Season 2 | Episode 4: Jackie

When Detective Mike Richard's nephew was the prime witness to the abduction of an 8-year-old girl in 1995, he was immediately thrown into the middle of Fredericton's worst crime in decades.

Jackie (Sneak Peek)

6 years ago

Duration 1:38

The city of Fredericton is reeling when 8-year-old Jackie Clark goes missing. Determined to find her, Detective Mike Richard pushes the boundaries of police protocol.

With nothing to go on but a child's description of a burly, bearded man, Richard took a big risk and sacrificed protocol to find a suspect before it was too late for Jackie.

"I felt it was more important to try to find her than it was to follow some sort of judicial procedure."

What made this case unique

In June of 1995, there was no legal way to collect DNA samples of the accused without consent. The DNA warrant legislation changed during the middle of the Jackie Clark case.

The DNA warrant used in this case was the first of its kind in Canada and has been used as a reference in following criminal investigations. 

About the detective

Retired Detective Mike Richard worked in law enforcement for 16 years in Fredericton, N.B. and Sarnia, Ont. He worked as a sergeant in the patrol division, as a corporal in the criminal investigation division and as a detective in the major crime and homicide division.

He retired in 2000 and went on to be awarded the Canadian Information Productivity Award – Judges Innovation Award for building Canada's first municipal free public Wi-Fi system.

Related news stories

• Jul. 2017: (VIDEO) CTV interview with author and journalist who closely covered the Jackie Clark case in 1995
• Jul. 2017: New Brunswick author, journalist chronicles 1995 murder of Fredericton girl in book of healing through psychic mediums
• Oct. 2018: N.B. detective who helped solve murder of young girl reconciles with past
• Oct 2018: Remembering Jackie: Detective who helped catch killer looks back on 1995 case

Episode cast