More people around the world are seeing Thunder Bay, thanks to a Toronto based podcast about an American fugitive.
Story Hunter executive producer Catherine Fogerty tells us her work about convicted murderer Laurie “Bambi” Bambenek has been seen in Australia and Europe over the last few weeks.
“Definitely going to hear a lot more about this northern town called Thunder Bay. One of the reasons why I wanted to tell the story, because it’s great to hear about what happened to Laurie when she came to Canada,” says Fogerty.
Laurie Bambenek was a former police officer in Milwaukee, who always says she was framed for the murder of her husband’s ex-wife. She was sentenced to prison, but escaped a number of years later, ending up in Thunder Bay. She was captured by the FBI in Thunder Bay in 1990, but always maintained her innocence.
A few weeks ago, Catherine Fogerty began broadcasting her story about Bambenek, which she says is far reaching. “I can look at where the podcast is played. We have listeners as far as Australia, England, Italy… it goes all over the world.”
Fogerty recalls Bembenek took a job as a waitress, until an American tourist spotted her after seeing an episode of America’s Most Wanted.
“He recognized her and called the FBI, and said ‘I think the American fugitive you are looking for is in a place called Thunder Bay, Ontario’. And I’m sure they said ‘Well, where is that?’” laughs Fogerty.
Lauri Bambenek hired a lawyer who fought her case back in the States, and had it dropped to second degree manslaughter, but she spent the rest of her life fighting even that, maintaining her innocence.
While in Canada, the former police officer won the hearts of Canadians who believed her when she said she did not kill her husband’s ex-wife.
