Shivangi Sinha
In December 2014, Shannon Madill’s family reported that she was missing after not hearing from her for several days. Police visited the Calgary, Alberta, home she shared with her estranged husband, Joshua Burgess, to question him. He claimed he hadn’t seen her either, and although her car was parked outside and her phone was inside the house, there was no immediate evidence of foul play. It wasn’t until seven months later, when police returned to the house, that Joshua confessed to killing her. NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Night of Audition’ explores the details of the case and delves into the motives behind his crime.
Joshua Burgess Wanted to Divorce Shannon Madill a Few Months After Marriage
Joshua Burgess and Shannon Madill first met in 2010 through mutual friends. Joshua was immediately drawn to Shannon’s lively and vivacious personality, and the two quickly began dating. Shannon eventually introduced him to her family, who welcomed him warmly into their lives. In fact, in December 2013, when Shannon was unable to attend the family Christmas party, Joshua went on his own and spent time with them. The couple got engaged in December 2012 and moved into a home in the Ramsay neighborhood of Calgary, Alberta. They married on May 4, 2014, and Shannon was thrilled to begin this new chapter of her life. However, it wasn’t long before issues began to surface in their relationship.
In October 2014, Shannon told her family that she and Joshua had decided to divorce and that they were dating other people. While the news shocked them, they fully supported her decision. At the time, Shannon was working as an actor, and her schedule had become very busy. She had plans to move to Edmonton after landing a job she had long hoped for. On November 27, 2014, she left home for an audition and later met up with her sister, Erin Madill. She returned home after midnight, and according to court records, she and Joshua spent some time talking and even shared a brief romantic moment. However, Joshua later claimed that their conversation quickly turned into an argument, during which Shannon told him that marrying him had been a mistake and that she no longer needed him in her life.
Joshua Burgess Was Arrested at the House Where Shannon Madill Was Killed
Joshua Burgess said that he reached a breaking point during the argument and placed his hand over Shannon’s mouth when she bit him. He then got on top of her and strangled her to death. Afterward, he placed her remains in a plastic container and left it on the porch of their home throughout the winter. He explained that the ground was frozen and he couldn’t dig a grave at the time. During this period, Shannon’s family frequently visited Joshua, asking if he had any new information, but he never shared the truth with them. In March 2015, he finally dug a grave in the backyard and buried Shannon’s remains there. By July 2015, as police continued their investigation and got deeper into the couple’s marriage, they returned to the house.
When police arrived with a search warrant for Joshua’s phone, he initially refused to come out of the house. Over the phone, he confessed to a detective that he was the one who had killed Shannon. Negotiations with officers went on for several hours before he finally emerged, at which point they noticed a severe injury on his neck. It was the result of his trying to harm himself while inside. Joshua was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment and, once stable, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
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Joshua Burgess is Behind Bars Today
Joshua Burgess’ trial was scheduled to begin in December 2017, but on what was meant to be the first day, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. During his sentencing, he addressed Shannon Madill’s family and expressed deep remorse for his actions. He acknowledged that they had supported him without question and said he was sorry for staying silent for so long. He added, “I’m very sorry for the vows that I made, that I promised to look after her, no matter what the circumstances were. I failed her in that.” Joshua stated that he killed Shannon because he wanted her to “stop talking.” He was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 10 years. He is currently incarcerated in Alberta, though his public records remain unavailable.
