Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"She had become like a daughter to them over the years, and they often would come by her place for a game of bridge and to sleep over afterwards." — Britt
"The stocking found around James's wrist and ankles was tied loosely enough, so it could be slipped off, he said. And the neck ligature was tight enough to make him light-headed, but it is not cut off his breathing." — Ashley Flowers
"And at its centers around a British Columbia psychiatrist named Dr. James Tyherst, who was charged, tried, and convicted for some truly horrific abuse and sexual assault against his patients. But the crux of this theory is that Cindy somehow witnessed something like assault or murder or something during a trip she took with her husband, who, by the way, was faculty the same university as this Tyherst guy." — Ashley Flowers
The episode chronicles the unsettling case of Cindy James, who vanished in May 1989 after planning to play cards with friends. Her car was found abandoned at a bank, with her bank card and a trickle of blood discovered nearby, yet no immediate signs of foul play were apparent. Initial police reluctance to treat her as a missing person highlights the procedural challenges in such cases. Investigations revealed Cindy had endured eight years of relentless harassment, including vandalism, death threats, and multiple physical assaults, often involving nylon stockings used to bind or strangle her, and puncture marks on her arm. Despite extensive security measures and numerous police reports, her stalker remained unidentified, leading investigators to consider the disturbing possibility that Cindy herself was orchestrating the events, possibly due to severe mental health issues like Factitious Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder.
The discovery of Cindy's body in a vacant property in June 1989 added another layer of mystery. She was found bound with nylon stockings, similar to previous assaults, but the autopsy revealed no clear cause of death beyond a lethal cocktail of drugs, including Valium, sleeping pills, and morphine, leading authorities to suspect a staged suicide or accidental overdose. However, the circumstances, including the presence of the ligature and the drug levels, prevented a definitive ruling, with the coroner's inquest ultimately classifying her death as resulting from an "unknown event." The lack of concrete evidence linking anyone else to her death, combined with the possibility of her self-inflicted harm, left investigators without a clear perpetrator.
The narrative explores multiple theories, including a possible cover-up orchestrated by a group of psychiatrists to silence Cindy after she potentially witnessed a crime, and the more complex theory of Dissociative Identity Disorder where Cindy could have been both the perpetrator and victim. The episode emphasizes the tragedy of a woman who felt terrorized and potentially unheard by the authorities, regardless of the true nature of her death. The lasting mystery underscores the profound difficulty in cases with ambiguous evidence and the psychological toll of prolonged trauma, leaving a lasting sense of unease and unanswered questions.