Taken: The Tragic Case of Christine Jessop
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Only on Netflix. Rated R.

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In a small town north of Toronto, Canada, a school bus pulled to the side of the road and an eight-year-old girl stepped off in front of her home.

just like she did every day after school. But on this day, the pattern ended. The girl disappeared. Her tragic case would unleash a decades-long nightmare for her family, destroy lives, and leave a community shaken until its chilling resolution some 36 years later. Part 1: Taken In early October of 1984,

A newspaper story on page 42 announced that a search was underway for a missing girl. Nine-year-old Christine Jessop was missing from Queensville, a small town in York Region, an hour north of Toronto. At the time, around 500 children under the age of 15 went missing each year in York Region, and in the city of Toronto, the number was closer to 5,000.

But according to police, most were found within hours. Some wandered away from home. Others were found at neighborhood malls or at friends' homes. Still others were afraid to go home because they were in trouble with their parents. One officer commented that these children would often sneak home once the search for them had begun. More than once he found a missing child hiding under their bed. But Christine Jessup was not hiding under her bed.

At just 40 pounds and with a cheerful attitude, Christine stepped off the school bus in front of her home at about 3:30 in the afternoon on October 3rd, 1984. She was carrying a recorder given to her by her music teacher, which she had been taught to play in class earlier that day.

Once home, Christine rode her bike to the Queensville General Store, just down the street from her home, and bought a nickel's worth of gum. By now, the time was 3.45 p.m. She was supposed to meet a friend at a park nearby at 4 p.m. Her mother, Janet, had taken Christine's adopted brother, Kenneth, to a dentist's appointment.

But when the pair arrived home a half hour later, they would find her bike parked in the backyard. But no sign of Christine. As fear spread throughout the community, the story of Christine's disappearance moved from page 42 to page 1. Search parties combed the muddy pastures and woodlots surrounding the village.

80 volunteers, 30 police officers, and several tracking dogs were aided by a weather helicopter loaned out by a local radio station. When she vanished, Christine was wearing a blue sweater, blue cords, and blue and gray running shoes. The searchers looked for any clue that could shed light on the girl's whereabouts.

By day two, the search party had swelled to 350 volunteers made up of family, friends, citizens of Queensville, and 75 high school students who were bussed in to help. Some searchers were on horseback, and others on motocross bikes. And the radio station helicopter was now joined by other aircraft. But despite the days and nights of searching, no clues were found.

At a command post set up in the local fire hall, volunteers prepared food and coffee for the searchers, but the mood was grim. One volunteer commented that there was a feeling of disbelief that something like this could happen in their close-knit small town. The volunteer said, "People are frightened." At Queensville Public School, where Christine was a grade four student, there was no more need for a school bus.

Since her disappearance, every child was picked up by their parents. After the bell, the schoolyard was empty. Meanwhile, at the Jessop home, Janet, Christine's mom, was in shock. Family and friends, and a local minister, huddled with her as she awaited answers. And Kenneth Jessop wondered if he would ever see his little sister again. "All I can do now is wait, and that's what hurts," he said.

Christine's dad, Robert Jessup, was unable to help in the search for his daughter because he was behind bars at Metro East Detention Center. When Christine vanished, he had served just three weeks of an 18-month sentence for misappropriation of funds. Through a telephone and from behind plexiglass, he said, "For God's sake, don't let them hurt my little girl." On day three, Robert was released from jail on compassionate grounds.

He arrived home in the evening in an unmarked police car. Janet and Kenneth were waiting on the front lawn. The three embraced, then walked inside without comment. The days passed and the search continued, but still no physical evidence was found. Janet contacted a spiritualist in Montreal who believed that Christine was still alive, safe, and with someone.

The police believed Christine had been abducted and began investigating known child molesters, strangers to the area, and unfamiliar vehicles. On day four, the family faced the press. A tearful Robert Jessup said, "We want our daughter back." He appealed to the public for any information that might lead to her safe return. He disclosed that Christine was distraught that he was going to jail for such a long time.

but that she was trained to avoid strangers. He said, "She might have gone with someone who said they would take her to me." He was certain that her disappearance was, in some way, linked to his troubles. For Robert, it was too coincidental that she was taken at the same time he was in jail. Then, on day five, the police called off the search, and a team of detectives took over the fire hall command post.

While no physical evidence had been collected, some tips had come in. The police followed up on sightings of children that resembled Christine, and even on telepathic and psychic leads. By now, 12 days had passed since Christine was last seen alive. Part 2: Killer on the Loose At Queensville Public School, Christine's music teacher recalled how difficult the weeks following the little girl's disappearance had been.

The youngsters were unable to concentrate on their lessons. They would blurt out ideas about where Christine could be. She was all they could think about. At the fire hall command post, the team of detectives packed up and moved back to their station. They were frustrated by the lack of clues. One officer said, "It's like she vanished into thin air."

Meanwhile, worried parents flocked to child identification sessions at local malls, where they had their children fingerprinted and photographed. With paranoia and fear spreading in the wake of Christine's disappearance, parents wanted to have materials ready to aid the police should their own children go missing. Crimestoppers offered a reward of $1,000 for any information leading to Christine's whereabouts.

A reenactment of her disappearance was broadcasted on television. But still, the police had no leads to go on. Then, just over a month since Christine Jessup vanished, two children were found murdered in a community an hour southwest of Queensville. 11-year-old Daniel Babineau and his 9-year-old sister Monique asked to stay home while their parents took their older brother to his hockey game.

The parents left at 5pm and returned at 7:45pm, but they found the house empty. They called neighbors, then the police. Search parties fanned out across the town, and five hours later, the two siblings were discovered behind a portable classroom in a nearby schoolyard. They had both been strangled to death, with the Babineau children's killer at large. Could the same person be responsible for Christine's disappearance?

Seven weeks had passed with no evidence or clues to her daughter's whereabouts. Janet Jessop likened her experience to a hell on earth. She said, "There are days when I just cry from morning to night." And despite the massive searches and an 800-page file on Christine's disappearance, investigators had no idea what happened. More than ever, Janet believed someone had taken Christine away.

On November 19th, Christine turned 10 years old, wherever she was. Today's episode is brought to you by June's Journey, the thrilling hidden object mystery game that transports you back to the glamorous 1920s. In this beautifully crafted game, you'll help the clever detective June Parker uncover the truth behind her sister's murder while exploring stunning locations from around the world. The game combines captivating hidden object

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Each scene challenges your observation skills in a fun, relaxing way, and the ongoing mystery keeps me coming back for more. Discover your inner detective when you download June's Journey for free today on iOS and Android. Part 3: The Body Christmas came and went at the Jessop household. No one was in the mood to celebrate. Then, near the town of Sunderland, some 25 miles from Queensville,

A farmer and his children went for a walk on New Year's Eve. In a forested area, they stumbled upon what looked like human bones. Christine Jessup had finally been found. She had also been stabbed repeatedly and sexually assaulted. Along with her remains, the police would find bits of her clothing and the recorder she had taken home to practice the afternoon of her disappearance.

A week later, and under a cold and gray winter sky, hundreds of mourners gathered for Christine's funeral at Queensville United Church. While family and friends crowded into the church, the police took pictures of cars and noted license plate numbers. Janet Jessop said, "If there's anything good, it's that I now know where Christine is. I don't have to wonder any longer."

Later, a small casket was lowered into the ground in the cemetery behind the Jessop family home. And again. While police sought answers and tried to find out who could be responsible for Christine's brutal murder, parents were fearful the killer would strike again. The Durham and York Regional Police Forces offered a $50,000 reward to help find the killer.

Another dramatization of the case aired on television, and viewers were encouraged to call a hotline if they had any information about the crime. But six weeks after Christine's body was found, the police still had nothing to show for their efforts. Part 4: The Accused Frustrated, detectives on the case looked stateside, to the FBI. They needed a profile of Christine's killer.

After studying the case, an FBI special agent said the man responsible would be somebody Christine felt comfortable with. He would also be white, between age 19 and 26, and he would have had recent family problems. The Jessops' next-door neighbor, Guy Paul Morin, was 25, white, and lived with his parents. He had also recently lost his job.

But more than that, Guy Paul and his family were considered odd by the community. They were just different. Like the final puzzle piece, Guy Paul Morin fit the FBI's profile. On April 22nd, 1985, just over six months since Christine vanished, Guy Paul was arrested on his way to band practice and charged with first-degree murder. The Morin home was searched and boxes of evidence carted away.

His sister, Yvette, was interviewed by officers who pressed her for incriminating information about her brother. She also mentioned seeing an unfamiliar white car at the Jessop house the day Christine vanished. In January of 1986, the first-degree murder trial got underway, and Guy Paul pleaded not guilty.

The Crown laid out its case against the accused, which was largely based on testimony and secret tapes made by an undercover officer who posed as Guy Paul's cellmate. The officer testified that Guy Paul used the term "red rum" in reference to his frustrations. The undercover officer asked for clarification, and Guy Paul told him to write down "red rum" and look in the mirror. It spelled "murder."

The officer also said that Ghipal told him he had a monk's mind and could push unpleasant thoughts to the back of his mind where they wouldn't bother him. When Ghipal was held in protective custody, another inmate testified that he heard the accused cry out a confession in the middle of the night. The Crown also presented trace evidence. Hairs found on the crime scene matched Ghipal's.

And they knew this because an undercover officer had posed as a hairdresser at one of Guy Paul's band practices. She told the band she needed hair samples to practice dying hair, and had clipped some of Guy Paul's. And fibers found at the crime scene were also found in the accused's car. Horrifying details of the murder scene came out at the trial too.

Christine's clothing had been removed, her body was badly decomposed, and it appeared that animals had fed on her, and, strangely, her head was a short distance from her body and wrapped in a ball of clothing. In the packed courtroom, Christine's bloodstained clothes were held up as evidence, while Guipaul looked on, expressionless.

High-profile defense lawyer Clayton Ruby represented the accused and went to work on the Crown's case. Clayton attacked the prisoner, who said he overheard Guipaul's confession. In police documents, the prisoner asked to be released to a halfway house in exchange for a statement against Guipaul. And there was an explanation to the fibers found in Guipaul's car and at the crime scene. The Jessops and Morrins did their laundry at the same laundromat.

The fibers could easily have been transferred there. And as for the hair matches, Clayton reminded the jury that hair cannot be used like fingerprints. When Gheepal took the stand and was asked what the meaning was behind "Red Rum," a word from a popular horror film he'd seen, he simply replied, "It's just a movie." And about his movements on the day of Christine's disappearance, Gheepal's father remembered his son arriving home at 5:30 that night.

Guy Paul finished work at 3:30, went to buy groceries, and drove home. Clayton told the jury that Guy Paul would not have had the time to leave work, drive to Queensville, and abduct Christine. Then drive to Sunderland and murder her, clean up, buy groceries, and return home. And finally, in a controversial move, Clayton ordered a psychiatric assessment of Guy Paul.

After a 10-hour interview, a psychiatrist believed that Gipal suffered from schizophrenia. The doctor labeled him an odd loner, a deeply sick person who liked to daydream. Gipal told the doctor he wanted to build a perpetual motion machine, then live in the woods with his two dogs. He said he had no need for people.

Lawyer Clayton Ruby was quick to note that the psychiatrist's assessment was not an admission of his client's guilt. Schizophrenia should not be confused with guilt. The jury believed him. After deliberating for 14 hours, they came back with their decision: not guilty. While the packed courtroom, including the Jessop family, sat in stunned silence, Guy Paul Morin walked free.

But back in Queensville, the citizens decided they did not want the Morins staining their town with the suspicion of murder, even though Guy Paul had been acquitted. People signed a petition asking the family to leave. Guy Paul's father said he moved to Queensville for peace of mind, but it's been hell. And back in the courts, the Crown appealed the verdict and won.

16 months after he walked out of court a free man, Gepal was rearrested and would be tried again for first-degree murder. In a bail hearing, Gepal's lawyers asked the judge to allow their client to be paroled while he awaited his second trial. The judge agreed, and 40,000 dollars later, Gepal was again a free man.

Then, over seven years after Christine Jessup went missing, Guy Paul Morin faced a second trial, and this one would reveal perjury, incompetence, and a sadly deepening tragedy. The police officer in charge of the collection of evidence in Christine's case was accused of having two sets of notebooks. He would be charged with perjury and face a 16-year prison sentence.

but poor health meant he narrowly escaped punishment. Also, a cigarette butt was found at the crime scene along with a disposable lighter, two details that never came up at the first trial. On the stand, a police officer claimed not to remember collecting the butt. Another claimed the butt was from his own cigarette and said the lighter fell out of the coveralls he wore at the crime scene.

The court also heard that the first time the police interviewed Guy Paul was in the back of a cruiser. One of the cops lit a cigarette and offered him one, but Guy Paul refused. He didn't smoke. Is that why the cigarette butt and lighter vanished from the crime scene items mentioned during the first trial? Were the police trying to fit the details of the crime to Guy Paul?

Again, forensic experts testified that the hair and fibers found at the crime scene were close, but not identical, to those found in Guy Paul's car. But the match was strong enough that Guy Paul could not be ruled out as a suspect. When Kenneth Jessop took the stand, the court also heard shocking testimony that he and several friends had molested Christine in the years leading up to her disappearance.

The second trial revealed police incompetence, perjury, tunnel vision towards the accused, and even suggested alternative suspects. But in July of 1992, a full eight years after Christine's disappearance, the jury came back with its verdict: Guy-Paul Morin was guilty. But after these two very public trials, many now believed Guy-Paul was innocent.

Even the people of Queensville, who had once tried to bully the Morin family into leaving town, were now undecided. Maybe Guy Paul was innocent after all. Guy Paul's team planned to appeal the guilty verdict, but because of delays in the court system, the appeal trial date was set for two years in the future. Guy Paul would have to sit in a cell for all that time. They petitioned the judge to let him go free while he awaited his bail hearing.

Even though he was a convicted murderer in the first degree, the judge agreed and let Guy Paul out on bail. And just as he did after his first trial, Guy Paul returned home to his house in Queensville, next door to the Jessop House. Then, two years later, critical results came in from a lab in Boston that worked in the relatively new area of DNA testing.

Biological evidence found at the crime scene had been sent to the lab, along with a DNA sample from Guy Paul. There was no match. Guy Paul's 10-year ordeal was finally over. He received an apology and a $1.25 million settlement for the government for his wrongful conviction. While Guy Paul's suffering was over, the Jessop family's ordeal continued. And if it wasn't Guy Paul, then who killed Christine Jessop? Part 5

36 years later. 36 years after that October morning when Christine Jessop stepped off the school bus, rode her bike to buy a nickel's worth of bubble gum, then vanished into thin air. Her case had turned cold. It was now one of 700 unsolved murders that the Cold Case Homicide Team was working on.

One of the detectives on the case attended a conference by the team that had cracked a decades-old cold case when they apprehended the Golden State Killer. They had used an innovative new technology that combined DNA and genetic genealogy. The cold case team decided to give it a try.

But many years had passed, and they were worried that DNA from biological evidence at the crime scene that had exonerated Guy Paul might be too degraded to be useful in finding the true killer. The team approached a Texas-based company, which was able to extract enough DNA from the sample to submit to genealogy websites. Then, based on the data they received,

The detectives worked with genetic genealogists to build out two family trees. The team went through historical records, documents, and conducted interviews to build a long list of possible connections based on the crime scene DNA. A name appeared in the second family tree. It was familiar to the detectives. The name was Calvin Hoover. His wife, Heather, had been interviewed following Christine's disappearance.

The Hoovers were friends of the family, but by now it was 2020, and the detectives discovered that Calvin Hoover had died by suicide five years earlier. How could they get a DNA sample from him to prove he was the killer? Would they have to exhume his body? There was one place that might have the answer. The detectives contacted Ontario's Centre for Forensic Sciences,

Amazingly, they found that the center had saved several vials of Hoover's blood when they did his autopsy. Calvin's DNA was a match to that found at the crime scene. Calvin Hoover was Christine's murderer. The police announced their discovery and posted a mugshot of Calvin from a 1996 driving under the influence charge. The tips the police wanted from the public 36 years ago finally started pouring in.

They had their man, even if he was dead. Kenneth Jessup said his mother, Janet, was happy with the news, but that she's upset it was someone we knew so well. Part 6. 36 Years Earlier In 1984, Heather and Calvin Hoover worked at a telecom company. Heather was a dispatcher and Calvin was a cable installer.

On the job, they met Robert Jessup, who was the installer's lead hand. The Jessups became friendly with the Hoovers. They had them over for barbecues at their Queensville home, and the Hoover children had playdates with Christine. But then Robert was arrested for misappropriation of funds and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. Young Christine was distraught at losing her father for so long.

Janet planned to see Robert on October 3rd, 1984. It had been three weeks since Robert left to start his sentence, and Janet and Kenneth wanted to see him. There was no trip to the dentist. The pair went to see Robert in jail. Of course, Christine was eager to see her dad too, and wanted to join them. But Janet didn't feel it was right to take her. She was too young to go into a jail.

Janet confided in Heather Hoover about her difficult decision. Did she also mention that Christine would be alone for under half an hour? Did Heather share the information with her husband Calvin? All we know is that somehow, he found out. Janet would tell the police that just three people knew she was taking Kenneth to visit his father in jail, and Heather Hoover was one of them. After getting her bubble gum, Christine set off on her bike.

Did she see Calvin's car pull up? His vehicle would have been familiar to her from visits and playdates. Guy Paul's sister, Yvette, and others had told the police they saw an unfamiliar car, silver or white, in Queensville that day. Calvin owned a 1980 gray Pontiac Phoenix. When Christine disappeared, Robert Jessa believed it had something to do with his troubles.

He also felt that his daughter would go with someone who said they would take her to him. Did Calvin tell the young girl he would take her to see Robert? Is that why she had her recorder with her? Was she going to play it for her dad? The police would later learn that Calvin Hoover had a friend who lived in the Sunderland area, and that the pair spent time there hiking in the woods. Calvin knew the area. Like the final puzzle piece, everything fit together.

just far too late. Part 6: The Aftermath A close friend of the Jessops, Calvin Hoover took part in the searches for Christine and even attended her funeral and wake. He continued to be a good and supportive friend to the Jessop family, all the while keeping his horrific secret tucked away in the back of his mind. When Guy Paul was arrested, Calvin must have felt immense relief. The heat was off.

But ten years later, when the Queensville man was exonerated, how did Calvin quell his growing panic? We know he started drinking heavily, visiting pubs and bars, gambling, and using cocaine. A year after Guy Paul's exoneration, Calvin pleaded guilty to a drunk driving charge and had his license suspended for a year. The next year, he and Heather divorced.

Three years later, Calvin began telling police he was contemplating suicide. He crashed his truck but survived the accident. Then, he made a failed suicide attempt. His next would be successful. In 2015, Calvin Hoover sat alone in his car, inside his garage, with the engine running. He would die of asphyxiation.

Later that day, Calvin's son arrived home from a wedding and discovered his father's dead body. He also found a yellow sticky note on the bathroom mirror. It read, Hope you all have a good life, for Robert Jessup. His daughter's abduction and murder destroyed his family. He said, There were a lot of victims in this. Heather Hoover faces the trauma of knowing that her ex-husband was a rapist and a murderer.

Guy Paul Morin lost a decade of his life, and his family had their lives upended by police and media, and the accusation of murder. Kenneth Jessop tried to kill himself and suffered from substance abuse. Janet Jessop died in April of 2024, after living for 40 years with the burden of an unthinkable tragedy. And then there's Christine, a girl with a beautiful smile, full of life and love.

the one who suffered the most. In December of 2001, at Queensville Public School, students, parents, staff, and people from the community gathered to rededicate a tree. A maple tree had been planted in Christine's honor after her death, but it had died from salt damage. The group gathered to plant a new tree, this time a red oak.

Christine's music teacher who had given Christine the recorder to practice the day she was murdered, and which was found next to her body, also attended the ceremony. Long retired, she recalled that Christine was "such a sweet girl" and that she could "almost hear her running in the school hallway." Hey guys, thanks for listening. I want to give you all a quick heads up regarding some upcoming political ads you may start hearing leading up to this year's presidential election.

These ads do not represent my own political viewpoint. So if you hear a political ad play on the podcast and it's not in my own voice, then it has absolutely nothing to do with me personally as a podcaster. Thank you again for being a dedicated listener of mine, and I can't wait to have another amazing year with you guys. I'll see you in the next episode.