A student investigator breaks a case wide open | Forensic Files

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[Music] website at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Monday April 24 1995 Constable Robert
Cross was Manning the public information desk at the Ottawa cartton Regional Police Headquarters when he saw a man
approaching the man was in his mid-40s with a boarding gray hair hair and a bushy
mustache when the man reached Constable cross's desk he informed the officer that he wished to report a missing
person the man's name was Brett Morgan he was worried about his partner 46-year-old Louise
Alis Brett had last seen Louise more than 48 hours earlier when she'd left to visit an old friend at around 2: p.m. on
Saturday April 22 the friend lived in a cottage near Wakefield in the gono Hills a forested
area in the neighboring province of Quebec it was only a 30 minute or so drive from Ottawa and Louise planned to
stay there one or two nights Brett Morgan said she had been cheerful and excited about her weekend
retreat but the following day Brett received a phone call from Louise's friend saying that she'd never
arrived Brett wasn't overly concerned as had mentioned she might visit another friend in the area as well and spend a
night with her perhaps she had decided to go there first but when there was no sign of
Louise by Monday evening Brett began to raise the alarm he called a number of Louise's
friends asking if anyone had seen her nobody had one person Brett called was Brenda
misson the second friend Louise had planned to visit while away Brenda hadn't seen Louise but
Brett's call jogged a memory earlier that day Brenda had been driving along a rural stretch near her
home in Wakefield Quebec when she saw a yellow and white Suzuki Sidekick a Jeep parked on the shoulder of the road it
was the same make and model as Louise's car Brenda made a mental note to check whether it belonged to her friend later
on she had forgotten to do so until Brett's call reminded her Brett rushed to meet Brenda and they
inspected the car together the license plates confirmed it was Louise's car its doors were locked inside in the back of
the vehicle was a wrapped gift Louise had been taking for her friend's daughter as well as Louise's overnight
bag her handbag lay on the front passenger seat her wallet was inside along with some cash and all her bank
cards there was no sign of Louise Brett appeared calm as he relayed his story to Constable Robert Cross but
the officer could hear the worry and concern in his voice the pair spoke for roughly 30
minutes while Constable cross filled out the missing person's Report with all the
details Brett provided during their conversation Brett suddenly said something unexpected he informed Med the Constable
that he had previously been convicted of killing a woman [Music] Constable Robert Cross was surprised and
disturbed by this Revelation Brett Morgan came across as a loving and caring spouse who was
genuinely concerned about his missing partner's welfare so his admission that he had previously served time for
killing another woman was shocking Brad explained that his previous conviction was a long time ago
17 years earlier when he was in his late 20s he had gotten mixed up in criminal activity including break enters and
theft one night during this period Brett had been consuming drugs and alcohol with his then
girlfriend at around 2:30 in the morning he got into an argument with a woman named Gwen tford who' lived in Shar
accommodation with them Gwen was 21 and an accomplice to Brett's crimes Brett had strangled Gwen and was
subsequently convicted of manslaughter he served 10 years but following his release he was convicted
of new charges relating to fraud theft forgery and escaping custody Constable cross found Brett to
be remarkably upfront about his criminal past especially given the nature of his
visit his Frank admission and willingness to honestly cooperate was totally at odds with what the officer
would have expected for an individual with his history and a newly missing partner Constable cross informed Brett
that if Louise had been harmed in some way Brett's record meant that he would naturally be a
suspect Brett replied that he understood that and expected that but he was adamant that he hadn't
hurt Louise she was someone he described as his soulmate and the person who had helped turn his life
around they had met 3 years earlier in March 1992 while Brett was serving his second
sentence Louise was attending a supreme court hearing into the wrongful conviction of a man for murder she was a
freelance writer and hoped to write a book about the case as Louise sat in the public Gallery
Brett Morgan was brought in Shackled to testify as a witness a former soulmate of his had
admitted to being the true perpetrator of the crime and brat had come forward to
testify Louise who was a fierce Justice Advocate was struck by Brett's courage his actions wouldn't make him
popular with his fellow inmates after Brett finished testifying he was escorted back out of the
courtroom Louise followed him to the elevator where he was flanked by two guards she tapped one of the guards on
his elbow and said I'd like to have a word with brat she then made eye contact with
Brett and told told him I think what you did was really Brave Brett smiled and thanked
her Louise subsequently wrote a letter to Brett and they struck up a friendship then a romantic relationship while he
served out his sentence they communicated via letters phone calls and eventually had in-person
visits in 1994 Louise helped Brett with his parole application hiring lawyers for him and staying in constant contact
via the telephone her efforts paid off and in May 1994 Brett Morgan left prison on
parole Louise was there to pick him up in her yellow Suzuki Sidekick and she bought him an ice cream cake to
celebrate on the way home Brett moved in with her and she had helped him establish a home renovation
business they had been a happy couple who were often observed by a neighbor sitting on the front porch together
holding [Music] hands although conable cross saw nothing in Brett Morgan's demeanor that made him
suspicious Brett's background meant he couldn't be treated like an ordinary citizen Constable cross asked Brad if he
would accompany him to the criminal investigation department to speak with detectives Brad
agreed he repeated his story to two detectives who listened to attentively and took
notes they asked Brett to come back to the station the following day with photographs of Louise for a missing
person's poster Brett Morgan returned to the police station the following morning
accompanied by a friend of his and Lise detectives wanted to interview Brett again although he seemed anxious
to get on with searching for his partner Brad obliged after the 90-minute interview
concluded Brett told his friends that the detectives had put quite a bit of heat on him during the interrogation
wanting to know all the details of his recent movements Brett didn't seem happy about
this development but told his friend he would do whatever he had to if it helped
them find Lise as it stood there was no evidence that a crime had been committed all of
the detectives who spoke to Brett Morgan found him to be a calm polite and Cooperative Witness
as well as a clearly worried spouse Brett's parole officer reported to detectives that Brett was doing well
on parole and there seemed to be no problems between him and Louise detectives asked Brad if they
could see Louise's will and he obligingly showed it to them it turned out that he was Louise's sole
beneficiary but by law he would receive nothing for seven years unless she was confirmed to be
deceased PR also handed over Louise's Financial records and her private Diaries the following day of Wednesday
April 26 a search party assembled outside a restaurant in the town of Wakefield Quebec close to where Louis's
car had been found as well as Ottawa detectives and local police officers from Quebec Brett
Morgan and members of Louis's family were present the group spanned out from the
area of River Road where Louise's car was parked there was nothing wrong with the vehicle that might have prompted
Louise to abandon it there and its tank was full of petrol a couple who lived nearby told
police they noticed the Jeep parked there since Saturday April 22 the day Louise had left for her
trip it was towed to a nearby garage where an officer would later dust it for Prince the area surrounding River Road
was densely wooded and spring rain had made it muddy police officers and Louis's loved
ones tramped through the cold scouring the bushes and trees for any trace of Louise they looked through piles of
lumber and felled trees as well as a nearby Ridge that was dotted with Boulders and a derel
car they found nothing over the following days divers would search the nearby Gau River but
also came up empty-handed while the police Searchers were dialed down Brett Morgan kept
looking he followed up leads and printed his own posters featuring a photo of Louise and requests for any witnesses to
come forward Brett also gave interviews with the Press he was Frank about his past
telling the Ottawa Citizen qu qu I was convicted of manslaughter and it involved a woman I understand the
implications of that I have to be a suspect it's obvious but he was adamant that he would
never harm the woman who had given him a life free from crime he felt lost now he
was alone without her on Saturday April 29 one week after Louise had gone missing Brett spent the
day standing at the site where Louise's Suzuki Sidekick was found with the stack
of his homemade posters he flagged down passing cars and told their occupants about his missing
spouse in an effort to raise awareness and find potential leads I can't rely on the police he said
it's hard living at home not knowing where she is police told the media that there was
no evidence of any fair play with one aut a detective stating people go missing every day she may have just
gotten tired of this world and walked away during conversations with Brett Morgan one detective mentioned another
case he'd worked on in which a woman had vanished Without a Trace his colleagues
had immediately decided her husband had murdered her but then the woman was found alive and well living in another
city it turned out she'd just wanted to get away the detective said he didn't want to
jump to the same conclusion again investigators in Quebec were equally reluctant telling journalists it
wasn't their investigation as there was nothing to indicate Louise was on their side of the Border despite her car being
left there despite police agencies downplaying the situation the rumor mill went into
overdrive it was revealed that Louise ell had paid for a small ad to run in the wanted section of a Wakefield
newspaper which read responsible nature lover seeks comfortable quiet Cottage friends confirmed that Louise
had spoken about wanting to lease a vacation cottage for the upcoming summer it was speculated that perhaps she had
been intending to visit rental properties while in the area others wondered if perhaps Louise
had disappeared Into the Wilderness with the intention of taking her own life rumors also spread that a stranger
might have ambushed and abducted her leaving her car behind on the side of the road Bret Morgan dismissed the suicide
theories and kept searching telling the media she's my sweetheart she wouldn't give up on me and I am not going to give
up on her brat rejected the idea that Louise had decided to abandon their life together without a word he suspected
Foul Play but he wasn't pointing the finger at a [Music] stranger when Louise Ellis first met
Brett Morgan she was already in a relationship she had met her former partner John maon weev 4 years earlier
at a jazz festival the pair moved in together several months after meeting but it was
a volatile on andof again relationship when Louise saw Brett Morgan in the courtroom and was
immediately transfixed by him it marked the end of her relationship with the John maon weev he left Louise after she
started speaking with Brett regularly Jon took the break up badly he refused to speak to leise and the pair
lost contact for over a year then they started talking again in the summer of 1994 not long after Brett
Morgan was released from prison and moved in with Lise there was no longer a romantic
element to Louise and de John's relationship but they were able to become friends John had a daughter from a
previous relationship and Louise was very fond of her on the weekend that Louise went
missing John was the friend who she'd been planning to stay with in the gat no Hills it was his daughter's 12th
birthday and Louise had packed a gift wrapped book about horses for the young girl her car was found with this present
inside not far from John's Cottage Brett Morgan told police he didn't have a problem with Louise
visiting her ex for the weekend as he knew they were just friends when he'd received a call from
John maor wev the day after Louise left saying she'd never arrived Brett assumed
she just decided to visit Brenda misson instead after L failed to return home and her car was found near John's
Cottage Brett's attitude changed detectives knew they needed to speak to John mawe and they visited him
at his workplace the University of Ottawa he said that he'd last spoken to Louise on the evening of Friday April 21
the day before she left John had invited Louise to his family's cottage for dinner that night
but she had declined the invitation John said that he hadn't been expecting Louise to visit the following
day even though Brett Morgan and one of Louise's friends were aware of this plan
moreover JN had called his ex-wife on Sunday April 23 to express his concern that Louise hadn't arrived he'd also
alerted Brett Morgan JN claimed that on the day Louise disappeared he'd picked up his daughter
from horse riding and then spent the day with her investigators didn't verify this
Alibi at the time as they felt certain it was true they didn't believe that anyone
would implicate their young daughter if they had committed a crime however they did take sniffer dogs
to a secluded Al owned by John maor to see if they could uncover any trace of the missing
woman they found [Music] nothing with no sign of Louise and no evidence as to her whereabouts the case
stalled investigators wondered if she might have been targeted by an enemy of Brett Morgan's namely the former
cellmate he'd implicated in the murder of a woman the cellmate was named to Larry
fiser and at the time of Louis's disappearance he was a free man not yet charged with the murder he was accused
of what if Larry fiser had targeted Louise Ellis as an act of revenge against Brett Morgan for rting him
out detectives looked into to Fisher's whereabouts on the day in question and found that on the morning of Saturday
April 22 fer was the subject of a police Road stop in Saskatchewan this was roughly 3 ,000 km
away from where Louise's car was found ruling fiser out of the investigation Meanwhile by early May
Brett Morgan Had hired two private investigators to follow up on the various leads that were trickling
in he told the Ottawa Citizen that he had done so because the local police force was under staffed and unable to
keep up with the investigation when a television news reporter asked Brett how he was feeling
Brett replied increasingly terrorfied Marie parant was a businesswoman based in St Pierre the
Wakefield cubec originally from Scotland she had relocated to Canada in 1990 in an effort
to build a relationship with her estranged father who was French Canadian once settled she took ownership
of a restaurant and a video store but neither of these businesses were her true passion Marie was more interested in
detective work in February of 1995 she enrolled in a 3-month course at the Academy of
private investigators with a view to maybe becoming an investigator herself one day as the course was nearing completion
Marie heard about The Disappearance of freelance riter Louise Ellis Louise's car was found just 25
minutes away from Marie's home and the news coverage of the event caught Marie's
attention Marie had a particular interest in helping women who were victims of violence and while there was
no clear evidence that Louise had been attacked it was obvious that something about the situation was wrong Marie's
attention was also drawn to Louise's partner Brett Morgan she watched him appear on news updates about the case
where he was visibly upset and helpless Marie's heart went out to him she wondered if Louisa's disappearance
could be a chance for her to practically apply the skills she learned in her private investigator
course on Wednesday May 17 1995 Marie pant called Brett Morgan's home number and left a message on his answering
machine offering to help him he called her back 2 hours later but explained he already had two private investigators
working the case and he couldn't afford to pay a third Mar reassured him that she didn't
want any money she just wanted to help and gain some professional experience the pair agreed to meet and 2
Days Later Marie drove over to the double Story red brick home in Old Ottawa South where Louise and Brett
lived Marie had brought along a tape recorder and asked Brett if he minded her taping their
conversation he didn't and Marie hit record as they began to speak at the couple's kitchen table
[Music] they discussed the events of the weekend that Louise went missing and speculated
as to what might have happened a few different scenarios were considered including that Louise might
have been abducted by a stranger perhaps someone had parked their vehicle on the
shoulder and feigned car trouble and when Lise pulled over to help they grabbed her Brett Morgan eventually told Marie
that he had a specific suspect in mind he believed that Louisa's ex John maev was behind her
disappearance Jon's Cottage wasn't far from the area of River Road where Louise's car was
found Brett thought the police should be looking at Jon but they didn't seem interested over the next few weeks Marie
began conducting her own investigation she met with Brett Morgan again and spoke with him him over the
phone a number of times but Marie had more difficulty making contact with Louise's other loved
ones most of Louisa's family and friends wouldn't talk to her after visiting the area where
Louisa's Jeep had been abandoned Marie began to agree with Brett Morgan that a random attack by a stranger wasn't
likely the Jeep had been locked up with all of Louise's things inside if Louise had only gotten out for a moment to
helped someone in need or had been dragged out against her will then why would she have locked the
doors Marie kept digging and one month after taking on the case she had a breakthrough she asked Brett Morgan to
speak with her so she could update him on Tuesday June 20 almost 2 months after Louise went missing the pair met
up again Marie explained that she had convinced John maor we to be interviewed and had noticed a few discrepancies in
his version of events she had also spoken to a friend of John's who had told her something Jon
had confided in them according to this friend Jon and Louise had gotten into an argument
because John wanted Louise to leave Brett but she refused Marie was coming around to
Brett's theory that John maon we had killed Louise she she asked Brett what he thought Jon would have done with
Louise's body Brett didn't think Jon would have taken it far carrying a dead body would be like
carrying a sack of potatoes he said most likely John would have dragged Louise into some nearby Bush maybe just
50 or 60 ft in from the road mace suggested that the two of them go searching for Louise together if they
could recover her remains then John maor weev would be charged with murder 4 days later Marie parant and
Brett Morgan met up near Wakefield at around noon then headed together towards John maon web's
Cottage they spent 5 hours searching the nearby Woods driving along Dusty Country
Roads and occasionally pulling over to cast their eyes over the brush but they found
nothing under heard Marie kept working the case soon she had another update a few days later she met up with
Brett again at a local restaurant to tell him that John maon weev had taken a polygraph test and
failed Brett remained adamant that Louisa's body must be somewhere near John's Cottage the pair made plans to go
out searching again the following day but their plans fell through at the last last minute when Brett left a
message saying he couldn't make it he was too distraught at the prospect of finding Louise's
body the thought of it had kept him up all night and he hadn't had much sleep the pair arranged to go searching
another day but Brett canceled those plans as well frustrated Marie told Brett that
she was fed up with his lack of cooperation and by the way he was leaving all the work to her
Brett apologized and the pair finally met up again at a local restaurant they sat outside and drank
beers while discussing the case Marie told Brett that it was imperative they find
Louise the police wouldn't be able to lay charges without a body and any inheritance that Brett was entitled to
would be tied up as long as she was only a missing person Brett finally acquiesced and said
he would go looking with her the following day on Thursday July 6 1995 Marie parant
and Brett Morgan met up in Wakefield once again they began to search a particular
wooded section with brat driving Marie along various roads throughout the area sometimes he would backtrack over a
road he just headed down as though he was lost at one point point he told Marie I don't have a clue where I
am finally they arrived at Irwin Road an obscure deadend dirt road about 10 km west of
Wakefield a dense Thicket of trees separated the road from the forest within Brett LED Marie through the
wooded area pushing back branches as they walked they exited the tree line and came across a clearing with a pine tree
pine needles and dead branches that had fallen from the tree were scattered all over the
ground Marie noticed something else lying nearby and said look there's something over there
Brad clothing was strewn about including a blue coat a sweater and two running shoes what appeared to be a bone was
protruding from the sweater lying a couple of feet away from the clothing was dark brown human
hair and on a Mossy patch right by the coat was a human skull it's Lise said Brett Morgan before
bursting into [Music] tears detective Bob pfer had been one of the first otare investigators to review
Louise Ellis's missing persons report after Brett Morgan filed it he also conducted one of Brett's early
interviews and was struck by his polite and Cooperative demeanor although Ottawa detectives were
intrigued by Brett's criminal history they held no suspicions at this stage and viewed him only as a
witness on the evening of Friday April 28 5 days after Louise was reported missing detective pfur was following up
on some of Brett's statements Brett had told investigators that on the last day Louise was seen he
had gone to the bank at around noon to deposit a check for Lise in the amount of
$3,700 on his way home he stopped at a 7-Eleven store and used Louise's bank card to withdraw $250 for
himself Brad arrived home at around 1:00 p.m. gave Louise her bank card back and
she departed between 1 and 2 however when detective pfer checked Louis's bank records he found the
deposit had been made at 132 p.m. and Brett withdrew the $250 at $253 p.m. this significant discrepancy was
enough to make the detective suspicious he requested Brett be placed under 24-hour
surveillance a wiretap issue was ordered and a bug was placed on Brett Morgan's phone the discrepancy in Brett's
statement wasn't the only cause for suspicion although he presented as a softspoken man with a rough past who'
redeemed his ways the truth was more alarming decades earlier when Brett Morgan was 15 years old he had gotten
into a romantic relationship with a girl one near his senior named Sandra who became
pregnant brat had lied to Sandra about his age telling her he was actually 18 and when she found out the truth she was
deeply Disturbed the relationship soon turned abusive with Brett hitting slapping and pushing
Sandra the young couple broke up but Brett begged for a second chance they got married and Sandra gave birth to a
boy named Christopher the abuse continued and escalated with brat now choking Sandra
dragging her around by her hair and throwing his boots at her once again she left him this time moving back to her
Hometown she and Brett later reconciled and the cycle of violence continued Sandra became pregnant with
the couple's second child but during a fight Brett repeatedly punched her in the stomach which led to her losing the
baby in another argument Brett smeared his own blood on the walls and told Sandra the only way they would part
would be through death eventually Sandra succeeded in escaping Brett and obtaining a
divorce in 1975 Brett Morgan entered into another relationship with a woman named
Christine he borrowed huge amounts of money from her with promises to repay it he said he was expecting a huge
insurance payout from the death of his daughter he also claimed he was about to inherit a $30,000 property from his
recently deceased aunt but Christine never got her money back she would later find out brat had
no daughter or Aunt Christine wanted out of the relationship one night when they were
out for dinner she told Brett she was leaving him he seemed to accept this but then when they were driving home he
suddenly stopped the car and said if I can't have you no one will then he grabbed her throat hit her head against
the car window and began strangling her Christine fought back desperately Brett told her you [ __ ]
[ __ ] I'm going to kill you nobody leaves Brett Morgan Christine thought she was going
to die she was aware there was a police cruiser with its lights on up ahead and traffic had formed in a line behind
it Christine managed to open the passenger door and throw herself out of the vehicle there was a taxi nearby and she
got in Brett Morgan would later track her down and beg for her forgiveness through
tears but Christine left Canada for Florida and never saw him again then there was the case of Gwen
tford the 21-year-old woman who Brett Morgan had killed in 1978 Gwen had a 3-year-old daughter and
did Sex work to support her child she was good friends with Brett Morgan's latest girl friend though Brett himself
disliked Gwen and often made derogatory remarks about her the three had lived together in
shared accommodation until Gwen moved out in late October of that year she began staying in a hotel while looking
for something more permanent at around 2:30 a.m. on Friday November 3 brat and a 17-year-old girl
went back to Gwen's hotel room with her the three sat around for about an hour drinking a bottle of
wine then Brett suddenly stole money from Gwen's purse and ordered her to undress she
did Brett told the 17-year-old to go into the bathroom or he would kill her also he bound Gwen's hands behind her
back with a pair of panty hoes then shoved her down on the bed Brett then jumped on Gwen's chest
and began choking her with his hands stating die you [ __ ] die the 17-year-old heard the killing
from the bathroom after Gwen was dead Brett left the hotel with the 17-year-old and
dropped her off at home Gwen's body was found later that day by hotel cleaning staff when the police began
investigating her murder Brett helped them with the investigation eventually he was charged
with and convicted of first-degree murder but after it was found that the presiding judge had mischarged the jury
a second trial was held this time Brett was instead found guilty of the Lesser charge of
manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years when Louise Ellis met Brett Morgan more than a decade later she didn't know
the full extent of his violent history instead she was left struck by his courage in coming for to testify for a
wrongly incarcerated man Louise later described their first encounter in her diary
writing that morning he insinuated himself into my life irrevocably his words were carefully
chosen his voice resonant I couldn't help but wonder what a nice guy like that was doing in a place like
prison Louise was a passionate and highly intelligent woman with strongly held convictions about right and wrong
she'd struggled with romantic relationships in the past finding them hard to sustain when the early honeymoon
phase gave way to the ordinary nature of everyday life in brat Morgan she saw someone with
whom she could have the all consuming love she so desired she was attracted to what she
saw as his honesty and simplicity his workingclass background was very different to her middle class one but it
was a case of opposite attracting above all Louise appreciated how safe and loved Brett made her
feel initially from the outside they appeared to be a happy couple yet cracks started to appear even before Brett was
released from prison the couple swung between euphoric highs and painful lows they had
screaming arguments over the phone which left Louise drained and despondent she never told her family
members that her new partner had been convicted of manslaughter instead telling them only that he'd committed
fraud after Brett was released from prison the things that had initially attracted Louise to him began to repel
her she found his tastes crude and realized how different their values and opinions
were while Louise was an intellectual who loved to read and debate ideas Brad didn't have an inquisitive mind at all
within two months of moving in with Louise Brett was already physically assaulting her she wrote in her diary
that he had shoved her gripped her arm poured beer over her head pushed her down on the bed and refused to let her
up and punched a hole in the wall he also made verbal threats a tenant who resided on the
upper level of Louis's home sometimes heard screaming coming from downstairs Louise became over
overwhelmed by Despair and self-loathing and wrote notes to herself on how she could be a better
partner these low points were punctuated by brief Windows of Joy honeymoon phases
where Brett would be affectionate and loving one day Louise wrote in her diary I love going places with Brad He's
Keen he's beautiful to be seen with he's friendly the next day she described an argument they had where Brett pinned her
down and was frothing at the mouth this relationship is either going to kill me or cure me Louise
wrote the month before Louise went missing she went to the hospital for x-rays after suffering a blow to her
sternum she told a number of friends and acquaintances that Brett was responsible as well as learning about
Brett Morgan's physical abuse of Louise detectives discovered that he'd also taken advantage of her
financially Louise had always been very responsible with money and was a good saver she supported Brett by buying him
clothes food and letting him move in with her she also purchased a truck and tools for him as part of a home
renovation business they started together named Morales a pment of their two surnames but the business never took off
and the brand new truck disappeared Brett would say it had been taken by a biker gang that was shaking him
down the gang was supposedly extorting Brett as revenge for his testimony against his former cellmate Larry
fiser Louise complained to friends that Brett would take her bank cards without asking and withdraw cash he rapidly
drained her bank account and ran up her credit card debt 4 months before Lise vanished Brett forged a check on her a
personal line of credit for $7,000 the next month he forged another for $5,400 when Louise discovered Brett was
stealing from her he claimed he needed the money to pay off the bike again Brett didn't just steal from
Louise he targeted her loved ones too on one occasion Brett helped out Louise's father by performing some repairs on his
bathroom after Brett left left Louise's father discovered that one of his credit
cards was missing it would later be traced back to friends of Brett's who used it in a
shopping spree Brat's abuse and stealing took a toll on the relationship and in December
1994 Louise asked him to move out the following month he moved into his own basement apartment but he was
told to leave in February after someone broke into the landlord's home upstairs Louise took him back they agreed it
would be a temporary fix with Brett moving out again on May 1 he had told investigators that their
decision to live separately didn't mean their relationship was in trouble by April 1995 Brett owed Louise
more than $23,000 he said he would pay her back as soon as a friend from Toronto named Bob
lent him the money Bob was apparently going to wire Brett the money by mid April and Brett would
then transfer it to her Louise was extremely anxious to receive the funds telling friends she
was down to her last $200 she also told them that her relationship with Brett was over whether
he paid her back or not she was sick of him controlling and using her on Friday April 21 the day before
Louise went missing she called her bank at least twice to check whether a bank transfer had come
through it hadn't after police began bugging Brett Morgan's phone they soon intercepted
regular calls he was having with a Scottish woman named Marie parant on Tuesday June 15 about a month
into Marie's contact with Brett an Ottawa detective contacted her to ask how she knew Brett
Moran Marie explained that she was an aspiring private investigator who had been working with brat although she'd
initially reached out to him due to sympathy the truth was she'd been experiencing certain doubts ever since
their second meeting while listening over her tape recording of that conversation Marie had
noticed something strange they had been discussing Louise's car and the way it was found
Marie asked Brett whether the driver's seat was still in the same position it would have been if Louise was the last
to drive it if it had been pushed back that might indicate a taller man had left the car there Brett
replied exactly the way I left then he abruptly stopped as though catching himself and changed his answer to
exactly the way Louise left it on reflection this struck Marie as suspicious she'd also noticed other things most of
Louisa's clothing and jewelry had gone as though she wasn't expected to return nor were there any women's toiletries in
the home's bathroom when Louisa's loved ones found out that Marie was working with Brad
Morgan none of them would speak to her they were all convinced that he was behind her
disappearance detectives Bob pfur and John Savage asked Marie if she would visit the police station and bring her
taped interviews with her she agreed during their meeting detective Bob pulur asked Marie what she thought
had happened to leise she told him that she thought Brett Morgan Had murdered her this was the detective's belief as
well they asked Marie whether she would be willing to go undercover for them when Marie asked what they would need
her to do detective pfer replied perhaps you could find out what Brett Morgan knows about The
Disappearance of Louise Ellis Marie agreed to help and detective Savage looked at her then jokingly said
well maybe you could find the body too from that point on Marie parant was a double agent at the police's request
she lied to Brett Morgan telling him that that she'd interviewed Louise's ex John mawe and there were discrepancies
in his story she also claimed that a friend of John's told her about an argument between him and
Louise Brad had appeared stunned when she shared this information Marie said that if they
wanted JN convicted of Louise's murder then they needed to find lise's remains she encouraged Brett to think of
where Louise might be telling him with her perseverance and his Criminal Mind they should find the
body Brett was quick to speculate where Louise might be but he also seemed to Harbor some suspicions about
Marie he began making references to undercover cops and told Marie that when a friend came to visit him Brett had
insisted on patting him down to check for hidden listening devices Marie asked him if he thought
thought she was an undercover cop he laughed and said no during their first search for Lisa's
remains Brett pulled out a bandana and without saying a word wrapped it around Marie's
neck this scared her as he had already told her how he had previously strangled a woman so she pushed his hands
away Brett told her it was just a gift to keep her cool during the search [Music]
as they looked a police helicopter hovered nearby this clearly made Brett anxious and his search was
lackluster he looked like someone taking a casual walk through the woods instead
of searching for a body Marie told detectives how the helicopter had spooked Brett and they
didn't dispatch it again nevertheless Brad appeared reluctant to search again after that
canceling plans a couple of times Marie became more insistent and the two eventually met up at a
restaurant Brett admitted he sometimes wondered if Marie was an undercover officer telling her she was either that
or a great actress well I'm not Marie replied Brett began to hit on Marie making suggestive remarks about her
appearance and kissing her she felt like throwing up but instead kissed him back
terrified that if she didn't her cover would be blown this seemed to convince him and
the pair made plans to search again the following day of Thursday July 6 after leading Marie straight to
Louisa's remains Brett Morgan began to sob and whail to Marie it looked like a performance then his eyes glazed over
and he stared at her in a way that felt menacing worried that he might be regretting having led her to the body
Marie tried to play along by touching his face comfortingly and Whispering soothing
words Brett then seemed to snap out of his sudden aggressive mood they took photographs of the scene
with a camera they'd brought along then Brett said he wanted to know how far they were from John maon we's
Cottage they drove to City Hall to examine a map Brad estimated the spot where Louise lay was roughly 2 miles
from John's Cottage and said happily that's pretty close you know Brett wanted to report the
discovery to police but Marie suggested they phone in an anonymous tip off instead after they parted ways she
phoned detective Bob pfer and took him to the remains d records confirmed they belonged to
Louise because they were so badly decomposed there was no way of knowing how Louise had been killed but
detectives had a theory they knew that Louise was on the verge of leaving brat which would cut
him off from her money if she reported him for his fraudulent activity his parole may be
revoked the bathroom was the only room in the house with no windows and nowhere to
run during a search of the Home Police had noticed the shower curtain was missing brat had told them it ripped
when he tried to clean it in the washing machine so he'd thrown it out but detectives suspected that Brett had
attacked Louise while she was in the shower he had probably strangled her as he had Gwen tord almost to decades
earlier and Louise had instinctively grabbed at the curtain tearing it down brat had later wrapped Louisa's body in
the curtain and placed it in the trunk of her Suzuki Sidekick Jeep he had dumped her in a location
close to John maor web's property in an attempt to frame the other men because of Brett's criminal
background he knew he needed to deflect attention to another suspect then he had abandoned Louise's
vehicle in a secondary location that was also near Jon's property before cycling
home on a bike he stashed in the vehicle Brett's seemingly Cooperative demeanor and public pleas to the Press
were further attempts to appear innocent it was a role he'd taken on previously after killing Gwen tford when
he initially aided police in their investigation although he appeared to be conducting his own searches for Louise
in the first weeks after she went missing police surveillance revealed he'd only spent a total of 4 hours and 4
45 minutes doing so these brief searches took place over four different days in the area where
Louise's car was found in addition to searching with Marie parant twice he'd also gone out
once with a friend and another time with a reporter there didn't appear to be any
systematic searching police surveillance also revealed that brat had started a new
relationship with a woman just 6 weeks after Louise went missing despite presenting himself as a grieving and
heartbroken spouse lost without his [Music] soulmate the Gano Hills were a sprawling
area and there were so many secluded spots around the Wakefield area that police believed locating a body there
would be like finding a needle in a hay stack they were certain that only Louise's killer was capable of finding
her discovering Louise after very little searching finally gave them the evidence
they needed to charge him on the same day that Louise was found detectives arrested Brett Morgan
and charged him with first-degree murder his trial began more than 2 years later in September
1997 it lasted 6 months with more than 90 Witnesses testifying including private investigator Marie parant
Brett Morgan pleaded not guilty with the defense arguing that the police had ignored all other possible suspects such
as the's ex John maor after learning that Lisa's partner had a criminal record detectives had
gotten tunnel vision and focused exclusively on him they also claimed that investigators didn't search for
Louisa's remains in an attempt to go Brett into doing so and argued that Brett had no motive to kill Lise
she had helped him out financially and assisted in obtaining his parole but the prosecution pointed to
Louisa's growing insistence on being paid back and her intentions to end the relationship they called numerous
Witnesses who testified as to Louisa's anxiety around her financial situation in the days before her death
she was chasing up the funds Brad owed her and openly discussing how violent he was
[Music] the jury deliberated for 3 days before returning with a verdict guilty Louise's family and friends wept
shouted applauded and hugged each other with relief upon hearing the news Brett Morgan was expressionless as he stated I
didn't do this your honor the judge addressed him stating you planned and deliberated upon
the killing of Louise Ellis a young woman in the prime of her life who gave everything she had in an attempt to
assist you in your reintegration into society she was an intelligent vibrant highly creative fiercely loyal and
loving human being who shall be sadly missed by her family and those who loved her implicit in the jury's verdict is
that you wrongfully accused an innocent man John maon of being responsible that treacherous act speaks very poorly
about your moral fiber he sentenced Brett Morgan to 25 years without the possibility of
parole afterwards Bret's lawyer insisted that he believed his client was innocent
and they would appeal the verdict but two months into Brett Morgan's sentence he died in prison due
to hepatitis C it was April 24th 4 1998 3 years to the day since he had reported Louise
missing for Marie paran's role in convicting Brett Morgan police awarded her $4,600 she later told the national post
that she was offended by this reward saying it felt like a slap in the face after all I had
done over the years Marie has appeared in multiple documentaries to discuss her role in the Louise Lis case and has been
working on a memoir about her time as a private investigator after Brett Morgan's trial
Louise's father brother and sister said that the result had restored their faith
in the justice system although they were still overwhelmed by pain knowing that Louise
had been found and her killer punished helped somewhat Louise's father Allan said he
would forgive Brett Morgan for his actions stating never return evil for evil never after Louise's remains were
recovered a funeral was held at GLE St James United Church in Ottawa 200 MERS packed into the space to
memorialize Louise who was remembered as a passionate artistic and intellectual woman who was deeply spiritual and had
great integrity she was an excellent cook and a very talented writer in 1976 she wrote and Illustrated a
children's book titled the alpha veget which taught children about the alphabet and
vegetables the minister presiding over the service encouraged all those present to remember Louise's story
stating if there is anger here this afternoon I hope it is a righteous anger Louise her life and her death calls us
to action women are abused every day and it is not right not now not before and not
again [Music] [Music] [Music]

Case 285: Louise Ellis

*** Content warnings: Domestic violence *** When freelance writer Louise Ellis disappeared after leaving her Ottawa home on April 22 1995, the person leading the search for her was her devoted partner, Brett Morgan. But Brett’s criminal background made investigators suspicious and he found himself feeling more like a suspect than a victim.

When he was approached by an aspiring private investigator named Marie Parent, the case suddenly took a very different turn…

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Erin Munro Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-285-louise-ellis

Brief Summary

Brett Morgan's violent past complicates the investigation into his partner Louise Ellis's disappearance and murder.

Key points

The Missing Person Report. Brett Morgan reports his partner Louise missing after she fails to return from a trip.
A Shocking Admission. Brett reveals to Constable Cross that he was previously convicted of killing a woman.
The Search Begins. A search party assembles to look for Louise, but initial efforts yield no results.
Brett's Determination. Brett takes matters into his own hands, distributing posters and speaking to the press.
Speculations Arise. Rumors circulate about Louise's disappearance, including theories of suicide and abduction.
Brett's Dark Past. Brett's violent history is revealed, including previous abusive relationships and a murder conviction.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I was convicted of manslaughter and it involved a woman.

Brett openly discusses his past with the media.

12:30WatchMay 25, 2024

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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