The hidden story of a notorious serial killer — and his secret calls from behind bars
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What is the upcoming season of Uncover about?
This is a CBC Podcast. Hi, Sam here. I want to tell you about the upcoming season of Uncover, slated to be released next month. It's called Calls from a Killer. It's 1990, and reporter Arlene Bynum gets a collect call. On the other end of the line is Clifford Olson, a man convicted of killing 11 children less than a decade before. This began years of secret conversations, recorded without the knowledge of his prison guards. Now, for the first time, Arlene is sharing those tapes. Here's the trailer for Calls from a Killer from CBC's Uncover.
Yes. I was a young journalist when Clifford Olson first called me. I'm not doing this... Are you supposed to call the media?
Who was Clifford Olson and what were his crimes?
A reporter getting secret phone calls from Canada's most notorious serial killer. He was serving a life sentence for murdering 11 children. His oldest victim, 18. The youngest, 9. Captured only after the police offered him a shocking deal. Cash for bodies.
What was the controversial deal made with Clifford Olson?
And then the prosecution announced an unusual trade. The location of the missing bodies in return for $100,000. Today, the news that crime does pay was a concern all across the country.
What did Clifford Olson reveal to Arlene Bynon?
I was desperate to understand why he did what he did.
I knew I was killing the children, but I couldn't stop myself. I wasn't insane. I knew what I was doing at the time.
And how to stop it from happening again.
You say you have nothing to lose, so are you going to kill again? One of these days, Arlene, I'm going to make a move and it's going to be a bloodbath.
For 30 years, these recordings have been sealed away. Secrets kept in boxes in my basement. But it's time to unearth the tapes. Because I believe that the police could have stopped him sooner.
When we get down to the point where you've got a missing nine-year-old kid who's six blocks from his home and disappears when he's at the corner store getting an ice cream or a candy bar, you've got a big problem.
That the pain left behind is still raw.
I still have rage and anger. I can't even go out at night. I have a fear to go out at night. The RCMP and what they did...
And I believe that there were more victims. So when you went to the police, how long did it take for them to follow up after you said those things to them?
I don't even know if they've still followed up on that. I've never heard another thing.
I'm Arlene Bynum. From CBC's Uncover, calls from a killer. Clifford Olsen's calling. Will you accept the charge? Yes, I will. Coming soon, wherever you get your podcasts.
For more CBC Podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.
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