11 episodes

Amber Tuccaro was 20 years old when she left her infant son with a friend at a motel on the outskirts of Edmonton, and got into a vehicle with an unknown man.

She was never seen alive again.

But Amber left an important clue: A chilling recording of what appear to be the final moments of her life, and the voice of the man who may be her killer. Days after police released that recording to the public, Amber’s remains were found in a field outside the city. She would be one of five women whose bodies were discovered in that area, and one of dozens more found in rural areas around Edmonton, the victims of a suspected serial killer – or killers.

Following the success of the hit first season, In Her Defence: 50th Street takes listeners to Amber’s home in the Indigenous community of Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, retracing the final days of Amber’s life, and revealing suspects and information that have never before been made public.
In Her Defence: 50th Street explores the flawed police investigation into Amber’s disappearance and death, and asks serious questions about her unsolved murder.

Was Amber’s case compromised by what her family alleges was a racist and biased police investigation?

And does it mean a serial killer is still out there?

In Her Defence: 50th Street The Globe and Mail

    • True Crime
    • 4.7 • 264 Ratings

Amber Tuccaro was 20 years old when she left her infant son with a friend at a motel on the outskirts of Edmonton, and got into a vehicle with an unknown man.

She was never seen alive again.

But Amber left an important clue: A chilling recording of what appear to be the final moments of her life, and the voice of the man who may be her killer. Days after police released that recording to the public, Amber’s remains were found in a field outside the city. She would be one of five women whose bodies were discovered in that area, and one of dozens more found in rural areas around Edmonton, the victims of a suspected serial killer – or killers.

Following the success of the hit first season, In Her Defence: 50th Street takes listeners to Amber’s home in the Indigenous community of Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, retracing the final days of Amber’s life, and revealing suspects and information that have never before been made public.
In Her Defence: 50th Street explores the flawed police investigation into Amber’s disappearance and death, and asks serious questions about her unsolved murder.

Was Amber’s case compromised by what her family alleges was a racist and biased police investigation?

And does it mean a serial killer is still out there?

    Introducing In Her Defence: 50th Street

    Introducing In Her Defence: 50th Street

    Do you recognize this man’s voice?
    Coming this fall, In Her Defence: 50th Street investigates the unsolved murder of Amber Tuccaro, who disappeared from the Edmonton area in 2010. Amber left an important clue: A haunting recording of what appear to be the final moments of her life – and the voice of the man who may be her killer.
    Do you have information about Amber’s murder? Contact reporter Jana Pruden at jpruden@globeandmail.com or by phone/ text at 780-265-5262
    The portrait of Amber is by Lauren Crazybull. The show’s theme song is “No Surrender” by Ms.PAN!K

    • 3 min
    Episode 1: The Ticking Time Bomb

    Episode 1: The Ticking Time Bomb

    Wes Naslund gets a phone call from his brothers at the farm. Friends and family describe the domestic abuse they suspect was going on in the Naslund house. A fight at the bar leaves Miles seriously injured, and things at the farm reach a breaking point.
    Learn more about this podcast and domestic violence in Canada, or sign up for our newsletter at tgam.ca/inherdefence
    E-mail the reporter, Jana Pruden, at jpruden@globeandmail.com
    If you’re experiencing domestic violence and want to talk to someone, you can find resources and your nearest shelter at sheltersafe.ca
    New subscribers to The Globe and Mail get a deal at globeandmail.com/podcastdeal.
    Our theme song is The Fighter, by Jenn Grant.

    • 34 min
    Episode 2: Helen in Hell

    Episode 2: Helen in Hell

    Helen Naslund speaks from prison for the first time. Helen describes how she met and married Miles, and the only time she tried to leave. Early one morning in September 2011, two gunshots crack through the house.
    Learn more about this podcast and domestic violence in Canada, or sign up for our newsletter at tgam.ca/inherdefence
    E-mail the reporter, Jana Pruden, at jpruden@globeandmail.com
    If you’re experiencing domestic violence and want to talk to someone, you can find resources and your nearest shelter at sheltersafe.ca
    New subscribers to The Globe and Mail get a deal at globeandmail.com/podcastdeal.
    Our theme song is The Fighter, by Jenn Grant.

    • 41 min
    Episode 3: All Hell Breaks Loose

    Episode 3: All Hell Breaks Loose

    Wes Naslund talks about growing up with his father. Miles Naslund is reported missing, but no one seems to care he’s gone. Helen and her family live with a haunting secret. One day in 2017, almost exactly six years after Miles was reported missing, two men show up at Helen’s work.

    Learn more about this podcast and domestic violence in Canada, or sign up for our newsletter at tgam.ca/inherdefence

    Email the reporter at jpruden@globeandmail.com

    If you’re experiencing intimate partner violence and want to talk to someone, you can find resources and your nearest shelter at sheltersafe.ca

    New subscribers to The Globe and Mail get a deal at globeandmail.com/podcastdeal

    • 31 min
    Episode 4: Responsibility Pie

    Episode 4: Responsibility Pie

    Helen is interrogated by police officers who say they understand the abuse she’d been living with, and know that something had to happen for her to get free. Someone she loves has betrayed her. Her life – and the lives of her sons – are all on the line.
    Learn more about this podcast and domestic violence in Canada, or sign up for our newsletter at tgam.ca/inherdefence
    E-mail the reporter at jpruden@globeandmail.com
    If you’re experiencing intimate partner violence and want to talk to someone, you can find resources and your nearest shelter at sheltersafe.ca
    New subscribers to The Globe and Mail get a deal at globeandmail.com/podcastdeal

    • 37 min
    Episode 5: The Battered Woman Defence

    Episode 5: The Battered Woman Defence

    The 1987 case of Angelique Lavallee provides a roadmap for the “battered woman defence.” Canada’s first female Supreme Court justice, Bertha Wilson, attempts to expose systemic sexism in the justice system. Helen is charged with first-degree murder, and has to decide whether to accept a plea deal or go to trial.

    Elizabeth Sheehy’s book is Defending Battered Women on Trial: Lessons from the Transcripts.

    Theme song, “The Fighter,” by Jenn Grant.

    Learn more about this podcast and domestic violence in Canada, or sign up for our newsletter at tgam.ca/inherdefence

    E-mail the reporter at jpruden@globeandmail.com

    If you’re experiencing intimate partner violence and want to talk to someone, you can find resources and your nearest shelter at sheltersafe.ca

    New subscribers to The Globe and Mail get a deal at globeandmail.com/podcastdeal

    • 31 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
264 Ratings

264 Ratings

avidlistener47 ,

A great story

An amazing well told story! Sending love and support to Helen! So happy you survived and you can live your life as a free woman!

NettanNYC ,

Thank you

Thank you for telling us the life story of Helen and her family. Love and support to Helen and her Children!
A

rudytutes ,

Sad story great story telling

Absolutely fantastic

Top Podcasts In True Crime

Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings
CBS News
Crime Junkie
audiochuck
Dateline NBC
NBC News
Beyond All Repair
WBUR
Status: Untraced
Tenderfoot TV & Audacy
Murder With My Husband
OH NO MEDIA

You Might Also Like

Burden of Guilt
iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts
Unrestorable
iHeartPodcasts
What Happened to Libby Caswell
iHeartPodcasts
The Bakersfield Three
Casefile Presents
Witnessed: 19 Days
Sony Music Entertainment / Campside Media
The Vanishing Point
Tenderfoot TV & Audacy