CBC and the Toronto Star announced Monday a partnership to create a new investigative true crime podcast exploring the story of Canadian Olympic snowboarder and alleged drug lord Ryan Wedding, now an FBI Most Wanted fugitive.
Hosted by Michelle Shephard, former national security reporter at the Toronto Star, alongside Star reporter Calvi Leon, the podcast will feature new on-the-ground reporting and original interviews, and will be released in fall 2026 on both CBC’s Uncover and the Star’s Suspicion feeds, everywhere podcasts are available.
CBC previously announced an original documentary series, Snow King: From Olympian to Narco about Wedding, which also features Leon’s investigative work for the Star alongside journalist Jesse Hyde’s in-depth reporting for Rolling Stone. Produced by Toronto-based production company Visitor Media, the two-part docuseries is currently in production and will also debut in fall 2026.
“This unbelievable true story, with its roots in Canada and many layers of mystery, is a perfect fit for CBC’s popular Uncover podcast series. We’re thrilled to build on CBC’s relationship with the Toronto Star to create a world-class podcast exploration of this ongoing international case, as the web of those accused of involvement continues to grow,” Arif Noorani, director of CBC Podcasts, said in a CBC press release. “The coordinated launch of CBC’s podcast and docuseries will allow audiences to experience the in-depth investigation and incredible storytelling on the platform of their choice.”
“Sometimes the truth is stranger, and more terrifying, than fiction,” said Nicole MacIntyre, editor-in-chief of the Toronto Star. “The Star’s Suspicion investigative true crime podcast series is pleased to join forces with the CBC on this groundbreaking investigation as the hunt for Ryan Wedding continues. And while this case is still underway, the entire world is fascinated by the former Canadian Olympian who is now one of the FBI’s most wanted. The Star’s Calvi Leon has been at the forefront of this story from the beginning. And there is no one better to work alongside Calvi than former Star journalist Michelle Shephard. This new podcast from the Toronto Star and CBC will give listeners the chance to hear the whole story.”
Once a promising Canadian athlete, Wedding is now known as El Jefe, accused of running a deadly drug trafficking empire with a $15 million FBI reward on his head. In this new untitled podcast, Shephard and Leon trace Wedding’s descent into a violent criminal underworld and expose how a small-town Canadian boy allegedly became a narco kingpin.
“From his beginnings as a bouncer in Vancouver, to Toronto and the scenes of the shocking murders he’s accused of ordering, to Mexico where he’s believed to be hiding under the protection of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, [Shephard and Leon] uncover his illicit connections and the stories behind the victims caught in the crossfire,” reads a description of the podcast.
Along with Shephard and Leon, producers of the podcast also include Falen Johnson, playwright and host of CBC podcasts See You in Court and Secret Life of Canada, and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, co-host and producer of the Star’s news podcast, This Matters, and producer of Suspicion: 40 Years Cold. The senior podcast producer is Andrew Friesen, Chris Oke is executive producer of CBC Podcasts, and Noorani is director of CBC Podcasts.
