Sasha Roiz portraying LPS Detective Ryan Stef in The Detectives. (Supplied by Amanda Amato/CBC)

By David Opinko

CBC’s “The Detectives” to highlight Lethbridge murder case

Jan 3, 2020 | 3:40 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A dramatic re-enactment of a complex case in Lethbridge will be showcased on a hit CBC show later this month.

It will look into the death of 78-year-old Irene Carter in early 2016.

Her adopted daughter, Lisa Freihaut, was found guilty of second-degree murder in June 2018 and received a life sentence. More details here.

The show’s Executive Producer and Showrunner Petro Duszara spoke to LNN prior to the episode’s premiere about how they put it together.

He explains that they have a team of researchers who discovered LPS Sergeant Ryan Stef, who, at the time of this investigation, was a detective.

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“They thought he was a very thoughtful and interesting detective who really cares about the work he’s doing and you really got a sense from him that he was someone we think audiences would react really positively to because he’s an interesting face of policing, and in this particular case, was a case that deeply affected him.”

Duszara says they reviewed all of the footage of Stef from the case and had a Skype call with him to get a sense of his personality and mannerisms.

Actor Sasha Roiz, who plays Stef in the show, took all of this in to ensure an accurate portrayal.

The writers and producers of The Detectives say they learned a lot about Lethbridge in their research, as well as gambling addiction and how struggles like gambling addiction can lead to tragic events taking place.

Duszara told LNN that they try to keep everything as close to the real-life facts as they can.

Due to privacy laws, however, peoples’ names sometimes have to be changed or composite characters will be created to protect their identities. Details like the specific model of phone or car someone used might be altered if suitable props cannot be found.

One thing that actual detectives have reportedly told Duszara is that the show nails the real emotions of the police officers who were involved.

“You really sense what it was like to have been Ryan Stef that day showing up at the crime scene. You get to sense what he felt, what he experienced. You watch him in the show and you see how he felt speaking to the suspect, speaking to the family of the deceased – you have a richer emotional experience by hearing the first-hand account from the detective of how he felt doing it.”

Lisa Freihaut is portrayed by Cat Lemiuex while Sean Hoy plays her husband, Dean.

This will be the second episode of this season of The Detectives. It will air at 7:00 pm MST on Thursday, January 16 on CBC and the free CBC Gem streaming service.