The Murder of Christine Jessop (Vault)

In this newly rerecorded episode from the Forensic Tales Vault, we revisit the 1984 abduction and murder of nine-year-old Christine Jessop.

After arriving home from school in Queensville, Ontario, Christine disappeared before meeting a friend at a nearby park. Nearly three months later, her body was discovered in a wooded area more than 30 miles from home.

Investigators soon focused on Christine’s neighbor, Guy Paul Morin. Their case relied heavily on microscopic hair and fiber comparisons, along with testimony from jailhouse informants. Although Morin maintained his innocence and was acquitted at his first trial, he was eventually retried and convicted of Christine’s murder.

Then DNA testing changed everything.

The biological evidence conclusively excluded Morin, exposing a devastating wrongful conviction. But Christine’s real killer remained unidentified for another 25 years—until investigators turned to forensic genetic genealogy.

In this episode:

• Christine’s disappearance and the search for her
• The discovery of her body
• Why investigators targeted Guy Paul Morin
• The limitations of microscopic hair and fiber evidence
• Morin’s two trials and wrongful conviction
• The DNA testing that proved his innocence
• How forensic genetic genealogy identified Calvin Hoover
• The crucial lead investigators overlooked in 1984

Please note: This episode discusses the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of a child.

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