The disappearance and murder of Shannon Burgess, a 25-year-old Canadian actress from Calgary, Alberta, devastated her family and shocked her community. What began as a missing person case in late 2014 ended with a confession of murder from her husband, Joshua Burgess, nearly eight months later.
Here’s a detailed look at what happened, from her disappearance to the trial that sent her husband to prison.
Shannon Burgess Disappears in November 2014
On December 1, 2014, Shannon’s family reported her missing after she failed to show up for dinner with her brother. Police discovered her car and belongings still at home, but Shannon was nowhere to be found.
Her husband, Joshua, then 29 years old, downplayed her disappearance, telling authorities she often left town for auditions. Shannon had been building her acting career and had appeared in several short films that year, including Scared Stiff and Ascension.
But her sister, Erin Madill, quickly grew worried:
“I was really concerned that something bad had happened … I became really obsessed with trying to find her, and it became all-consuming for me.”
Strain in Their Marriage
Joshua later admitted to police that he and Shannon were in an open relationship, and she also had a boyfriend, Ian Wallace. But investigators discovered the couple had argued just weeks before she vanished — Shannon wanted to close their marriage, while Joshua continued seeing another woman.
This tension raised further suspicion about his possible involvement.
Red Flags in Joshua’s Behavior
Police grew uneasy with Joshua’s account of events. He claimed to find Shannon’s phone in her pants pocket four days after she disappeared, despite friends and family calling it repeatedly.
Phone records later showed that the device had moved outside the home and into an alley behind the residence the day after she was last seen.
Detective Christina Witt told Dateline:
“Her phone had done a walkabout in the alley behind their residence. But who was with this phone? Was it Shannon?”
The Confession
In July 2015, investigators served Joshua with a search warrant for their cars and phones. Within minutes of being confronted, he broke down and confessed:
“I killed my wife.”
When officers arrived, Joshua had tried to cut his own throat but survived. At the hospital, he admitted he strangled Shannon after a fight, saying:
“I just wanted her to stop talking … She said she was disgusted touching me.”
He told police he used his hands and a belt to kill her, then stored her body in a plastic container before eventually burying her in the front yard of their home.
Police recovered Shannon’s body shortly after his confession.
The Trial and Sentencing
Joshua was charged with second-degree murder. After initially pleading not guilty, he changed his plea to guilty in December 2017, just before trial.
He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.
At sentencing, he addressed the court:
“I’m very sorry for the vows that I made, that I promised to look after her … I failed her in that. For several months afterwards, everybody stood by me, unquestionably … I failed all of you in that and I am so very sorry.”
The murder of Shannon Burgess is a heartbreaking story of a young woman whose dreams were cut short by the person she trusted most. What started as a missing person’s case ended with a disturbing confession that revealed betrayal, violence, and loss. Her family continues to honour her memory while ensuring her story is never forgotten.
