Less than three weeks after being discharged from a hospital for the mentally ill, 21 year old Victor Hoffman found himself driving along the highway away from his family's farm. As he traveled toward the small community of Shell Lake, an urge to kill that had settled deeply within him over the last number of months grew stronger and stronger. Within the hour, he would commit one of the worst random mass murders in Canadian history. Episode 4 explores the early life of Victor Hoffman, his mental health struggles, and previously unheard details about the police investigation that led to his arrest.
Sources used in this episode include "Schizophrenia, Mass Murder, and The Law," an article by Fannie Hoffer Kahan, as well as "Shell Lake Massacre," a book by Peter Tadman.