Three deaths, one house, and a chilling truth | Forensic Files

I often don't have time to go to the chemist until the end of the day and when I do it's always in a rush hoping
that they're still open either that or I'm stuck in a long line sometimes it's both that's why Amazon Pharmacy is so
awesome Amazon Pharmacy delivers a better Pharmacy experience that delivers directly to your door and works with
most insurance plans no more rushing to the store hoping to get there before they close Amazon Pharmacy has
transparent pricing so you'll know what you pay before you pay it Prime members can save up to 80 percent on
prescriptions and if you have any questions or problems real pharmacists are available no matter what time of the
day or night it's so easy a pharmacy that works for your life with meds delivered to your door it doesn't get
any better than that switch to Amazon Pharmacy and save time save money and stay healthy low learn more at
amazon.com casefile that's amazon.com case File amazon.com case File average savings based on usage and
inside RX data as compared to cash prices average savings for all generics are 78 37 for select brand medications
restrictions apply [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website [Music]
by 2009 the Canadian city of Mississauga had been home to Bill and Bridget Harrison for almost four decades
located in the leafy and peaceful Aaron Mills District the Harrison's bride and spacious two-story six-bedroom house was
a Gathering Place for their family and friends it played host to an array of backyard
get-togethers and Christmas celebrations but when Bridget returned to her typically Lively and warm home late on
Thursday April 16 2009 she found it uncharacteristically dark and quiet 62 year old Bridget had spent the latter
part of the day tied up in a board meeting for work by the time she pulled into her driveway
it had just ticked past to 9pm she parked her car in the garage and entered her house through an adjoining
door only to discover all the lights inside were off and nothing stirred Within Bridget called out for her husband bill
but was met with silence she began checking each room on the lower half of the house for him
a softer glow emanated from the living room where Bridget found the television playing to no one
on the coffee table in front of it was some neglected half-eaten takeout food thinking that bill might have gone to
bed Bridget headed upstairs to their room but he wasn't there either as Bridget made her way back downstairs
something caught her eye the door to the powder room at the left of the staircase was closed
Bridget tried to handle it was locked from the inside she retrieved a pin and used it to pick
the lock inside Bill's body lays slumped against the far wall wedged between the toilet
and the door [Music] [Music] First Responders gained access to the powder room where they immediately
pronounced the bill Harrison dead as there was no overt evidence of fair play police at the scene believed that
Bill had died from natural causes a coroner was summoned to the Harrison home as sudden death cases required
their input to formally rule out the possibility of a homicide when a coroner viewed a Bill's body in
situ he noticed faint bruising on Bill's forehead and nose there were also two linear red marks
around the Bill's throat that were believed to have been caused by a box gold chain he wore around his neck
the coroner ultimately agreed that bill Harrison's cause of death appeared to be
natural and didn't require any further police involvement [Music] an autopsy was performed to determine
why Bill had died [Music] given the coroner's thoughts on the matter the autopsy wasn't intended to
uncover evidence for a police investigation or any subsequent prosecution it was performed by a regular
pathologist whose knowledge was based in seeking the cause and effect of diseases
the pathologist performing Bill's autopsy discovered another relatively serious bruise at the front of Bill's
scalp as there was no trauma to the brain or skull the pathologist noted the bruising
was compatible with the victim striking his head during a sudden collapse it was also discovered that bill sternum
a t-shaped a vertical bone in the central part of their chest was broken aware that Bill's death was not being
viewed as suspicious the pathologist theorized that Bill's body had struck the powder room sink mid to fall causing
the fracture and bruising in his report the pathologist concluded that Bill had suffered from acute
cardiac arrhythmia an irregular heartbeat that can have fatal results Bill Harrison's death was officially
ruled the result of natural causes and his case was closed Bridget Harrison had lost her husband of
40 years Bridget was raised in London Ontario where she had found success as an actress it was backstage during one of
her theater shows where she met Bill who worked in the Productions costume Department
naturally calm wise and level-headed Bill complimented Bridget's more passionate and fiery personality
the pair married in 1969 and moved to Mississauga where Bridget began a new career in education
as a teacher she was beloved by colleagues and students alike a determined Visionary and engaging
Mentor Bridget was promoted into greater roles she Rose steadily through the ranks
before earning her current position working directly with Ontario's minister of Education
Bill found his footing in sales and management the Harrison's relationship wasn't
without hardships bill was black and Bridget was white as a result they endured judgment from
Outsiders for being a quote mixed race couple Bill and Bridget Rose above the bigotry
to become an Inseparable team known for their warmth and generosity in 1973 upon learning they were unable
to conceive children the couple adopted a six-month-old black boy named Caleb described as a little rascal Caleb's
cheekiness and curiosity kept the Harrisons on their toes but they were nevertheless happy with the life they
had fostered together after Bill's Unexpected death Bridget found herself alone in their grand
family house the now 40 year old Caleb Harrison moved in to offer his grieving mother some
companionship the move proved beneficial to Caleb who had recently been released from prison
and needed a place to live he also had two children under the age of 10. Bridget loved her grandchildren and
found solace in their joyful presence however it wasn't long before tension arose between Bridget and Caleb
without Bill who was described as the family's Rock and Peacekeeper the two argued often
on the afternoon of Wednesday April 21 2010 Caleb's eight-year-old son arrived home from school
the Harrison's front door was unlocked a few steps in on the tiled floor at the base of the carpeted staircase lay
Bridget Harrison's motionless body she was face up with her hands by her sides and her head resting on the bottom
step Emergency Services rushed to the scene only to pronounce Bridget deceased she had passed away only one meter from
The Powder Room where her husband had died a little over a year earlier Bridget was fully dressed with her shoes
on her wallet and Eyeglasses were lying alongside her this led police to believe she had been
getting ready to leave the house when she took a nasty and fatal spill down the stairs
[Music] with no signs of forced entry into the Harrison home a responding officer
concluded in his report all in all the scene has nothing to indicate Foul Play or a struggle
the coroner wasn't so sure blood vessels in Bridget's eyes and cheeks had burst there was also bruising
and abrasions on her chin and neck which was hyperextended as though she had been
strangled bones in the back of her neck were also broken this led to the coroner classifying
Bridget's death as undetermined he ordered that her body undergo a full forensic autopsy
[Music] at this point detectives for the Homicide Bureau should have taken control of Bridget's case
they were aware of it but ultimately left the investigation to the local division's criminal investigations
Bureau they began looking into people who stood to gain from Bridget's death case File will be back shortly thank you
for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors you've got back-to-back meetings errands
to run and a chores to take care of what's the secret to clearing your to-do list a Little Help from doordash you can
get dinner household essentials and everything else on your grocery list delivered straight to your door in under
an hour with over three hundred thousand Partners you're sure to find what you need when you need it every time you
place an order for pickup or delivery you're setting off a chain reaction that helps give back to the people who make
your neighborhood unique from the stores and restaurants to the dashes driving around each purchase
provides a new opportunity for everyone involved because with doordash there is a neighborhood of good in every order
for a limited time our listeners can get 25 percent off on their first order of 15 or more when you download the
doordash app and enter code case File that's 25 off up to ten dollars value on your first order when you download the
doordash app in the app store and enter code case File don't forget that's code case file for 25 off your first order
with doordash subject to change terms apply often we get so bogged down in work and
chores that there's never any fun time or we wait until all our jobs are done before we're allowed to relax that's
what is so great about best fiends you can have a break and play best fiends anytime whether you only have a few
minutes or a bit longer go ahead and treat yourself best fiends is a free to download mobile
puzzle game with thousands of exciting levels for new adventures and challenges every time you play there are dozens of
unique fiends for you to collect so you can customize your own team to help you defeat the menacing slugs casefile team
member Bridget plays best fiends whenever she needs a bit of a break she hasn't caught up to Jess yet but
she's already at level 214. Jess also found a fellow best fiender on a recent airplane trip when she was
walking around the cabin she glanced at a cabin crew member on a break she was playing best fiends on her phone too
download your new favorite getaway best fiends for free today on the app store or Google play plus earn even more with
five dollars worth of in-game rewards when you reach level 5. that's friends without the r best fiends
raising Caleb was no easy feat for Bill and Bridget Harrison his school years were difficult
Caleb would lash out at his teachers and test their patients much to the dismay of Bridget who herself was a teacher
he was also teased by his peers Bridget had high expectations for Caleb and wanted him to do well
the mother and son loved each other they often clashed over Caleb's Behavior Bill did his best to ease tensions with
his trademark pacificity often acting as a bridge between the quarreling Bridget
and Caleb the family had a lot of great times together including Interstate trips but
Bridget and Caleb never outgrew their habit of disputing one another thank you Caleb grew up into a witty young man
that others found fun to be around driven like his parents Caleb entered the workforce immediately after
graduating high school he began working for a shipping and receiving business as a methodical person who thrived in a
routine-based environment the role suited Caleb he quickly earned the reputation as a
dedicated and hard-working employee [Music] in the year 2000 27 year old Caleb crossed paths with 19 year old Melissa
Merritt Melissa worked behind the counter of a doll store in the sprawling industrial
complex where Caleb was employed Melissa found herself drawn to Caleb's outgoing personality and sense of humor
she ended an engagement to pursue a relationship with Caleb in circumstances that mirrored those of
his parents Caleb was one half of a mixed-race couple with Melissa who was white
De Pere married within a year [Music] Melissa aspired to be another and Caleb was eager to start a family
over the next three and a half years the couple had a son and a daughter together
they settled in a house that was less than an hour's drive from Bill and Bridget they adored their grandchildren
they helped the pair with their schoolwork and ferried them to their appointments and sports games
Bridget was such a devoted grandmother that she changed her email address to Nana Harrison
yet by then Caleb and Melissa's relationship was strained Caleb drank heavily and the couple often
argued about finances in June 2005 Melissa called the police on Caleb in an affidavit she revealed
Caleb put me in a headlock and hit me repeatedly in the head Caleb denied the allegations
he claimed that Melissa attacked him first by scratching and hitting him and his actions were done in self-defense
Caleb was arrested and charged with domestic assault he spent three nights in jail before
receiving bail and a suspended sentence this incident officially signaled the end of his marriage
Caleb moved back home with his parents Melissa forbade him from seeing their kids labeling him an incompetent father
one month later Caleb went to a keg party as a condition of his suspended sentence
he wasn't allowed to drink alcohol so he opted to be a designated driver he drove his mother's car to the party
picking up several friends along the way however during the party Caleb started drinking
those closest to Caleb knew that he was devastated to have been separated from his children and to that he used alcohol
as a coping mechanism when the party started winding down at around 3am Caleb decided to drive home
his friends tried to talk him out of it but he wouldn't listen they refused to get in the car with
Caleb behind the wheel so he drove off without them Caleb was around 10 kilometers from his
parents home when his car veered onto the wrong side of the road he collided head-on with a taxi carrying
four passengers [Music] both vehicles were driving 100 kilometers per hour resulting in a
catastrophic crash those involved sustained serious injuries including many broken bones and
one passenger had been scalped upon arriving at hospital 44 year old Taxi Driver Michael Raymond's condition
deteriorated quickly he died from his injuries the following day miraculously everyone else survived
Caleb Harrison was two and a half times over the legal alcohol limit at the time
of the Collision he was charged with three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm and
one count of impaired driving causing death he was released on bail to await trial
under the condition that he remained living with his parents a judge allowed Caleb's two children to
stay with him at the Harrison residence for two days a week as well as every second weekend
this did nothing to quell the animosity between Caleb and Melissa shortly after his release from hospital
Melissa reported that Caleb had broken into her home and physically assaulted her in the backyard
she also accused him of assaulting their two children whenever they stayed with him at the Harrison home
ahead of Caleb's upcoming trial someone began an online petition on Facebook although they didn't know the deceased
Taxi Driver they were Furious that Caleb had killed someone as a result of his Reckless Behavior
the petition called for signatures in support of Caleb receiving a minimum of five years in prison
quote if we can get one hundred thousand people to join this group we can present
this to the courts to be sure this drunk driver gets a decent sentence please help us to ensure a bit of
justice is served a good man lost his life over this in the week leading up to the trial the
petition had just over 300 signatures Caleb Harrison faced cord in January 2009 his lawyer argued that Caleb should
receive no jail time stating that Caleb was rehabilitated and Incredibly remorseful
Caleb's family and colleagues attested to his good character describing him as a hard worker and a loving father
[Music] while acknowledging that Caleb seemed to be a decent man with many positive
attributes the judge said that the gravity of the offense and the degree of responsibility required incarceration
he sentenced Caleb to 18 months jail with a further two years probation his license was also suspended for two
years [Music] Caleb had only been in prison for a month when his father died unexpectedly
Caleb was given day release to mourn with his family in June 2009 he was released from prison
early for good behavior having served to just three months Caleb moved back in to his parents Aaron
Mills home to be with his grieving mother less than a year later Bridget was found
dead at the bottom of the staircase Caleb was questioned in relation to his mother's death
while he denied any involvement the interviewing officer took note of how calm and unaffected Caleb seemed by the
sudden loss others were interviewed in relation to the case including Caleb's ex-wife
Melissa Merritt speaking about the domestic violence she experienced from Caleb Melissa said
he did some pretty serious stuff to me if we got in an argument he would not do anything until I turned my back or went
to bed he was sneaky about the way he would assault me so I know that he has in him
a tendency to harm people if they piss him off she also revealed that Caleb didn't have
a good relationship with his mother before clarifying I'm not in any way pointing fingers and
I'm not saying that's enough to do something to her unlike her husband's autopsy Bridget
Harrison's was fronted by a forensic pathologist their approach to examining a corpse is
Medico legal as their findings could form part of a police investigation or Criminal prosecutions
as such they specialize in examining injuries the forensic pathologist examining
Bridget Harrison's body noted that the fractured bones in the rear of her neck were not typically seen in neck
compression cases marks across her chin and neck could have been the result of her body hitting
the stair rail during a fall there were also no signs of hemorrhaging in Bridget's neck muscles indicative of
strangulation with finding supporting both the fall and the strangulation theories the
forensic pathologist was reluctant to favor either instead Bridget's cause of death was
listed as neck injuries a mating between different investigative authorities on the incident led to the
Regional Police concluding at this time it is unknown how Bridget Harrison suffered these injuries
after two weeks the investigation into Bridget Harrison's death ended the case's lead detective concluded
quote there has been no evidence to suggest Bridget Harrison was the victim of fair
play or any criminal act [Music] Caleb Harrison settled in to continue living at his parents home
he secured a job at an electronics company started a new relationship retained shared custody of his children
and stayed out of trouble he told a friend that while he was depressed about his parents deaths his
two children inspired him to keep going by August 2013 three years had passed since Bridget Harrison passed away
on the 22nd of that month Caleb finished work and drove to the local softball field to coach his daughter's softball
team Melissa had custody of the kids that day so she was there along with her new
husband afterwards Caleb drove home alone he watched television and had a drink before phoning his girlfriend at around
11 pm he then went to bed Caleb was a light sleeper so he slept with an eye mask on and also left a fan
running all night to drown out any noise [Music] the next day Caleb didn't show up for
work colleagues tried to call his mobile phone but there was no answer at around midday A co-worker drove to
the Harrison family home he was greeted by Caleb's housekeeper she hadn't seen Caleb in the two hours
she'd been at the house yet she hadn't gotten around to cleaning upstairs where the main bedroom was
located Caleb's colleague headed inside and went up to Caleb's bedroom the housekeeper followed close behind
Whispering repeatedly I'm scared I'm scared they reached the end of the hallway and
knocked on Caleb's door there was no response the pair let themselves in Caleb was lying in his bed
his blanket was pulled up to his chin and his eye mask was on he didn't stir when the others called
out to him to wake up 40-year-old Caleb Harrison was dead [Music] case File will be back shortly thank you
for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors when 20 year old Matthew levison failed
to return home after a night out clubbing in Sydney his loved ones were worried sick
suspicion soon fell on Matt's partner 45 year old Michael Atkins after it was revealed that the pair were fighting on
the night of Matt's disappearance but was that unfortunate timing or did Atkins have something to hide
Maddie is the latest podcast from casefile presents a 10-part series narrated by Lauren O'Keefe from the
missing persons advocacy Network Maddie from casefile presents is available to stream for free right now
only on Spotify stay tuned until the end of today's episode to hear the trailer here at casefile there's one crime we
don't talk about enough and that's how some home security companies charge you a massive amount every month
Simply Safe home security is different they keep you safe and help you save in fact right now our listeners can get 40
off simply safe's Advanced security system We Trust Simply Safe because we know that at SimpliSafe your safety is
the only thing that matters when a threat is detected simply saves monitoring professionals promptly
contact you and dispatch responders to your home even if you're away or unable to respond
24 7 Professional monitoring costs under one dollar a day that's less than half the cost of adt's traditional
professional installed plans Simply Safe blanket your home in protection with Advanced sensors for
every room window and door HD security cameras monitor inside and outside your home and Hazard sensors instantly detect
fires floods and other threats to your home don't miss this chance to save big when
you protect your home with the best get 40 off your order when you visit simplysafe.com
casefile today customize the perfect system for your home in just a few minutes that's simplysafe.com case File
there's no safe like SimpliSafe thank you for listening to this episode's ads by supporting our sponsors
you support casefile to continue to deliver quality content upon arriving at the Harrison House
police were greeted by what appeared to be a robbery gone wrong yet it quickly became clear that
something else was at play the crime was entirely contained in Caleb Harrison's bedroom where nothing
had been stolen there were also no signs of a break-in the Intruder had the element of surprise
striking Caleb as he slept in bed an altercation ensued during which a shelving unit had been knocked over
Caleb's knuckles were swollen and there were foreign skin scrapings under his fingernails showing that he had put up a
fight yet his killer had staged to the scene by putting Caleb's body back in bed as
if he had died in his sleep an autopsy revealed that the hyoid bone in Caleb's neck was broken and that
there was damage to the cartilage of his voice box this coupled with bruising and abrasions
on the exterior of his neck determined to the cause of his death to be strangulation
Caleb was the third and final Harrison family member to die inside the Aaron Mills house within a four-year period
a homicide investigation was finally launched prompting authorities to reflect on the circumstances surrounding
Bill and Bridget's deaths a detective told the Mississauga news anything in absence of an explanation
may seem strange but there's obviously some very poignant events that happened to one family
to have three sudden deaths occur in the same household is unusual we would be remiss if we didn't do our
due diligence and look at all three deaths in totality we haven't linked anything however
everything is on the table the theory that someone was targeting the Harrison family was one held by
their loved ones for years from the outset they had trouble accepting that Bill had died from a
heart condition it just didn't make sense for a man who exercised a daily ate a healthy diet and
was physically feared even Bridget suspected that something wasn't right about her husband's death
she'd brought up her concerns to police on several occasions asking why the powder room door was locked from the
inside if Bill was home alone at the time and why were all the lights off if Bill
was up and using the bathroom by the time investigators acknowledged these questions it was too late
Bill's body couldn't be exhumed for further testing as it had been cremated a week after his death
Bridget's untimely and unexplained to death a year later only confirmed suspicions held by her loved ones that a
killer was on the loose they pushed law enforcement to reopen Bill and Bridget's cases
the family was told that their suspicions were not enough the police wanted proof
the Harrison's loved ones were at a loss wasn't at the job of the police to investigate and find said proof
and now Caleb Harrison had been murdered how could you let this happen one grieving family member yelled as the
Harrison's house was taped off by police for the third time they couldn't understand why authorities
never listened to them they had even highlighted two suspects telling police nobody else has motive
the acrimony between Caleb and his ex-wife Melissa Merritt had continued up until his death but there was a lot more
to it than Melissa was willing to admit shortly after Caleb had been released from hospital following the fatal car
crash Melissa had called police to report that Caleb had broken into her home and physically assaulted her
police visited the Harrison residents to investigate only to find that Caleb had
broken his leg in the car accident his leg was in a full cast and even with the help of crutches he could hardly
walk there was no way he was capable of the allegations Melissa had made regardless Melissa continued to make
several similar allegations around this time when Caleb finally faced court for the
original domestic violence allegation against him he claimed that Melissa had been deliberately misleading police
officers in what he called continued attempts to implicate him in Acts of abuse and create suspicion about him
police felt the same way one officer had even told Detectives I am 100 convinced that Melissa is
making up the whole story despite this Melissa was never charged or disciplined in October 2005 four months after
Melissa and Caleb had separated Melissa met a man online named Christopher fatorre
at 28 years old Chris was two years older than Melissa the pair were together for just over a
year before they held a marriage ceremony their Union wasn't legally recognized as
Melissa had informally divorced from Caleb nevertheless Melissa and Chris settled
in to married life they had four children over the next five years Chris was a handyman who also
occasionally worked as a security guard it wasn't enough to support his large family so the couple sought government
assistance and Loans from family and friends even though she struggled to support
them Melissa wanted all six of her children under the one roof this included her eldest two children
she had with Caleb with whom she shared custody Melissa made five separate claims to the
Children's Aid Society accusing Caleb Bill and Bridget Harrison of assaulting the two children whenever they stayed at
the Harrison residence to clear her name Bridget kept a diary of all the interactions her family had
with Melissa she noted the hateful and degrading way that Melissa spoke to Caleb in front of
their children on one occasion Chris fatorre threatened you'll burn in hell for the lies you've
told on another he yelled out of a car window you'll pay for this you [ __ ] bastard
the allegations that Caleb Bill and Bridget Harrison were harming their children were determined to have been
completely unfounded once again Melissa Merritt was lying she had even been coaching her children
on what to say to the authorities to support her outlandish claims to stem the growing animosity between
them a judge ruled that Caleb and Melissa communicate through writing only [Music]
it was Christopher Toray who began the online petition calling for Caleb to receive the minimum sentence for his
drink driving charges hey rode this is Caleb Harrison the dick that killed someone drinking and driving
he is unfortunately also my wife's ex-husband Chris had posted a photo of Caleb on
which he'd photoshopped devil horns and a speech bubble that read give me beer and the keys to mummy's
Mercedes Chris and Melissa attended Caleb's trial making faces at the Harrison family in
court and driving past them afterwards with their tongues poking out when Caleb was sentenced to 18 months in
prison Melissa was certain she would finally receive full custody of their children
but the judge gave her joint custody with Bill and Bridget Harrison ruling that it was in the best interest for the
children to maintain the lifestyle they are used to Melissa was angry stating in a
subsequent email if Caleb is not caring for their children then no one other than myself
should be the day after Bill Harrison was found dead Bridget went to her grandchildren's
school to check that they were doing okay the kids weren't there as part of the shared custody order
Melissa wasn't allowed to withdraw her children from school without a doctor's note
no such note had been given to the school administration Chris fatorre had inexplicably signed
the children out at 1pm the previous day a teacher revealed that Melissa and Caleb's son had excitedly informed his
classmates that he was going on a trip with his family he didn't know where as his mother was
keeping it a surprise all he knew was that it would take over a day of driving to get there
upon learning this Bridget drove to Melissa and Chris's apartment no one came to the door which was locked
the blinds were also drawn Bridget reported her grandchildren's disappearance to the police
they made queries with Chris fatorre's employer who confirmed that Chris had called in sick on the day that bill
Harrison died he hadn't shown up since police gained access to Melissa and Chris's apartment finding it dark and
mostly empty Days Later Bridget Harrison received an email from Melissa Mara in it Melissa stated that she had fled
with her family because she was receiving threatening letters from an unknown party
a letter authored by Melissa and making the same claims was sent to Caleb in prison
it was postmarked April 17 the day after Bill died when Bill Harrison's funeral was held
his grandchildren were still missing the next day Bridget was granted Soul custody of the children despite no one
knowing where they were missing persons ads were published in newspapers across the country as Bridget
sought the help of a private investigator two months into The Disappearance Caleb
was paroled efforts to track Melissa Merritt and Chris fatorre had come up dry by November 2009 Melissa and Chris had
been missing for seven months approval to seize and review Melissa's banking records was granted providing a
much-needed breakthrough they revealed a transaction in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia 1300
kilometers east from Mississauga an arrest warrant was issued and the family were finally uncovered
in an effort to go undetected Melissa had dyed her children's hair and the group were going by different names
Melissa was charged with parental child abduction and she lost access to the two
children she shared with Caleb Harrison they were placed in Caleb's care who was
granted shared custody with his mother Bridget Melissa Merritt pleaded guilty and a
hearing was set for April 22 2010. in the lead-up Bridget Harrison prepared a victim impact statement
she described the seven months her grandchildren were missing has the most desperate of her life
the fact that Melissa and Chris had orchestrated their runaway on the very day Bill had died wasn't lost on Bridget
in her statement She Wrote some people believe in coincidences some do not Bridget was never able to deliver her
Victim Impact statement the day before Melissa merits hearing was set to begin Bridget was found to
dead Melissa was convicted for Parental abduction and received 18 months probation
meanwhile her ex-husband was growing increasingly suspicious as detailed in the Toronto Star
newspaper Caleb Harrison told a cousin there's no way anyone falls down the stairs and ends up in that position it
doesn't look right it doesn't make sense Caleb had even aired the same concerns to police during interviews following
his mother's death he detailed his Rocky history with Melissa while acknowledging the timing
of Bridget's death as weird when asked who he thought was responsible for his mother's death Caleb
replied I would ask where Melissa and Chris were personally [Music] when speaking to police about Bridget's
death Melissa Merritt said she was at home babysitting as part of a daycare business she was trying to get up and
running Chris fatorre said he'd spent the day working in his backyard and running
errands shop surveillance cameras had captured him in town yet there was a brief time
he was unaccounted for Chris said he had visited Melissa's grandmother to pick up a drum kit
police never spoke with the woman to confirm this alibi [Music] Melissa worked to implicate Caleb in
Bridget's death in interviews she referenced Caleb's history of violence against her even
though it was known to be baseless furthermore Caleb couldn't have killed Bridget an alibi placed him at work that
day with that the investigation into Bridget's death was closed [Music] Caleb Harrison received sole custody of
his two children in the aftermath of his mother's death putting his personal feelings aside in
mid-2013 he agreed to a temporary schedule [Music] the children would remain living at the
Harrison home but would now spend every other weekend with Melissa and Chris it wasn't an easy Arrangement as Melissa
and Chris had relocated to a rural Town 350 kilometers from Mississauga but Caleb was making it work
in August 2013 the agreement was due to end Melissa wanted shared custody but Caleb
refused he had several child support demands that Melissa refused to meet the day before the custody battle was
due to reach its conclusion Caleb Harrison was killed with Caleb dead Melissa was given Soul
custody of their two children in the paperwork she described Caleb's death as tragic and shocking but Caleb's
loved ones were convinced she was involved in some way when Melissa attempted to attend Caleb's
wake they turned her away [Music] both Melissa and Chris maintained that the last time they'd seen Caleb was that
the Youth Softball match they had all attended hours before he was killed afterwards Melissa and Chris ate dinner
at a fast food restaurant in a shopping mall they went home to bed and woke up at 6am
Melissa insisted there was no way that Chris could have snuck out in the middle of the night without waking her
yet when presenting this sequence of events to investigators neither Melissa nor Chris mentioned Walmart
this was significant an undercover officer had posed as a waste collector to confiscate Melissa
and Chris's household rubbish sorting through it they found a black pair of size 12 running shoes inside a
plastic bag they had been worn but were otherwise brand new the shoes were sold exclusively in
Walmart a multinational retail Superstore investigators obtained records from the
Walmart closest to Melissa and Chris's home only one size 12 pair of that particular
shoe had been sold in the past two months the sale had occurred mere hours before
Caleb Harrison was killed CCTV footage captured Christopher Toray as he wandered around the store with the
shoes in hand bank records showed he had made a purchase for the exact amount the shoes
cost while Melissa and Chris had admitted to eating dinner at that same shopping mall
that night neither mentioned going into Walmart or buying the shoes investigators began covertly following
Chris fatorre they watched as he went around town and swooped when he threw away an empty
takeaway coffee cup they lifted his DNA from the cup and compared it to the skin scrapings from
underneath Caleb Harrison's fingernails it was a match a pair of latex gloves that were
uncovered in Melissa's and Chris's trash also contained both Chris and Caleb's DNA
following these major breakthroughs investigators read to the couple's home with covert listening devices
it took five months before they picked up anything significant Melissa Merritt Was Heard telling Chris
fatorre you have to realize that the underlying fact of the matter is that you killed
Caleb Chris responded [Music] I know authorities executed a search warrant on a trailer belonging to Melissa and Chris
They confiscated a laptop and examined its contents in the months and weeks leading up to
Bridget Harrison's death someone had typed into a search engine what if a grandparent has legal custody
and they die how long does it take to die from choking and how long does it take for a person being strangled to
pass out one month before Caleb was killed someone had searched easy ways to kill and to get away with
it Melissa Merritt and Chris fatorre were arrested for the first degree murders of
Caleb Harrison and Bridget Harrison after 13 hours of questioning an exasperated Chris had admitted that he
didn't like the Harrisons he spoke of being told horrific stories of how they treated Melissa's children
adding it was an awful family they treated the children like [ __ ] and I and Melissa had
to live with that every day and I couldn't watch Melissa's attitude and how sorry she was for everything that
was going on the interviewing officer then asked Chris what did you do I killed Richard Harrison and killed
Harrison how did you kill Bridget an office door she opened the door and pretended to have a lottery ticket
for the children she refused the letter so I then forced my way into the house am I a doctor
what did you do I hit her a couple times all right then proceeded to squeeze her neck
until she's still really illegal before foreign I hit him in the chest and when he's growing up we begin to
struggle I threw him into the shelving unit we saw in his bed he tried to bribe it with money I didn't
speak to him I just knocked him to the ground and I presented the job for me Chris told detectives
I'm telling you right now that Melissa Mara did not know anything until after it was done
the detectives were unconvinced they placed Chris and Melissa in a room alone together and listened in as the
couple started whispering Chris revealed that he had confessed to Bridget and Caleb's murders in a panic
he told Melissa that he wanted her to get a lesser sentence explaining I'm taking the rap for it to give you
accessory after the fact I told them I told you after they were killed Melissa asked why
Chris replied because I want you to get our children Christopher Torre was charged with two
counts of first-degree murder despite his claims that Melissa was not involved she faced the same charges
when it came to Bill Harrison Chris said that out of all the Harrison family he liked to build the best
he maintained that he was not responsible for Bill's death nevertheless he was also charged with
the second-degree murder of Bill Harrison both Chris and Melissa pleaded not guilty
the couple's joint trial commenced in November 2017. the ugly custody battle between Melissa Merritt and Caleb
Harrison formed the basis of the prosecution's case they told the court that Melissa and
Chris thought they stood to inherit Millions from the Harrison estate Chris fatorre recanted his confession at
trial claiming it was coerced he thought that by taking full blame for the crimes Melissa would be free to look
after their children while Chris would maintain a not guilty plea when it came to Bill and Bridget's
murders he sought to plead guilty to the Lesser charge of manslaughter when it came to Caleb
he stated that he had only intended to rough Caleb up and to maybe put him in the hospital
the prosecution rejected his plea they were confident that they had enough evidence to prove Chris killed with
intent the difficulty lay in the case against Melissa Merritt the evidence against her was
circumstantial and her legal team knew it from their perspective the prosecution's
case at best characterized Melissa as an accessory after the fact the prosecution argued that Chris
wouldn't have committed the murders had he not been compelled to do so by Melissa
it took six hours for the jury to reach a verdict Chris fatorre was found guilty for the
murders of Bridget and Caleb Harrison he was acquitted of Bill Harrison's murder due to a lack of evidence
Melissa Merritt was acquitted of Bridget Harrison's murder as the jury were unable to reach a decision regarding her
involvement for the murder of her ex-husband Caleb Harrison Melissa was found guilty
Melissa cried as her sentence was delivered Chris sat close by Stone faced both were handed life sentences with a
non-parole period of 25 years when speaking of the Harrison family Bill Harrison's sister said
I cannot fathom how people who loved their family loved their friends and to love to their community so greatly could
have been dealt such an injustice we have all suffered from recurring violent nightmares of our loved ones
last moments and we will never forget that Terror that plagued us for years not knowing which family member might
die under suspicious circumstances or when addressing the convicted Killers one of
Caleb's cousins said I hope that one day you realize that you destroyed an innocent family at the cost
of your own in 2020 an independent review was launched into why Bill and bridges
Harrison's murders had originally been overlooked the extended Harrison family welcomed
the investigation saying that Caleb and Bridget might still be alive had Bill's death been investigated properly
the family issued a statement saying they were haunted by lingering questions about the investigative and forensic
handling of the case some of the review was made public it highlighted a multitude of police
errors including poor communication note-taking and coordination of resources in Bill Harrison's case a layered a neck
dissection wasn't performed during his autopsy even though there were signs of trauma to his throat
the Performing pathologist had also failed to uncover any trace of heart abnormalities or heart disease
yet he still ruled Bill's death as the result of acute cardiac arrhythmia the pathologist later reflected
it probably should have tweaked to me that something wasn't right given hindsight I suspect that he was
the victim of Foul Play I could have done things differently but I can't change it now
and as far as I'm concerned given the information I had at the time I did the best I could
Bill Harrison's cause of death has since been changed from natural to unknown in relation to Bridget Harrison's case
the independent review concluded in hindsight the circumstances and post-mortem bindings which indicated
evidence of possible strangulation may have been sufficient cause for the case to be considered a suspected homicide
it was recommended that a homicide detective review all sudden deaths to ensure no homicides would be missed in
the future the report stated at no time does a police officer wish to be involved in an investigation that
fails to uncover the truth the trauma that the Harrison family's loved ones endured over the years was
acknowledged but for them it was too little too late Bridget Harrison's brother stated
my faith in justice has been destroyed Melissa Merritt and Christopher Torres four children are set to grow up with
both of their parents Behind Bars Caleb Harrison's son and daughter are left without their father or paternal
grandparents a former neighbor of the Harrison family told the Mississauga news those of us who've been around for years
know what the kids have already been through they've had way too much for their very young lives
many have reported on the love Caleb Harrison had for his children and how he wanted them to succeed in life
he had said to others that it was his children that got him through his deep depression following his parents deaths
he had both their names tattooed on his chest over his heart Caleb's obituary rad
Caleb found his true calling when he became a father his Fierce Devotion to his children
impressed all of us who watched him grow up we all know that he is reunited with his
loving parents bill and the Brigid in heaven foreign [Music] presents a new Spotify exclusive podcast
Maddie no one is ever prepared for a loved one to suddenly disappear that's the thing about missingness
when someone you love vanishes into thin air every family that experiences it has to
figure it out for themselves we started running around match friends what the hell is y'all doing at work and why
hasn't even called them I just sat there again oh my God oh my God something wasn't right the leversons grew more
worried by the minute he's walking up and down like a cage line and he's sweating and he's clammy the man has no
emotions at all towards the end he wouldn't let Matt out of his sight narrated by Lauren O'Keefe the founder
of the missing persons advocacy Network and host of case File presents podcast what's missing the police informed Mark
and Faye levison that they're no longer considered Matt a missing person I told phyno that the case had been transferred
to homicide and he said I've called the police I found a grave there's a medic in the bush the receipt showed that two
items had been purchased duct tape and a garden Master brand Matic I think we were in shock for ages after that the
world just seemed to stand still hear how a family took on the system to try and find Justice for their son for the
very first time made us feel like the police and us were no longer on the same side and then he sat there and said to
me it was Matt's lifestyle that had him murdered no I just said the [ __ ] stops now that's that's ridiculous some
people in this world never take no for an answer especially when they're fighting for someone they love nothing's
perfect and we thought you know with a chance of finding that there's like one in a million one in 10 million but it
wasn't zero so we've got to give it a go he was never going to win against us not for
finding Maddie Maddie the latest podcast from casefile presents available September 19th only on Spotify it's not
a justice system it's just a system

Case 228: The Harrison Family

In April 2009, 64-year-old Bill Harrison, a much-loved member of the community of Mississauga, Canada, was found dead in his home. An autopsy revealed that he died of natural causes. Just over one year later, Bill’s wife, Bridget Harrison was also found deceased in the family home.

CREDITS

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

SOCIAL LINKS

Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile Casefile Presents https://casefilepresents.com

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-228-the-harrison-family

Brief Summary

The episode details the suspicious deaths of the Harrison family and the subsequent murder charges against Melissa Merritt and Christopher Fatorre.

Key points

The Harrison Family's Tragic Story. Bill and Bridget Harrison's lives take a dark turn after unexpected deaths.
Caleb Harrison's Mysterious Death. Caleb Harrison was found dead in his bed, raising questions about the circumstances.
The Harrison Family Tragedy. Three members of the Harrison family died under suspicious circumstances within four years.
Melissa Merritt's Allegations. Melissa made multiple unfounded claims against Caleb and his family, raising suspicions.
The Confession. Chris admitted to the murders during a lengthy interrogation, revealing deep-seated resentment.
Verdict and Sentencing. Chris and Melissa received life sentences, marking a tragic end to the case.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I'm scared, I'm scared.

A housekeeper whispers as they approach Caleb's bedroom

27:33WatchOct 22, 2022

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from Casefile

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.