Canadian True Crime - 43 The Jenkins Family

Episode Date: April 1, 2019

CHATHAM, ONTARIO In 1998, a shocking tragedy would occur that would turn immediately a family upside down and divide a community along the way.Want to support sponsors? Here's where the discount codes are:www.canadiantruecrime.ca/sponsorsLearn more:Level 16 - new Canadian film | Watch the trailer | Follow on Facebook | Follow on InstagramRodney Stafford’s Ottawa Protest and how you can helpLife With Murder - 2009 documentary on the Jennifer Jenkins / Mason Jenkins story directed by John KastenerThe Vanished - episode on James CandyCrime Beat with Nancy HixtGet ad free episodes for $2 a month: www.patreon.com/canadiantruecrimeCredits:Research: Enya Best Writing, narration, music arrangement, audio production: Kristi Lee Audio editing: Erik KrosbyDisclaimer voiced by the host of Beyond Bizarre True CrimeAll other credits including music and sources can be found on the episode page at canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes. Support the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi everyone, you may have noticed that I tend to stick to solved cases, so I like to let you know when podcast friends are covering unsolved cases. Here is Marissa from The Vanished to tell you about her latest Canadian missing persons case. I hope you'll take a listen. The Vanished is a podcast that explores missing person cases from all over North America, speaking with those closest to each case. Even covering the stories you aren't hearing about, like 17-year-old James Candy, who disappeared

from his home in the Vegraville area of Alberta, Canada, back in the summer of 2017. James had dreams of making it big in the rodeo and going to college, but nothing seemed to be going as planned for James that summer. You'll get to hear from his parents about the circumstances leading up to his disappearance and how their extensive searches over the past 19 months have all come up empty. To not knowing whether he's alive or deceased, it's a kicker, I'll tell you, and I'm trying to keep the word out there. To learn more about James's story and many other intriguing cases, subscribe to The Vanished

now wherever you listen to podcasts. This podcast contains course language, adult themes, and content of a violent and disturbing nature. Listener discretion is advised. The town of Chatham is part of the Chatham-Kent municipality in southwestern Ontario, about an hour's drive from Detroit. It's one of those communities where people know and are comfortable with each other. This place has a low crime rate.

It's a sleepy community, but in 1998, a shocking tragedy would occur that would turn a family upside down and divide a community along the way. This is Christy, and you're listening to Canadian True Crime, Episode 43. It's January 6th, 1998, in Chatham, Ontario. At around 5pm, married couple Brian and Leslie Jenkins arrive at their home on Jasper Avenue. When they get in, the house is dimly lit and they call out for their kids, 18-year-old Jennifer and 20-year-old Mason. Leslie notices Jennifer's school bag by the basement door, and that strikes her as odd.

She opens the door to see if maybe the kids are downstairs. She walks partway down and sees what looks like blood and a messy trail down the stairs. When she looks to her left, she sees something that looks like a body. She screams to her husband, Brian, who runs down the stairs. Leslie runs to the phone and immediately calls 911. In the recording, she's in shock as she speaks to the dispatcher, but keeps her calm by firstly giving their address. Quote, there's blood in the basement.

We need help. At first, she says to the dispatcher that she thinks what she saw was two bodies and says they looked like two teenagers who were not conscious. Brian runs down the stairs. He's shocked by the sight that greets him. There lies the body of his 18-year-old daughter Jennifer in a pool of blood. Her corduroy jacket is soaked. Back to the 911 call, as the dispatcher asks Leslie more questions, she suddenly realizes

that it was Jennifer, her daughter, that she saw, and calls to Brian to pick up the phone from the basement. Brian picks up and confirms that Jennifer is on her back. Quote, she's on the basement floor. Blood is coming out of her like it's stopped, but it's soaked up. She's not breathing. She's white. Her head is covered in blood, and there's no life here at all.

Then, you can hear Leslie's calm voice break as she realizes the gravity of the situation she's dealing with. Oh my God, Jennifer. Oh, honey. Oh, shit. The dispatcher asks Brian and Leslie if there's anyone home. Leslie says they have a son, 20-year-old Mason, but they don't know where he is. At first, both Brian and Leslie wonder if Mason's been shot, too, but perhaps managed

to get out alive, maybe making it to a neighbor's house or to his grandmother. Obviously, Leslie and Brian are beside themselves. Dennis Poole, the chief of the Chatham Kent police, is the first officer on the scene. Mason Jenkins, the fourth member of the family, is still nowhere to be found. 18-year-old Jennifer had been shot five times, three times in the right side of her head, from her temple over the right ear and twice in her chest near her heart. The gun used was a single-shot 22-caliber rifle. Single-shot means that every time a shot is taken, the gun needs to be reloaded.

So during the attack on Jennifer, the gun was reloaded four times. There was a trail of blood leading from the living room down the stairs to the basement. Her body had been dragged there. It didn't take long to find Mason Jenkins. The next morning, the 20-year-old was found unharmed in a vehicle that didn't belong to him. He was taken to the police station and interviewed. When he was asked how he was doing, Mason said he wasn't good and that he really wanted to be with his family.

He broke down and started crying. He said there was no way that this should have happened, adding that it was because of me. He said he didn't feel like he could go on, quote, that's my little sister. He then told the officers what he saw. According to Mason, it was just he and Jennifer at home. When he saw a white van pull into the driveway, four men got out of it. Two of them had weapons. They all stormed into the Jenkins' house.

Mason said they grabbed him and forcibly walked him out to the van where he was thrown inside. He had no idea what happened inside the house after that. A few hours later, he said he'd managed to escape. The police found the story suspicious and when they asked Mason point blank whether he was telling the truth, he said he didn't have any reason to lie. He seemed upset that his parents might have thought it was him that was responsible for Jennifer's murder. The officer interviewing Mason told him that his story didn't make any sense and that they

didn't believe that anyone else came to the house in a white van. Mason was then asked to describe his feelings toward his sister. He said he didn't hate her, quote, why would I hate my sister? She bent over backwards for me. She had more faith in me than sometimes my parents did. He then went on to say, I got no reason to blow her fucking head off. Mason had a lengthy criminal record, although most of it was for property offences. But regardless, he quickly became the prime suspect in this case.

But his parents, Brian and Leslie, said he wasn't a violent person. That same day after Jennifer was found, as Mason was being interrogated, Brian and Leslie were also being interviewed. Leslie said she couldn't imagine that Mason would ever hurt Jennifer. Two days later, the police told them both that they believed Mason was responsible for Jennifer's death. Detective George Vieira explained to them what they'd found out so far in their investigation, the evidence that collected.

The blood trail that indicated Jennifer's body had been moved from the chair upstairs in the living room and then dragged down the stairs to the basement. They also discussed how a hitman would be unlikely to care or clean up or hide what happened, as seemed to be the case here. Leslie didn't say much. Appearing to not be surprised to hear that Mason was a suspect. As she calmly let the news in, she offered her perception that Mason truly loved Jennifer. Brian openly reasoned with himself as he grappled with the news, talking about how Mason had

a criminal record but no record of violence like this. He said there were no issues between Mason and Jennifer other than just normal brother and sister shit. But what Detective Vieira was presenting was a story with several layers. The first layer was that they believed Mason was responsible for Jennifer's death, but the second layer was something even more shocking. Detective Vieira explained it gently to Brian and Leslie because he knew that it would likely hurt them.

He explained that they believed that Jennifer had been dragged downstairs to the basement for one reason, to make sure she wasn't seen. Detective Vieira added that one of the possibilities was that either both parents or just Leslie was also a target. They believed Mason intended on murdering all three of his family members. Quote, our theory is that this was a premeditated murder. At the time, Leslie calmly nodded and agreed with the officer as he presented the theory, indicating that they'd considered that possibility, but that she and Brian had decided it wasn't

valid. She added that as well as this theory, they had also considered that they might be dealing with a madman on a rampage, and explained that this was the reason why they called to Brian's mother's house to check that Mason hadn't gone there. They thought that perhaps he'd had some sort of mental health breakdown. Mason Jenkins was arrested. When his father Brian was interviewed a few days later, a detective showed him what was found the night of the murder, two documents on the dining room table.

One of them was a note that was left on the table, purportedly from the kidnapper. The officer handed the other one to Brian and asked him to explain what it was. After putting his glasses on and examining the piece of paper for a few minutes, Brian looked up and said, quote, it's a will and testament from me, which is totally not right, it's not from me, I didn't write this piece of garbage and that's not my signature. He then read part of the note, quote, I leave all my property and possessions to my son, Mason J Jenkins, and appoint him executor. Brian paused for a second incredulous, I wouldn't do that, I wouldn't do that, that's

a bunch of shit. He then tossed the paper back at the detective, who explained that this provided police with evidence of a clear motive for Mason wanting his family dead. At this point, Leslie and Brian hadn't actually even spoken with their son about the crime. Leslie told the Daily News that there hadn't been any opportunity, quote, there was never any private time when no one was watching, but they still had trouble believing that Mason was involved. They hung on to a thread of hope that he wasn't Jennifer's killer.

When Mason was arrested, it provoked shock and outrage in the small town of Chatham. Their murder rate was extremely low, so this was big news, everyone was talking. Over the next few days, Mason spoke with his parents on the phone. He insisted that he was innocent, but still, they didn't talk any further about what actually happened. Brian and Leslie Jenkins were probably going through the worst possible time that anyone could imagine. They'd just found out their only daughter had been murdered at 18 years old, and there

was strong evidence to suggest that the person responsible was their only son. In the documentary, Life with Murder, directed by Emmy Award-winning Canadian documentary filmmaker John Kastner, Leslie said she felt like they didn't have a chance to grieve Jennifer because they were constantly being called in by police to talk about Mason. She would later say she felt that they were being told to say certain things that would aid in his conviction. It was an extremely stressful time for them. Leslie would wonder, how do you raise two kids to be so different?

They were both taught the same things, they were both treated the same way. Throughout all of this, there had been a funeral to plan, a funeral for someone far too young to have funeral plans in place. The day before Jennifer's funeral, the police called them back in for more questioning and Leslie snapped. She politely told them that she wasn't going to participate today, she couldn't go there because just for now, they needed to keep Jennifer a priority over Mason's murder investigation. Leslie went on to explain that Jennifer was a perfectionist.

She said Jennifer was slow and methodical and her hair had to be right, in fact everything had to be right. Leslie said quote, in this particular instance we will not get another chance to honour her and it needs to be right and we don't get to do it again. Leslie emphasised that they needed to focus on Jennifer, not Mason. 600 people attended the service to pay tribute to Jennifer Jenkins. They remembered her as fun and bubbly, full of life with a lot of interests. She was a magnet for friends and was described as having a really sweet way about her.

She was also seen as trustworthy and reliable too, one of those people that others would think of as their rock. Jennifer was buried with her grandparents, John and Margaret. A week later, the police told Brian and Leslie that they were done with investigating their house, the crime scene, and they could move back in once the crime scene cleanup was completed. They were offered the use of a crime scene cleanup service. Brian broke down insisting that they would take it from here, that was the last place he'd seen his daughter, he said, and if there was cleanup to be done in their house, they

would be the ones to do it. The whole situation was starting to take a severe toll on Brian in particular. He lost weight, visibly aged and began to have regular flashbacks, waking up repeatedly from a nightmare about finding Jennifer's body. Brian Jenkins was born in 1977 and Jennifer, two years later. Mason and Jennifer's aunt, Paulette, would later recall that both kids were cute as a button when they were little. Mason wanted to be a cowboy and loved the horses.

Quote, Mason was always getting into trouble, climbing out of windows and climbing up trees. Jennifer didn't get into trouble like that. After Brian was a sales agent for a company that sold industrial chemicals, Leslie started off going to school to become a public school teacher. After dipping her feet into that, she transitioned into a mental health work role. They described themselves as just a normal family. But Mason was always a bit of trouble. At an early age, he began exhibiting antisocial behavior and was seen as manipulative, controlling

and difficult to manage. When he was 12, an assessment done on him concluded that his childhood had been oppositional, stating that he would, quote, often triangle his parents against each other to achieve his desired gain or to avoid punishment for his misbehavior. The assessment went on to detail how Mason was aggressive towards his parents and would act out in contemptuous and dysfunctional ways. For example, one time he urinated on his bedroom floor to make a statement and another time he sat on the roof of the house for an extended period of time.

His parents described him as being completely out of control during this period. Of course, he didn't just act like this at home. He was difficult to manage at school too and his behavior started turning criminal. At age 10, he stole his parents' car and as a result was placed in a group home for the next two years. The stolen vehicle incident was the first of many. Between 1990 and 2001 when he murdered Jennifer at age 20, Mason had a rap sheet that amassed some 31 convictions.

Most of the crimes were property offences but many of them had an undercurrent of violence. Despite this, Brian and Leslie ensured that they were always there for him. Family was of utmost importance. Whenever Mason ran away or left and he did multiple times, he always came back home where he was welcomed with open arms. William Brian was not blind to what was happening with Mason but they had no idea how to help him. They tried writing carefully worded letters to him in an effort to try and persuade him

to curb his behavior and in increasing desperation, they contacted various government departments and programs seeking intervention. Nothing worked. Mason was put in programs arranged by several different initiatives including the Children's Aid Society but he dropped out of most of them and his behavior remained unchanged. A judge would later write that it's difficult to know whether the system failed Mason Jenkins or whether he failed himself, quote, probably a bit of both but what's clear is that his parents Leslie and Brian did everything they could to help him.

In 1994, at age 16, Mason was sent to a detention center and was released early because of good behavior but within a week of his release, he stole a car, drove dangerously and ended up in a high-speed chase with police. Eventually, the stolen car Mason was driving was boxed in by two police vehicles but he continued to try and ran both of the cars shouting, shoot me, kill me, you know who I am. This incident left two police officers moderately injured and extensive damage to all three cars.

Mason was convicted of this crime. At his sentencing hearing, Leslie and Brian submitted a letter to the judge where they described their frustration and despair at the lack of support available to their son and how they worried that there was potential for future violence, quote, our biggest fear is that someday Mason will hurt himself or someone else and then it will be too late. Perhaps then someone will say we should have listened. In fact, Mason's own probation officer had similar concerns, writing that probation wouldn't serve any useful purpose, quote, he will not avail himself of treatment opportunities and

continuously reoffends, making treatment in the community virtually impossible. The officer went on to describe that Mason's behavior so far had only led to minor injury and damage to vehicles but cautioned strongly that if he continued with the same type of offences, someone could be seriously hurt in the future. At age 17, Mason was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, a condition that could possibly explain traits like his inability to pay attention and focus on tasks as well as impulsive tendencies. Mason would later claim that at age 19, he attempted to commit suicide.

It didn't work and the pattern of criminal behavior continued. Mason ended up in prison again on counts including possession and driving while prohibited. On Christmas Day of 1998, just 12 days before Jennifer was murdered, Mason was released on bail. Bryan signed for his son but just days after his release, Mason broke several of his bail conditions. He breached curfew and did not abstain from alcohol. And then, Leslie couldn't find her ATM card.

She searched Mason's room and found some checks from a joint account that she held with her father, his grandfather. Leslie and Bryan confronted their son. Mason admitted that he stole money from that account and put it into an account in his own name. He also admitted that he had the ATM card and promised to give the money back. Leslie let him keep it so that he could transfer the money and set things right. But Mason didn't do that.

Instead, he stole another $300 from the account. He would later say that he, quote, sort of spun a story to see if it would work to get that bank card back in my possession. He then broke and entered a farm and stole a gun. This is the gun that would be used to shoot his sister Jennifer just days later. Mason continued to plead innocence and stuck with his story that he was kidnapped. Bryan and Leslie had to make a terrible choice, one that no parent ever imagines they would have to make.

Do they continue their relationship with their son, knowing that he was the number one suspect in the murder of their daughter? Throughout this, they had still not even had one conversation with Mason about what had happened. At first, it was because they couldn't get any private time to talk, but then it was because they were going to be witnesses at the trial. But they chose to stand beside Mason and continued to do so as his trial came and went. The crown presented the theory that the detectives had first came up with, that Mason intended

to kill Jennifer as well as their parents. The evidence was presented, forensic testimony about the trails of blood leading from the living room down the stairs to the basement and that suspicious looking will that bequeathed Bryan and Leslie's estate to Mason, who would then decide how it was split between he and Jennifer. The crown presented the note that was supposedly from the kidnappers and talked about inconsistencies in Mason's story. Mason took to the stand in his own defense, testifying that he believed the men had come

to either punish him for a drug debt or for giving police potentially incriminating information about another incident. Mason testified that he took a .22 caliber rifle, the one he stole from the farm and tried to stop the four men, but they quickly disarmed him. He testified that he then ran away from the house. He said he didn't think the four men would hurt his sister. It was obvious that the jury wasn't buying it. In 2001, three years after the murder of Jennifer Jenkins, Mason Jenkins was convicted of first

degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. As potential witnesses, Bryan and Leslie were not allowed to sit through the trial, so missed all of the evidence, they were still completely in the dark, but they remained steadfast in their support of their son. They were not ashamed. Some family members chose to support them in their choice to stand by Mason, even though several of them considered him to be manipulative and lacking in empathy. They also believed he posed a danger, both to his family and the wider community.

The town of Chatham largely agreed. In fact, it became quite the scandal. People couldn't understand how Bryan and Leslie could support Mason after what he'd done to Jennifer. They saw it as a betrayal to her memory. The couple lost friends and became quite isolated. The name Jenkins came with a stigma now. Mason of course went through the usual appeals process, but that wasn't successful.

The entire time he held steadfast to his claim of innocence, and Bryan and Leslie continued to hold onto the shred of hope they had that maybe there was a chance their son had not murdered their daughter. They would later say that they felt like they were in prison too. Quote, we can't get out of this life. In a way, it's a life sentence for us as well. But this is where the story starts to move in a new direction. Do you have a passion project that you're ready to take to the next level?

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Go to squarespace.com.ctc with offer code CTC and get your passion project off the ground today. So Mason was found guilty sentenced to 25 years and his parents stood by him. After Mason had exhausted all of his legal appeals, he told the police out of the blue that he was ready to tell them some new information about what happened to Jennifer and to clarify his own involvement. He told police that his original story about the kidnappers wasn't true. Quote, I'm guilty.

He said it was an accident but didn't give away any more information than that. When finding out the new details, Leslie Jenkins, Mason's mother would describe her reaction as quote, freeing because he was telling the truth. Mason's father, Brian, it seemed, just wanted the family back to the way it was. He was willing to live with the fact that Mason killed Jennifer if it meant they could move on from the incident. When asked what they thought the motive was, Brian said that he had decided it was just a terrible, terrible freaking accident.

He would later admit that a part of him was still in denial that Mason had actually pulled the trigger. But the police suspected there was more information to come out. In 2005, two years before Mason changed his story, Canadian documentary filmmaker John Karsner had been visiting another inmate at the same prison that Mason Jenkins was at. He heard whispers that Mason had more information to share about what had happened, information that he'd never shared with anyone before. As a filmmaker, John was intrigued but he didn't begin working on the film Life with

Murder until three years later in the spring of 2008 because he first had to get to know the family and get their trust. Brian and Leslie had been put through the ringer with the local media, who all tended to focus on Mason and their decision to stand by him. The Jenkins were wary, but eventually they were amenable to John's interest in their story. Firstly, John got his hands on a copy of the police video of the Jenkins family being interviewed after Jennifer's murder.

He was also allowed to sit in on some of Brian and Leslie's frequent prison visits with Mason. He soon learned that they'd still not spoken about Jennifer's murder. It seems that after they weren't allowed to talk in the lead up to the trial, they just got into the habit of not bringing it up. John said he believed this avoidance of the conversation became a coping mechanism for them. But they parked all of this in a draw. But now Leslie felt like she had an appetite for answers.

Mason had been in prison for ten years and was allowed the privilege of private family visits. Often, Brian and Leslie would travel to spend 72 hours with Mason. There were public concerns that if the Crown's theory was true, Mason might try and finish off the job of murdering his parents. But Brian had no concern about that whatsoever and neither did Leslie. For this family visit, Leslie travelled to visit Mason alone because Brian's health had taken another bad turn and he didn't feel up to it.

Leslie came ready to ask some questions she'd never asked before. Like why did Mason do it? Billmaker John Kastner accompanied Leslie for the visit in a small cottage on the grounds of the medium security prison and the three of them sat at the kitchen table. Mason looked on, chewing his lip as Leslie told the camera that she and Brian felt it was an accident. But they thought it was a bit strange that Mason would leave Jennifer alone afterwards. She said they would have expected him to call 911.

She then looked at Mason as she told him that they knew Jennifer had been shot multiple times but he'd not provided any details of that. John, the filmmaker, then asked Mason if he would be willing to tell those details. Mason replied, today? After thinking for a couple of minutes, Mason said that yes, he was prepared to share details but warned them that he had blocked some of it off in his mind. He said, quote, What happened was, I came down the stairs, I had the rifle at the coat rack, I put the rifle on top of the coat rack, I hit the rifle and the rifle went forward.

When I grabbed the weapon, the weapon went off, that's the initial shot. After that, there was a series of, I checked for a pulse, there was no pulse. She wasn't breathing, there's things that I don't want to discuss and there's things that I choose not to remember, so that's it, in a nutshell. He did not reference the fact that there were four more shots and the gun was intentionally reloaded after each one. In the film, Mason has asked what he thinks of the police's theory that he intended to murder his entire family to access their money.

Leslie is looking on. Mason says he's not certain what made the police believe that. Leslie quickly says, the will. She then tells the interviewer that she still isn't clear on the whole thing, although she acknowledged that she and Brian didn't already have a will and had discussed getting one before. She asks Mason for more information, explaining that the police had to assume something when he came home and found Jennifer dead and the will written and left on the table.

Mason replied that he thought what the police found odd wasn't the mere existence of the will, but it was that the will declared that his parents' estate would be left just to him. He tried to explain, quote, it wasn't that I was to get everything myself, it was that I was to get it in trust of my younger sister. Leslie replied, but you didn't write that. What the will said was that Leslie would receive everything in the event of Brian passing away first, but if she was then to pass away, it said, quote, I leave all property to my son

Mason J Jenkins and appoint him executor. I trust that he will divide any money or property evenly between himself and his sister Jennifer A Jenkins to ensure them both a good future. So while Mason maintained that he intended to share the inheritance money with Jennifer, the will still bequeathed it all to him alone. It's easy to see how this will left Leslie and Brian conflicted. It provided just enough reasonable doubt either way. Leslie and Brian also wondered about the gun that Mason used, quote, we are not people

with guns. We needed to know how the gun got into the house. It was inconceivable that this was anything but an accident. So just by telling us he's guilty is the first step. Now he needs to start explaining why, what he was thinking. As it turns out, Mason was not finished talking. In a separate conversation with filmmaker John Karsner, he said that in his first interviews with police, he told many lies.

John asked him to explain what he lied about. Mason responded, there's so many, it would be easier to tell what's true. He said that over the years, he had revealed bits and pieces of the truth slowly along the way and that as a liar, it was hard for him to tell the truth. When he worried that if he did, he might lose the only support that he had left, Brian and Leslie. Mason was asked if there was still truth to come out. He indicated yes.

He said his plan was to murder his father Brian while they were home together that afternoon and then when his mother Leslie got home later, he would kill her too. He said that while he was spending the afternoon with his father, he decided he just couldn't go through with it. At one point in the afternoon, Brian left the house. Then 18-year-old Jennifer arrived home from school. It was during this time when they were home by themselves that Mason crept up to Jennifer as she was sitting in a chair in the living room and shot her five times.

Mason said he then dragged Jennifer's body to the basement and put a cover over it. Side note, a judge would later say that the inference was that he didn't want his parents to see any evidence of what had happened and then refused to enter the house. So, that was what Mason said to the filmmaker. But later in the film, Life with Murder, Mason is shown in his prison cell, talking casually with his caseworker who is leaning in the doorway, it's open. She encouraged him to just start the story again. He decided that now was the time.

As you recall, Mason was let out of prison twelve days before Jennifer was murdered on Christmas Day. He began by referencing this. Mason Jenkins said that while he was serving his last few weeks in jail in the lead-up to Christmas, he started thinking about how he felt pressures from his family and friends to contribute and those contributions would be a demonstration of his success. He said he felt like a failure. Quote,

Certain people I saw were being successful and I wasn't achieving what I wanted to achieve, so in my mind I thought about, and I hate to admit, but I did think about killing my parents, that was a thought. He added that it seemed like it was the only alternative for getting money at the time. Mason went on to say that he'd had a few phone calls with his parents that had annoyed him, adding that he thought if he killed them, he would get the money and a fresh start, he wouldn't have to be accountable to anyone. He said, quote, I thought about it, I planned it.

He then said that afternoon that's why the gun was there and that's why the will was there because he planned it. The case worker asked him to detail what his plan was. Kind of sheepishly, Mason said he was going to kill Brian and then Leslie would come home separately and then he'd kill her and then he'd leave. He said at that time he wasn't even really sure what his plan would be, but it didn't involve Jennifer. He thought about saying robbers came in or something like that, but he explained to his

case worker that after spending all day with his dad he decided he couldn't do it, and Brian had left the house anyway. So the next person to come home was Jennifer. Mason said when she came in the door they had a quick conversation about normal school stuff and then she went and sat in her chair in the living room eating popcorn and watching her soap operas like she always did. So in Mason's latest story so far, he had decided he couldn't go through with his plan to murder his parents.

And then his sister came home. According to Mason, the accident happened when he went to move the rifle from the back of the house to the garage. He said, I didn't know what to do, I shot my sister. I could have called 911 but I shot my sister in the head, it was by accident. Mason said Jennifer gurgled and moaned in pain like a wounded animal. Quote, I came around, I saw the blood coming out of the side of her head. He said he wanted to stop the pain, so he shot her again.

Quote, I kept on loading the gun and just wanting it to stop, it's done and I turned my head, I didn't even look. He was asked how an accident led to Jennifer suffering five gunshot wounds from a single shot 22 caliber rifle. Mason explained that after the accidental shot, he took the time to reload the gun before shooting another time, and another time, for a total of five shots. His case worker then asked him why he didn't call 911 before deciding to make those extra shots.

Maybe she might have survived, Mason said he didn't know but he just wanted it to stop. Mason explained that he was mixed up and he just wanted to make it look like someone else did it. Quote, I was emotional, I was upset, I checked for vital signs, I checked, I cried, it was emotional. He added it seemed rational at the time to blame it on a stranger. He said he then moved Jennifer's body from the living room down to the basement in an

attempt to make the accident look more believable and to fit his original story about the four kidnappers. Mason said that after he shot Jennifer, he left a note designed to look like it was from the kidnappers and fled the scene of the crime and went to his cousin's house. He then stole one of their horses and rode it down the road. In the film, Mason says he wasn't really trying to hide from his parents or the police. Mason rode the horse to the end of the street and saw that his house was swarming with police. He says he wanted to make sure his parents were OK and that he just needed time to think.

Later that night, he stole a Ford Bronco and was arrested in it the next morning. So, Leslie and Brian have just found out that Mason intended to kill them. When Brian was asked why he initially thought that Mason had done it, he said, I think it was a terrible, terrible freaking accident, but now he had to concede that when we found out that he had intent to kill us all, it was clearer than ever before. Despite finding out that their son had planned to murder them, Brian and Leslie were still calm and pragmatic as ever. In the film, Leslie mentioned that people often wonder why they decided to stick by

Mason. Quote, I say, well, he's my kid, you don't throw a kid away. She said that they just had to go on blind faith, quote, you just go with your gut instinct and your love for your children and you do it. Brian added that it's the way they handled it all along. He said he was afraid of losing the family unit regardless of the cost, quote, and in my heart, I still want to continue on with the family such as it is. The Jenkins spoke about how they still live in the same house where their son murdered

their daughter and how they often get asked about it, quote, well, that's our home. We've been here since 1981. We didn't think of selling, but who would want to buy it at that point? It's generally recognized that most couples who lose a child end up breaking up, but not Brian and Leslie Jenkins, and they credited a psychologist in Windsor, Ontario for this. In the months after Jennifer was murdered, Brian was having those severe flashbacks and he and Leslie recognized that they weren't doing well. Leslie's training as a mental health worker played into her decision to go and see Dr

W. V. McDermott, a trauma specialist in Windsor who believed they both suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome or PTSD. Dr McDermott, who had experienced dealing with soldiers with the same syndrome, said that he saw many similarities, quote, at least the soldiers had an enemy they could hate on whom they could blame for their trauma. The Jenkins only had their son. Lead detective in the case, George Vieira, did not believe that Mason killed Jennifer accidentally and did not believe the full story had come out yet.

There was one telling piece of information, he said. In the time between Jennifer being shot and their parents arriving home together, Mason called his mother Leslie and asked her when she was coming home. Detective Vieira's theory is that he asked her this because he was waiting for her, his intended second victim, thinking that she would be next home by herself. Instead, Leslie told him that she and Brian were coming home together. According to detective Vieira, that changed Mason's plans immediately because, quote, he cannot shoot two people walking in that door with a single shot 22 rifle.

In 2009, the documentary Life with Murder was released to higher claim. Director John Kastner said he was anxious about showing it to Brian and Leslie, so they watched it over a period of time together, resuming only when they felt like they were able to. The film shows Mason phoning his parents on the anniversary of Jennifer's death, as he says he does every year. He asks Brian if he and Leslie had planned anything special to commemorate the date. After spending the day together, Brian said. They then make small talk.

Brian mentions in passing that his sister Trish is going to pick him up later in the day. Mason responds, That's one thing that I'll miss. I won't have Jennifer to do those things for me. He then goes on to say, Mama always said after you guys are gone that we'll have each other. Now I think about, well, when you guys are gone, I won't have anybody, so it's a hard pill to swallow. Brian is pleasant on the phone, but visibly tired and short, and hands the phone over to Leslie and Mason comments on how withdrawn Brian seemed when he tried talking about Jennifer.

Mason then remarks, Well, we're not always talkers. Leslie agrees. In 2011, two years after the film was released, a psychological risk needs assessment was carried out on Mason. The results found that there was no evidence of a major mental illness. However, Mason fell into a particular group of offenders that had a 60% chance of committing another indictable offence after they're released. In 2013, Mason was granted an escorted temporary absence so he could go to the funeral of his

grandmother. Some relatives spoke out anonymously to the Chatham Daily News, saying they were not happy about this. In making this decision to let Mason go to his grandmother's funeral, the Parole Board of Canada found that because Mason and his parents had reconciled their differences, he was unlikely to be a danger to them. The board also noted that he was close with his grandmother. Mason was escorted to the funeral by two armed guards and a large blue van with correctional

services Canada that stayed parked there throughout the service. It attracted quite a bit of attention from passersby. In the days after the funeral, some relatives spoke about how stressful it was to have to deal with the public situation of Mason when all they wanted to do was focus on saying goodbye to a loved one. In 2014, Mason went back to court, this time to apply for early parole under the Faint Hope Clause, a section of the criminal code that allowed offenders serving more than 15 years before parole eligibility to apply for a reduction in that time.

In her ruling, the judge Justice Renee M. Pomerance said it was difficult to conclude that Mason is remorseful or that he's taken responsibility for his crimes because of, his protests of innocence, his piecemeal disclosure about the crime, the inconsistencies in his accounts, his continued concealment of the truth, and his attempts to mitigate the seriousness of the crime. She said it appeared he had tailored each story update to minimize his culpability. Justice Pomerance went on to say that Mason continues to be motivated by self-interest, manipulating the circumstances to secure the best outcome for himself.

He had been particularly coy about his disclosure to his parents and continues to promote the notion that the shooting was accidental. She said that in hindsight, Jennifer's murder was consistent with Mason's earlier behavior. Quote, this was not an isolated act or one that was out of character. By the time of the murder, Mason already had an extensive history of manipulating and victimizing those around him for personal gain. From his perspective, the murder of his sister and his parents was just another way to get the money that he so desired.

As for Brian and Leslie Jenkins, Justice Pomerance said that she understood their decision to stand by Mason because it's difficult to imagine the anguish they have experienced having their son be convicted of their daughter's murder. Quote, while they stand by the applicant, their position may say more about their capacity for grace and forgiveness and their love of their son than it does his character. Mason Jenkins' application was dismissed. In 2016, Brian Jenkins passed away in Chatham at the age of 67. Over the years, he'd suffered immensely, losing over 100 pounds and developing diabetes.

Before his death, his sister Paulette remarked that he used to be so happy and bubbly and the joker, but now you can tell he really has to try. His online obituary noted that he was the cherished father of Mason and the late Jennifer. Jenkins' application was again allowed out of prison to attend the funeral. Mason Jenkins is currently at Walkworth Institution, a medium security facility about two hours drive northeast of Toronto in Ontario. In the time he's been imprisoned, he's completed the programs that he was assigned to complete when he was sentenced.

He's also completed high school. But despite some positive reports on his behaviour, there have been several black marks. In April of 2011, authorities discovered he'd set up a Facebook page for himself where he called himself an office manager for correction services Canada. He was also caught multiple times with contraband items, including marijuana with the intent to sell it, several hundred dollars in cash, ID cards and screws. He confessed that he'd been selling contraband items to other inmates. Mason Jenkins has a sizeable tattoo on his shoulder that features a large cross with

Jennifer's full name written in script under it. Mason Jenkins will be eligible for parole in 2026. He'll be 49 years old. Thanks for listening. I'd like to thank Anya Best for researching this episode for me, and also director John Kastner for graciously letting me use his film as a resource. This film is important and thoughtfully presented. Without it, I wonder if the final confession might have happened.

It's called Life with Murder and I highly recommend it. You can find it on Amazon Prime right now, there's a link in the show notes. I don't usually give my personal opinion on cases, but on watching the documentary, Leslie and Brian really touched me as people. I was so dismayed at the negative reactions that they got. They were so honest and genuine and I think that their decision to stand with Mason is pretty remarkable. It's always impossible to know how you would react unless you find yourself in that exact

situation. Before I tell you about today's podcast recommendation, I wanted to give you a quick update on Tori Stafford. If you'll remember, this was the story of the 8-year-old girl from Woodstock, Ontario, who was abducted by a man and his girlfriend. Episodes 12, 13 and 14. As you may have heard, last year, Victoria's family had two major incidents. One was that one of her killers, the woman, was released to an indigenous healing lodge

halfway through her sentence, before the government finally intervened and she was moved back. And in December, the other murderer, the man, was moved from maximum security to medium security. These events are highly traumatic for families and they weren't told in a sensitive or timely manner. Rodney Stafford, Tori's father, is organising a protest trip to Ottawa Parliament on April the 8th and is looking for people to join and people to donate to help with expenses.

If you wanted to help, I've included a link in the show notes that gives you some more information or you can go to canadiantruecrime.ca. Today's podcast recommendation is Crime Beat with Nancy Hicks. Nancy is a well-known crime beat journalist in Calgary. People know their hometowns by streets, a favourite restaurant or mall, maybe even where they had their first kiss. I know mine by the crime scenes I've been to. I'm Nancy Hicks.

I've been a crime reporter for more than 20 years. Join me on a brand new podcast, Crime Beat, as I take you deep inside the cases I've worked on. Subscribe to Crime Beat now for free at Apple Podcast or wherever you find your favourite podcasts. If you don't like the ads or you just want to support the show, for just $2 a month you get access to my supporter exclusive feed on the site called Patreon. I post all my episodes there ad-free and often early and there are other perks for you too.

Visit patreon.com slash canadiantruecrime for more information. This episode I'm saying a huge thank you to these patrons. Susanna P, Amanda W, Joan T, Wendy G, Adriana G, Sree P, Francesca F, Michelle T, Natalie B, Chuck C and the Resolved Mysteries podcast which I need to check out. This episode of Canadian True Crime was researched by Anya Best, written by me and audio production was by Eric Crosby. The host of the Beyond Bizarre True Crime podcast voiced the disclaimer and the Canadian True Crime theme song was written by We Talk of Dreams.

I'll be back soon with another Canadian True Crime story. See you then. you