Cassandra Sterling

- Wesley Sterling (step-father)

- Edwin Goodman (half-brother)

- Danielle Goodman (half-sister, deceased)

- Janine Goodman (half-sister-in-law)

- Eunice Goodwin (half-niece)

- Andy Goodwin (half-nephew-in-law)

- Alex Goodwin (great half-nephew)

- Roderick Phelps (fiancee)

**Cassandra Jessica** **Lancaster Sterling**, also known as **J.L.**, is a criminology professor of the *University of Albany*. It was revealed in the end of season eleven that Cassandra was the result of the affair between Edwin’s father and Esther Sterling, making her Edwin’s half-sister.

## History

Cassandra Sterling was born to Esther Lancaster, a hairdresser in a small beauty salon in Nova Scotia, Canada. Cassandra, yearning to be successful with a career, exceeded in her educational years and became a criminology professor in New York.

At about the age of twenty-four, Cassandra became curious to know who her father was. This led to Cassandra creating art pieces that depicted loneliness without a father figure, she went under the initials “J.L.”, which were the initals for her middle name and her mother’s maiden name – Jessica Lancaster . To further her search for her father, she found out that he worked in New York and went there to pursue a career, along with tracking down her father.

Eleven years later, she created a painting that earned a place in Toronto’s national art gallery. In the opening night of the gallery, Cassandra did not attend, but her painting was stolen. The painting was later retrieved by detective Edwin Goodman. As it turns out, the painting was a valuable clue in his father’s murder, as stated by Italian mafia leader Giancarlo Mancini, who was also close friends with Edwin’s father.

Cassandra first met Edwin when she hired him to solve the murder of her boyfriend, Vincent Lomax. Upon solving the murder, Cassandra asked Edwin if he had any available rooms to temporarily live in because Vincent’s landlord had already sold the apartment. She then lived with Edwin and his family in Kentville, Janine was only suspicious for a while. Edwin brings Cassandra to and from work as she had no car.

In the end of season eleven, Cassandra was revealed to be Edwin’s half-sister when she found out that Edwin’s father was also her father. Cassandra told the story of how Edwin’s father fell for Cassandra’s mother – Alexander (Edwin’s father) met Esther in New York while Esther was taking a course in the city, Edwin was still eight years old at the time and Danielle, six years. Alexander and Esther fell in love, he had an affair with her and resulted to Esther conceiving a baby. Alexander promised to visit her from time to time with baby Cassandra. However, this never became a reality when Alexander focused more on his own family and his work, and then he died in action. Cassandra was only seventeen when her father died, not even knowing that he already died.

Upon finding out that Cassandra and Edwin are each other’s half-siblings, they solved murders together, beginning from season twelve. During her stay in Kentville, she helped Edwin solve the murder of a rich old woman who had a younger husband, Roderick Phelps. After arresting the killer, Cassandra and Roderick fell in love and began a love relationship. They were to get married in season thirteen.