after Bill's Unexpected death Bridget found herself alone in their grand
00:08:38
family house the now 40 year old Caleb Harrison moved in to offer his grieving mother some
00:08:45
companionship the move proved beneficial to Caleb who had recently been released from prison
00:08:51
and needed a place to live he also had two children under the age of 10. Bridget loved her grandchildren and
00:09:02
found solace in their joyful presence however it wasn't long before tension arose between Bridget and Caleb
00:09:10
without Bill who was described as the family's Rock and Peacekeeper the two argued often
00:09:22
on the afternoon of Wednesday April 21 2010 Caleb's eight-year-old son arrived home from school
00:09:30
the Harrison's front door was unlocked a few steps in on the tiled floor at the base of the carpeted staircase lay
00:09:40
Bridget Harrison's motionless body she was face up with her hands by her sides and her head resting on the bottom
00:09:48
step Emergency Services rushed to the scene only to pronounce Bridget deceased she had passed away only one meter from
00:09:59
The Powder Room where her husband had died a little over a year earlier Bridget was fully dressed with her shoes
00:10:07
on her wallet and Eyeglasses were lying alongside her this led police to believe she had been
00:10:15
getting ready to leave the house when she took a nasty and fatal spill down the stairs
00:10:20
[Music] with no signs of forced entry into the Harrison home a responding officer
00:10:26
concluded in his report all in all the scene has nothing to indicate Foul Play or a struggle
00:10:36
the coroner wasn't so sure blood vessels in Bridget's eyes and cheeks had burst there was also bruising
00:10:45
and abrasions on her chin and neck which was hyperextended as though she had been
00:10:49
strangled bones in the back of her neck were also broken this led to the coroner classifying
00:10:58
Bridget's death as undetermined he ordered that her body undergo a full forensic autopsy
00:11:05
[Music] at this point detectives for the Homicide Bureau should have taken control of Bridget's case
00:11:13
they were aware of it but ultimately left the investigation to the local division's criminal investigations
00:11:19
Bureau they began looking into people who stood to gain from Bridget's death case File will be back shortly thank you
00:11:42
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raising Caleb was no easy feat for Bill and Bridget Harrison his school years were difficult
00:14:39
Caleb would lash out at his teachers and test their patients much to the dismay of Bridget who herself was a teacher
00:14:47
he was also teased by his peers Bridget had high expectations for Caleb and wanted him to do well
00:14:57
the mother and son loved each other they often clashed over Caleb's Behavior Bill did his best to ease tensions with
00:15:06
his trademark pacificity often acting as a bridge between the quarreling Bridget
00:15:10
and Caleb the family had a lot of great times together including Interstate trips but
00:15:18
Bridget and Caleb never outgrew their habit of disputing one another thank you Caleb grew up into a witty young man
00:15:27
that others found fun to be around driven like his parents Caleb entered the workforce immediately after
00:15:34
graduating high school he began working for a shipping and receiving business as a methodical person who thrived in a
00:15:43
routine-based environment the role suited Caleb he quickly earned the reputation as a
00:15:49
dedicated and hard-working employee [Music] in the year 2000 27 year old Caleb crossed paths with 19 year old Melissa
00:16:00
Merritt Melissa worked behind the counter of a doll store in the sprawling industrial
00:16:06
complex where Caleb was employed Melissa found herself drawn to Caleb's outgoing personality and sense of humor
00:16:16
she ended an engagement to pursue a relationship with Caleb in circumstances that mirrored those of
00:16:23
his parents Caleb was one half of a mixed-race couple with Melissa who was white
00:16:29
De Pere married within a year [Music] Melissa aspired to be another and Caleb was eager to start a family
00:16:39
over the next three and a half years the couple had a son and a daughter together
00:16:45
they settled in a house that was less than an hour's drive from Bill and Bridget they adored their grandchildren
00:16:54
they helped the pair with their schoolwork and ferried them to their appointments and sports games
00:17:00
Bridget was such a devoted grandmother that she changed her email address to Nana Harrison
00:17:07
yet by then Caleb and Melissa's relationship was strained Caleb drank heavily and the couple often
00:17:15
argued about finances in June 2005 Melissa called the police on Caleb in an affidavit she revealed
00:17:27
Caleb put me in a headlock and hit me repeatedly in the head Caleb denied the allegations
00:17:35
he claimed that Melissa attacked him first by scratching and hitting him and his actions were done in self-defense
00:17:44
Caleb was arrested and charged with domestic assault he spent three nights in jail before
00:17:50
receiving bail and a suspended sentence this incident officially signaled the end of his marriage
00:17:59
Caleb moved back home with his parents Melissa forbade him from seeing their kids labeling him an incompetent father
00:18:12
one month later Caleb went to a keg party as a condition of his suspended sentence
00:18:19
he wasn't allowed to drink alcohol so he opted to be a designated driver he drove his mother's car to the party
00:18:27
picking up several friends along the way however during the party Caleb started drinking
00:18:36
those closest to Caleb knew that he was devastated to have been separated from his children and to that he used alcohol
00:18:42
as a coping mechanism when the party started winding down at around 3am Caleb decided to drive home
00:18:53
his friends tried to talk him out of it but he wouldn't listen they refused to get in the car with
00:19:00
Caleb behind the wheel so he drove off without them Caleb was around 10 kilometers from his
00:19:08
parents home when his car veered onto the wrong side of the road he collided head-on with a taxi carrying
00:19:15
four passengers [Music] both vehicles were driving 100 kilometers per hour resulting in a
00:19:23
catastrophic crash those involved sustained serious injuries including many broken bones and
00:19:31
one passenger had been scalped upon arriving at hospital 44 year old Taxi Driver Michael Raymond's condition
00:19:40
deteriorated quickly he died from his injuries the following day miraculously everyone else survived
00:19:53
Caleb Harrison was two and a half times over the legal alcohol limit at the time
00:19:57
of the Collision he was charged with three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm and
00:20:04
one count of impaired driving causing death he was released on bail to await trial
00:20:10
under the condition that he remained living with his parents a judge allowed Caleb's two children to
00:20:17
stay with him at the Harrison residence for two days a week as well as every second weekend
00:20:24
this did nothing to quell the animosity between Caleb and Melissa shortly after his release from hospital
00:20:32
Melissa reported that Caleb had broken into her home and physically assaulted her in the backyard
00:20:40
she also accused him of assaulting their two children whenever they stayed with him at the Harrison home
00:20:51
ahead of Caleb's upcoming trial someone began an online petition on Facebook although they didn't know the deceased
00:21:00
Taxi Driver they were Furious that Caleb had killed someone as a result of his Reckless Behavior
00:21:07
the petition called for signatures in support of Caleb receiving a minimum of five years in prison
00:21:14
quote if we can get one hundred thousand people to join this group we can present
00:21:20
this to the courts to be sure this drunk driver gets a decent sentence please help us to ensure a bit of
00:21:27
justice is served a good man lost his life over this in the week leading up to the trial the
00:21:37
petition had just over 300 signatures Caleb Harrison faced cord in January 2009 his lawyer argued that Caleb should
00:21:49
receive no jail time stating that Caleb was rehabilitated and Incredibly remorseful
00:21:56
Caleb's family and colleagues attested to his good character describing him as a hard worker and a loving father
00:22:03
[Music] while acknowledging that Caleb seemed to be a decent man with many positive
00:22:09
attributes the judge said that the gravity of the offense and the degree of responsibility required incarceration
00:22:18
he sentenced Caleb to 18 months jail with a further two years probation his license was also suspended for two
00:22:27
years [Music] Caleb had only been in prison for a month when his father died unexpectedly
00:22:37
Caleb was given day release to mourn with his family in June 2009 he was released from prison
00:22:45
early for good behavior having served to just three months Caleb moved back in to his parents Aaron
00:22:53
Mills home to be with his grieving mother less than a year later Bridget was found
00:23:00
dead at the bottom of the staircase Caleb was questioned in relation to his mother's death
00:23:09
while he denied any involvement the interviewing officer took note of how calm and unaffected Caleb seemed by the
00:23:16
sudden loss others were interviewed in relation to the case including Caleb's ex-wife
00:23:23
Melissa Merritt speaking about the domestic violence she experienced from Caleb Melissa said
00:23:32
he did some pretty serious stuff to me if we got in an argument he would not do anything until I turned my back or went
00:23:40
to bed he was sneaky about the way he would assault me so I know that he has in him
00:23:45
a tendency to harm people if they piss him off she also revealed that Caleb didn't have
00:23:53
a good relationship with his mother before clarifying I'm not in any way pointing fingers and
00:24:00
I'm not saying that's enough to do something to her unlike her husband's autopsy Bridget
00:24:08
Harrison's was fronted by a forensic pathologist their approach to examining a corpse is
00:24:15
Medico legal as their findings could form part of a police investigation or Criminal prosecutions
00:24:22
as such they specialize in examining injuries the forensic pathologist examining
00:24:29
Bridget Harrison's body noted that the fractured bones in the rear of her neck were not typically seen in neck
00:24:36
compression cases marks across her chin and neck could have been the result of her body hitting
00:24:43
the stair rail during a fall there were also no signs of hemorrhaging in Bridget's neck muscles indicative of
00:24:51
strangulation with finding supporting both the fall and the strangulation theories the
00:24:59
forensic pathologist was reluctant to favor either instead Bridget's cause of death was
00:25:06
listed as neck injuries a mating between different investigative authorities on the incident led to the
00:25:14
Regional Police concluding at this time it is unknown how Bridget Harrison suffered these injuries
00:25:24
after two weeks the investigation into Bridget Harrison's death ended the case's lead detective concluded
00:25:32
quote there has been no evidence to suggest Bridget Harrison was the victim of fair
00:25:38
play or any criminal act [Music] Caleb Harrison settled in to continue living at his parents home
00:25:50
he secured a job at an electronics company started a new relationship retained shared custody of his children
00:25:57
and stayed out of trouble he told a friend that while he was depressed about his parents deaths his
00:26:04
two children inspired him to keep going by August 2013 three years had passed since Bridget Harrison passed away
00:26:16
on the 22nd of that month Caleb finished work and drove to the local softball field to coach his daughter's softball
00:26:23
team Melissa had custody of the kids that day so she was there along with her new
00:26:30
husband afterwards Caleb drove home alone he watched television and had a drink before phoning his girlfriend at around
00:26:41
11 pm he then went to bed Caleb was a light sleeper so he slept with an eye mask on and also left a fan
00:26:51
running all night to drown out any noise [Music] the next day Caleb didn't show up for
00:26:58
work colleagues tried to call his mobile phone but there was no answer at around midday A co-worker drove to
00:27:07
the Harrison family home he was greeted by Caleb's housekeeper she hadn't seen Caleb in the two hours
00:27:15
she'd been at the house yet she hadn't gotten around to cleaning upstairs where the main bedroom was
00:27:23
located Caleb's colleague headed inside and went up to Caleb's bedroom the housekeeper followed close behind
00:27:33
Whispering repeatedly I'm scared I'm scared they reached the end of the hallway and
00:27:43
knocked on Caleb's door there was no response the pair let themselves in Caleb was lying in his bed
00:27:55
his blanket was pulled up to his chin and his eye mask was on he didn't stir when the others called
00:28:03
out to him to wake up 40-year-old Caleb Harrison was dead [Music] case File will be back shortly thank you
00:28:26
for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors when 20 year old Matthew levison failed
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to return home after a night out clubbing in Sydney his loved ones were worried sick
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suspicion soon fell on Matt's partner 45 year old Michael Atkins after it was revealed that the pair were fighting on
00:28:47
the night of Matt's disappearance but was that unfortunate timing or did Atkins have something to hide
00:28:55
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you support casefile to continue to deliver quality content upon arriving at the Harrison House
00:31:10
police were greeted by what appeared to be a robbery gone wrong yet it quickly became clear that
00:31:17
something else was at play the crime was entirely contained in Caleb Harrison's bedroom where nothing
00:31:25
had been stolen there were also no signs of a break-in the Intruder had the element of surprise
00:31:32
striking Caleb as he slept in bed an altercation ensued during which a shelving unit had been knocked over
00:31:42
Caleb's knuckles were swollen and there were foreign skin scrapings under his fingernails showing that he had put up a
00:31:49
fight yet his killer had staged to the scene by putting Caleb's body back in bed as
00:31:55
if he had died in his sleep an autopsy revealed that the hyoid bone in Caleb's neck was broken and that
00:32:03
there was damage to the cartilage of his voice box this coupled with bruising and abrasions
00:32:09
on the exterior of his neck determined to the cause of his death to be strangulation
00:32:15
Caleb was the third and final Harrison family member to die inside the Aaron Mills house within a four-year period
00:32:25
a homicide investigation was finally launched prompting authorities to reflect on the circumstances surrounding
00:32:31
Bill and Bridget's deaths a detective told the Mississauga news anything in absence of an explanation
00:32:41
may seem strange but there's obviously some very poignant events that happened to one family
00:32:49
to have three sudden deaths occur in the same household is unusual we would be remiss if we didn't do our
00:32:56
due diligence and look at all three deaths in totality we haven't linked anything however
00:33:03
everything is on the table the theory that someone was targeting the Harrison family was one held by
00:33:11
their loved ones for years from the outset they had trouble accepting that Bill had died from a
00:33:18
heart condition it just didn't make sense for a man who exercised a daily ate a healthy diet and
00:33:26
was physically feared even Bridget suspected that something wasn't right about her husband's death
00:33:34
she'd brought up her concerns to police on several occasions asking why the powder room door was locked from the
00:33:41
inside if Bill was home alone at the time and why were all the lights off if Bill
00:33:48
was up and using the bathroom by the time investigators acknowledged these questions it was too late
00:33:57
Bill's body couldn't be exhumed for further testing as it had been cremated a week after his death
00:34:06
Bridget's untimely and unexplained to death a year later only confirmed suspicions held by her loved ones that a
00:34:13
killer was on the loose they pushed law enforcement to reopen Bill and Bridget's cases
00:34:20
the family was told that their suspicions were not enough the police wanted proof
00:34:29
the Harrison's loved ones were at a loss wasn't at the job of the police to investigate and find said proof
00:34:37
and now Caleb Harrison had been murdered how could you let this happen one grieving family member yelled as the
00:34:46
Harrison's house was taped off by police for the third time they couldn't understand why authorities
00:34:54
never listened to them they had even highlighted two suspects telling police nobody else has motive
00:35:06
the acrimony between Caleb and his ex-wife Melissa Merritt had continued up until his death but there was a lot more
00:35:14
to it than Melissa was willing to admit shortly after Caleb had been released from hospital following the fatal car
00:35:22
crash Melissa had called police to report that Caleb had broken into her home and physically assaulted her
00:35:30
police visited the Harrison residents to investigate only to find that Caleb had
00:35:36
broken his leg in the car accident his leg was in a full cast and even with the help of crutches he could hardly
00:35:44
walk there was no way he was capable of the allegations Melissa had made regardless Melissa continued to make
00:35:55
several similar allegations around this time when Caleb finally faced court for the
00:36:01
original domestic violence allegation against him he claimed that Melissa had been deliberately misleading police
00:36:08
officers in what he called continued attempts to implicate him in Acts of abuse and create suspicion about him
00:36:18
police felt the same way one officer had even told Detectives I am 100 convinced that Melissa is
00:36:28
making up the whole story despite this Melissa was never charged or disciplined in October 2005 four months after
00:36:41
Melissa and Caleb had separated Melissa met a man online named Christopher fatorre
00:36:48
at 28 years old Chris was two years older than Melissa the pair were together for just over a
00:36:56
year before they held a marriage ceremony their Union wasn't legally recognized as
00:37:02
Melissa had informally divorced from Caleb nevertheless Melissa and Chris settled
00:37:09
in to married life they had four children over the next five years Chris was a handyman who also
00:37:17
occasionally worked as a security guard it wasn't enough to support his large family so the couple sought government
00:37:25
assistance and Loans from family and friends even though she struggled to support
00:37:32
them Melissa wanted all six of her children under the one roof this included her eldest two children
00:37:39
she had with Caleb with whom she shared custody Melissa made five separate claims to the
00:37:47
Children's Aid Society accusing Caleb Bill and Bridget Harrison of assaulting the two children whenever they stayed at
00:37:55
the Harrison residence to clear her name Bridget kept a diary of all the interactions her family had
00:38:03
with Melissa she noted the hateful and degrading way that Melissa spoke to Caleb in front of
00:38:10
their children on one occasion Chris fatorre threatened you'll burn in hell for the lies you've
00:38:18
told on another he yelled out of a car window you'll pay for this you [ __ ] bastard
00:38:28
the allegations that Caleb Bill and Bridget Harrison were harming their children were determined to have been
00:38:34
completely unfounded once again Melissa Merritt was lying she had even been coaching her children
00:38:42
on what to say to the authorities to support her outlandish claims to stem the growing animosity between
00:38:49
them a judge ruled that Caleb and Melissa communicate through writing only [Music]
00:38:59
it was Christopher Toray who began the online petition calling for Caleb to receive the minimum sentence for his
00:39:06
drink driving charges hey rode this is Caleb Harrison the dick that killed someone drinking and driving
00:39:16
he is unfortunately also my wife's ex-husband Chris had posted a photo of Caleb on
00:39:23
which he'd photoshopped devil horns and a speech bubble that read give me beer and the keys to mummy's
00:39:31
Mercedes Chris and Melissa attended Caleb's trial making faces at the Harrison family in
00:39:39
court and driving past them afterwards with their tongues poking out when Caleb was sentenced to 18 months in
00:39:47
prison Melissa was certain she would finally receive full custody of their children
00:39:53
but the judge gave her joint custody with Bill and Bridget Harrison ruling that it was in the best interest for the
00:40:01
children to maintain the lifestyle they are used to Melissa was angry stating in a
00:40:08
subsequent email if Caleb is not caring for their children then no one other than myself
00:40:14
should be the day after Bill Harrison was found dead Bridget went to her grandchildren's
00:40:23
school to check that they were doing okay the kids weren't there as part of the shared custody order
00:40:32
Melissa wasn't allowed to withdraw her children from school without a doctor's note
00:40:38
no such note had been given to the school administration Chris fatorre had inexplicably signed
00:40:46
the children out at 1pm the previous day a teacher revealed that Melissa and Caleb's son had excitedly informed his
00:40:57
classmates that he was going on a trip with his family he didn't know where as his mother was
00:41:03
keeping it a surprise all he knew was that it would take over a day of driving to get there
00:41:12
upon learning this Bridget drove to Melissa and Chris's apartment no one came to the door which was locked
00:41:21
the blinds were also drawn Bridget reported her grandchildren's disappearance to the police
00:41:30
they made queries with Chris fatorre's employer who confirmed that Chris had called in sick on the day that bill
00:41:36
Harrison died he hadn't shown up since police gained access to Melissa and Chris's apartment finding it dark and
00:41:47
mostly empty Days Later Bridget Harrison received an email from Melissa Mara in it Melissa stated that she had fled
00:41:58
with her family because she was receiving threatening letters from an unknown party
00:42:04
a letter authored by Melissa and making the same claims was sent to Caleb in prison
00:42:10
it was postmarked April 17 the day after Bill died when Bill Harrison's funeral was held
00:42:19
his grandchildren were still missing the next day Bridget was granted Soul custody of the children despite no one
00:42:29
knowing where they were missing persons ads were published in newspapers across the country as Bridget
00:42:36
sought the help of a private investigator two months into The Disappearance Caleb
00:42:42
was paroled efforts to track Melissa Merritt and Chris fatorre had come up dry by November 2009 Melissa and Chris had
00:42:55
been missing for seven months approval to seize and review Melissa's banking records was granted providing a
00:43:04
much-needed breakthrough they revealed a transaction in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia 1300
00:43:12
kilometers east from Mississauga an arrest warrant was issued and the family were finally uncovered
00:43:21
in an effort to go undetected Melissa had dyed her children's hair and the group were going by different names
00:43:29
Melissa was charged with parental child abduction and she lost access to the two
00:43:34
children she shared with Caleb Harrison they were placed in Caleb's care who was
00:43:40
granted shared custody with his mother Bridget Melissa Merritt pleaded guilty and a
00:43:50
hearing was set for April 22 2010. in the lead-up Bridget Harrison prepared a victim impact statement
00:43:59
she described the seven months her grandchildren were missing has the most desperate of her life
00:44:06
the fact that Melissa and Chris had orchestrated their runaway on the very day Bill had died wasn't lost on Bridget
00:44:15
in her statement She Wrote some people believe in coincidences some do not Bridget was never able to deliver her
00:44:28
Victim Impact statement the day before Melissa merits hearing was set to begin Bridget was found to
00:44:36
dead Melissa was convicted for Parental abduction and received 18 months probation
00:44:45
meanwhile her ex-husband was growing increasingly suspicious as detailed in the Toronto Star
00:44:53
newspaper Caleb Harrison told a cousin there's no way anyone falls down the stairs and ends up in that position it
00:45:03
doesn't look right it doesn't make sense Caleb had even aired the same concerns to police during interviews following
00:45:12
his mother's death he detailed his Rocky history with Melissa while acknowledging the timing
00:45:19
of Bridget's death as weird when asked who he thought was responsible for his mother's death Caleb
00:45:26
replied I would ask where Melissa and Chris were personally [Music] when speaking to police about Bridget's
00:45:37
death Melissa Merritt said she was at home babysitting as part of a daycare business she was trying to get up and
00:45:43
running Chris fatorre said he'd spent the day working in his backyard and running
00:45:49
errands shop surveillance cameras had captured him in town yet there was a brief time
00:45:56
he was unaccounted for Chris said he had visited Melissa's grandmother to pick up a drum kit
00:46:05
police never spoke with the woman to confirm this alibi [Music] Melissa worked to implicate Caleb in
00:46:13
Bridget's death in interviews she referenced Caleb's history of violence against her even
00:46:20
though it was known to be baseless furthermore Caleb couldn't have killed Bridget an alibi placed him at work that
00:46:30
day with that the investigation into Bridget's death was closed [Music] Caleb Harrison received sole custody of
00:46:42
his two children in the aftermath of his mother's death putting his personal feelings aside in
00:46:49
mid-2013 he agreed to a temporary schedule [Music] the children would remain living at the
00:46:57
Harrison home but would now spend every other weekend with Melissa and Chris it wasn't an easy Arrangement as Melissa
00:47:06
and Chris had relocated to a rural Town 350 kilometers from Mississauga but Caleb was making it work
00:47:16
in August 2013 the agreement was due to end Melissa wanted shared custody but Caleb
00:47:25
refused he had several child support demands that Melissa refused to meet the day before the custody battle was
00:47:36
due to reach its conclusion Caleb Harrison was killed with Caleb dead Melissa was given Soul
00:47:45
custody of their two children in the paperwork she described Caleb's death as tragic and shocking but Caleb's
00:47:53
loved ones were convinced she was involved in some way when Melissa attempted to attend Caleb's
00:48:01
wake they turned her away [Music] both Melissa and Chris maintained that the last time they'd seen Caleb was that
00:48:09
the Youth Softball match they had all attended hours before he was killed afterwards Melissa and Chris ate dinner
00:48:17
at a fast food restaurant in a shopping mall they went home to bed and woke up at 6am
00:48:25
Melissa insisted there was no way that Chris could have snuck out in the middle of the night without waking her
00:48:36
yet when presenting this sequence of events to investigators neither Melissa nor Chris mentioned Walmart
00:48:44
this was significant an undercover officer had posed as a waste collector to confiscate Melissa
00:48:52
and Chris's household rubbish sorting through it they found a black pair of size 12 running shoes inside a
00:49:00
plastic bag they had been worn but were otherwise brand new the shoes were sold exclusively in
00:49:09
Walmart a multinational retail Superstore investigators obtained records from the
00:49:17
Walmart closest to Melissa and Chris's home only one size 12 pair of that particular
00:49:24
shoe had been sold in the past two months the sale had occurred mere hours before
00:49:30
Caleb Harrison was killed CCTV footage captured Christopher Toray as he wandered around the store with the
00:49:39
shoes in hand bank records showed he had made a purchase for the exact amount the shoes
00:49:45
cost while Melissa and Chris had admitted to eating dinner at that same shopping mall
00:49:52
that night neither mentioned going into Walmart or buying the shoes investigators began covertly following
00:50:03
Chris fatorre they watched as he went around town and swooped when he threw away an empty
00:50:09
takeaway coffee cup they lifted his DNA from the cup and compared it to the skin scrapings from
00:50:16
underneath Caleb Harrison's fingernails it was a match a pair of latex gloves that were
00:50:26
uncovered in Melissa's and Chris's trash also contained both Chris and Caleb's DNA
00:50:33
following these major breakthroughs investigators read to the couple's home with covert listening devices
00:50:42
it took five months before they picked up anything significant Melissa Merritt Was Heard telling Chris
00:50:49
fatorre you have to realize that the underlying fact of the matter is that you killed
00:50:55
Caleb Chris responded [Music] I know authorities executed a search warrant on a trailer belonging to Melissa and Chris
00:51:08
They confiscated a laptop and examined its contents in the months and weeks leading up to
00:51:16
Bridget Harrison's death someone had typed into a search engine what if a grandparent has legal custody
00:51:23
and they die how long does it take to die from choking and how long does it take for a person being strangled to
00:51:31
pass out one month before Caleb was killed someone had searched easy ways to kill and to get away with
00:51:41
it Melissa Merritt and Chris fatorre were arrested for the first degree murders of
00:51:50
Caleb Harrison and Bridget Harrison after 13 hours of questioning an exasperated Chris had admitted that he
00:51:59
didn't like the Harrisons he spoke of being told horrific stories of how they treated Melissa's children
00:52:07
adding it was an awful family they treated the children like [ __ ] and I and Melissa had
00:52:14
to live with that every day and I couldn't watch Melissa's attitude and how sorry she was for everything that
00:52:21
was going on the interviewing officer then asked Chris what did you do I killed Richard Harrison and killed
00:52:37
Harrison how did you kill Bridget an office door she opened the door and pretended to have a lottery ticket
00:52:57
for the children she refused the letter so I then forced my way into the house am I a doctor
00:53:11
what did you do I hit her a couple times all right then proceeded to squeeze her neck
00:53:30
until she's still really illegal before foreign I hit him in the chest and when he's growing up we begin to
00:54:17
struggle I threw him into the shelving unit we saw in his bed he tried to bribe it with money I didn't
00:54:32
speak to him I just knocked him to the ground and I presented the job for me Chris told detectives
00:54:42
I'm telling you right now that Melissa Mara did not know anything until after it was done
00:54:48
the detectives were unconvinced they placed Chris and Melissa in a room alone together and listened in as the
00:54:57
couple started whispering Chris revealed that he had confessed to Bridget and Caleb's murders in a panic
00:55:05
he told Melissa that he wanted her to get a lesser sentence explaining I'm taking the rap for it to give you
00:55:14
accessory after the fact I told them I told you after they were killed Melissa asked why
00:55:24
Chris replied because I want you to get our children Christopher Torre was charged with two
00:55:34
counts of first-degree murder despite his claims that Melissa was not involved she faced the same charges
00:55:44
when it came to Bill Harrison Chris said that out of all the Harrison family he liked to build the best
00:55:51
he maintained that he was not responsible for Bill's death nevertheless he was also charged with
00:55:59
the second-degree murder of Bill Harrison both Chris and Melissa pleaded not guilty
00:56:10
the couple's joint trial commenced in November 2017. the ugly custody battle between Melissa Merritt and Caleb
00:56:18
Harrison formed the basis of the prosecution's case they told the court that Melissa and
00:56:24
Chris thought they stood to inherit Millions from the Harrison estate Chris fatorre recanted his confession at
00:56:33
trial claiming it was coerced he thought that by taking full blame for the crimes Melissa would be free to look
00:56:40
after their children while Chris would maintain a not guilty plea when it came to Bill and Bridget's
00:56:48
murders he sought to plead guilty to the Lesser charge of manslaughter when it came to Caleb
00:56:54
he stated that he had only intended to rough Caleb up and to maybe put him in the hospital
00:57:01
the prosecution rejected his plea they were confident that they had enough evidence to prove Chris killed with
00:57:08
intent the difficulty lay in the case against Melissa Merritt the evidence against her was
00:57:17
circumstantial and her legal team knew it from their perspective the prosecution's
00:57:23
case at best characterized Melissa as an accessory after the fact the prosecution argued that Chris
00:57:32
wouldn't have committed the murders had he not been compelled to do so by Melissa
00:57:39
it took six hours for the jury to reach a verdict Chris fatorre was found guilty for the
00:57:46
murders of Bridget and Caleb Harrison he was acquitted of Bill Harrison's murder due to a lack of evidence
00:57:55
Melissa Merritt was acquitted of Bridget Harrison's murder as the jury were unable to reach a decision regarding her
00:58:02
involvement for the murder of her ex-husband Caleb Harrison Melissa was found guilty
00:58:10
Melissa cried as her sentence was delivered Chris sat close by Stone faced both were handed life sentences with a
00:58:20
non-parole period of 25 years when speaking of the Harrison family Bill Harrison's sister said
00:58:31
I cannot fathom how people who loved their family loved their friends and to love to their community so greatly could
00:58:38
have been dealt such an injustice we have all suffered from recurring violent nightmares of our loved ones
00:58:46
last moments and we will never forget that Terror that plagued us for years not knowing which family member might
00:58:53
die under suspicious circumstances or when addressing the convicted Killers one of
00:59:02
Caleb's cousins said I hope that one day you realize that you destroyed an innocent family at the cost
00:59:10
of your own in 2020 an independent review was launched into why Bill and bridges
00:59:19
Harrison's murders had originally been overlooked the extended Harrison family welcomed
00:59:26
the investigation saying that Caleb and Bridget might still be alive had Bill's death been investigated properly
00:59:35
the family issued a statement saying they were haunted by lingering questions about the investigative and forensic
00:59:41
handling of the case some of the review was made public it highlighted a multitude of police
00:59:50
errors including poor communication note-taking and coordination of resources in Bill Harrison's case a layered a neck
01:00:00
dissection wasn't performed during his autopsy even though there were signs of trauma to his throat
01:00:07
the Performing pathologist had also failed to uncover any trace of heart abnormalities or heart disease
01:00:14
yet he still ruled Bill's death as the result of acute cardiac arrhythmia the pathologist later reflected
01:00:24
it probably should have tweaked to me that something wasn't right given hindsight I suspect that he was
01:00:31
the victim of Foul Play I could have done things differently but I can't change it now
01:00:37
and as far as I'm concerned given the information I had at the time I did the best I could
01:00:46
Bill Harrison's cause of death has since been changed from natural to unknown in relation to Bridget Harrison's case
01:00:56
the independent review concluded in hindsight the circumstances and post-mortem bindings which indicated
01:01:04
evidence of possible strangulation may have been sufficient cause for the case to be considered a suspected homicide
01:01:13
it was recommended that a homicide detective review all sudden deaths to ensure no homicides would be missed in
01:01:21
the future the report stated at no time does a police officer wish to be involved in an investigation that
01:01:31
fails to uncover the truth the trauma that the Harrison family's loved ones endured over the years was
01:01:40
acknowledged but for them it was too little too late Bridget Harrison's brother stated
01:01:48
my faith in justice has been destroyed Melissa Merritt and Christopher Torres four children are set to grow up with
01:01:58
both of their parents Behind Bars Caleb Harrison's son and daughter are left without their father or paternal
01:02:06
grandparents a former neighbor of the Harrison family told the Mississauga news those of us who've been around for years
01:02:16
know what the kids have already been through they've had way too much for their very young lives
01:02:25
many have reported on the love Caleb Harrison had for his children and how he wanted them to succeed in life
01:02:32
he had said to others that it was his children that got him through his deep depression following his parents deaths
01:02:40
he had both their names tattooed on his chest over his heart Caleb's obituary rad
01:02:49
Caleb found his true calling when he became a father his Fierce Devotion to his children
01:02:55
impressed all of us who watched him grow up we all know that he is reunited with his
01:03:02
loving parents bill and the Brigid in heaven foreign [Music] presents a new Spotify exclusive podcast
01:03:39
Maddie no one is ever prepared for a loved one to suddenly disappear that's the thing about missingness
01:03:46
when someone you love vanishes into thin air every family that experiences it has to
01:03:53
figure it out for themselves we started running around match friends what the hell is y'all doing at work and why
01:03:59
hasn't even called them I just sat there again oh my God oh my God something wasn't right the leversons grew more
01:04:05
worried by the minute he's walking up and down like a cage line and he's sweating and he's clammy the man has no
01:04:11
emotions at all towards the end he wouldn't let Matt out of his sight narrated by Lauren O'Keefe the founder
01:04:17
of the missing persons advocacy Network and host of case File presents podcast what's missing the police informed Mark
01:04:25
and Faye levison that they're no longer considered Matt a missing person I told phyno that the case had been transferred
01:04:32
to homicide and he said I've called the police I found a grave there's a medic in the bush the receipt showed that two
01:04:39
items had been purchased duct tape and a garden Master brand Matic I think we were in shock for ages after that the
01:04:46
world just seemed to stand still hear how a family took on the system to try and find Justice for their son for the
01:04:53
very first time made us feel like the police and us were no longer on the same side and then he sat there and said to
01:05:01
me it was Matt's lifestyle that had him murdered no I just said the [ __ ] stops now that's that's ridiculous some
01:05:06
people in this world never take no for an answer especially when they're fighting for someone they love nothing's
01:05:12
perfect and we thought you know with a chance of finding that there's like one in a million one in 10 million but it
01:05:16
wasn't zero so we've got to give it a go he was never going to win against us not for
01:05:21
finding Maddie Maddie the latest podcast from casefile presents available September 19th only on Spotify it's not
01:05:31
a justice system it's just a system