A native Detroiter, Jan Canty, Ph.D. is a psychologist, writer, photographer, educator, consultant, podcast host and cancer survivor. She holds a terminal degree in psychology as well as a post-doctoral fellowship in family therapy from the Wayne State University School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine in Detroit. It was in the last month of her fellowship training that her life pivoted.
The stormy evening of July 13, 1985, her spouse of 11 years failed to come home. She reported him missing. A week later she was called to Detroit Homicide Division by Detective Landeros, a woman she would grow to trust and respect. Inspector Gil Hill disclosed scandalous secrets about her spouse, Al Canty, and what led to his death. In addition, he suggested she check her finances, since witnesses claimed her husband had been handing out cash the previous 18 months. The following week his body parts were unearthed from a shallow grave in northern Michigan near Petosky, and she was called back to identify them at the Wayne County Morgue. John Carl Fry Senior and Dawn Marie Spens were held for questioning. The media frenzy began.
So began her 30-year redacted life. Two years later she quietly moved deep into the Midwest and taught psychology at a small, rural college away from tourists, airports, memories and intrusive questions. She did not speak of this tragedy for over 30 years. She later adopted two special needs sisters and remarried 18 years ago. She has worked as a forensic psychologist in a large mental hospital and taught graduate school. Her chosen specialty was cross-cultural psychology which lent itself to photography and international travel to remote villages on five continents. Dr. Canty was awarded Faculty of the Year in her second year of teaching.
Life circumstances delivered her to be uniquely qualified to speak about surviving murder – both professionally and personally. She now hosts a twice-monthly podcast to bring awareness to the aftermath of murder. The broadcast is entitled “Domino Effect of Murder.” It is heard in 22 countries and has five seasons recorded so far. In 2020 she completed a true crime memoir “A Life Divided.” Her second release, in 2023 is a 450-page reference book “What Now? Navigating the Aftermath of Homicide and Suicide.” She had a third book underway.
Dr. Canty is active with the Innocence Project.
She presently lives and works (as a consultant) to the federal government near the lush rain forests of the Pacific Northwest where rainfall exceeds 12 feet per year. She spends her free time with her family, two Saint Bernards, engages in photography, writing her blog and traveling as her health allows. In 2025 she is will be training to become a master gardener.
