EP282: The Sleepover That Never Ended

On a warm summer morning in Calgary, a family home sat strangely still—a sense of unease settling over the quiet suburban street. Five-year-old Nathan O’Brien had spent the night at his grandparents’ house, a place that had always been a sanctuary of comfort and routine. But when his mother arrived the next day, nothing was as it should have been. What began as a welfare check quickly spiraled into one of the most haunting mysteries the city had ever faced. In this episode, we unravel the timeline, the community’s desperate search, and the unsettling trail of clues that left investigators scrambling for answers. This is the story of a night that changed everything.SOURCES:1) Calgary triple-murder trial hears DNA from three victims found at suspect’s farm2) Appeal Court upholds sentence for man convicted of killing Calgary couple, grandson3) Wikipedia Page for Murders of Nathan O'Brien, Kathryn Liknes and Alvin Liknes4) Timeline of events in the case of the missing 5-year-old and his grandparents5) Douglas Garland triple-murder trial: medical examiner says victims ‘may still have been alive’6) The Nathan O'Brien Foundation7) Family of Nathan O’Brien launches children’s foundation with $1 million donation8) Douglas Garland killed Calgary couple and grandson over 'petty grudge,' court hears9) ‘He neither forgave nor forgot’: Crown says Garland planned triple murder10) How the Man Who Committed One of Canada’s Most Gruesome Murders Was Caught