In honour of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, the VIU Faculty Association’s Decolonization, Reconciliation, and Indigenization Committee is honoured to host a Zoom event with Laura Palmer, the producer and host of the True Crime podcast Island Crime.
The event will include an interview with Laura Palmer, followed by a moderated Q & A period with Zoom attendees.
Advanced registration required: Zoom Registration
Where is Lisa? On a long weekend in the summer of 2002, Lisa Marie Young went out to celebrate a friend's birthday. But that night, Lisa got into a red jaguar with a young man from a prominent family and was never seen again. Producer Laura Palmer explores the tragic real- life tale behind an urban legend haunting a small island community.
Lisa Marie Young is one of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women of Canada. Through her research Laura surfaces fresh information, turns up new witnesses and reinvigorates a cold case. And the renewed attention packs a significant punch in the community. Nanaimo’s mayor will officially declare a day in Lisa Marie Young’s honour. MLA Sheila Malcolmson rises in the B.C. legislature to speak about Lisa’s case, crediting the podcast with raising awareness. The RCMP too will thank Laura for her efforts. The independent podcast generates significant interest sparking multiple stories and landing a coveted top ten spot in Apple Podcast’s True Crime category.
Reviewing the “new true crime podcast,” the Globe & Mail finds that “former CBC producer Laura Palmer heats up a cold-case in a respectful, human way. Yes, the first season of her new series Island Crime is called Where is Lisa?, but Palmer takes time to ask “Who is Lisa?” before digging into her disappearance."
Biography: Laura Palmer is an accomplished CBC radio producer. Before moving on from her Vancouver based Executive Producer position, Laura produced Network radio & TV shows, racking up numerous awards and becoming a respected industry leader. Island Crime is Laura's first independent podcast production. Season 1 'Where is Lisa?' shot up the true crime podcast charts in 2020. Roger's Frequency network picked up Island Crime's Season 2 'Gone Boys' and released it in the spring of 2021. Palmer is getting set to publish again with Rogers Frequency network, Island Crime Season 3 drops early in 2022.
Special thanks to VIUFA Status of Women Committee for funding and the VIU Students’ Union for their support for the event.
