Canadian Social Justice

The Steven Truscott Case

• Born January 18, 1945 in Vancouver, BC • Sentenced to death in 1959 at age 14 for the

murder of classmate Lynne Harper in Clinton, ON (near Goderich)

• To be hanged on December 8, 1959• Youngest person to be sentenced to death in

Canada• His case was a major factor in the abolition of the

death penalty in Canada• On November 20, 1959 his execution was

postponed to February 16, 1960 to allow for an appeal.

• On January 22, 1960, his death sentence was changed to life in jail.

• He continued to maintain his innocence• Released on parole in 1969• Lives in Guelph under an assumed name. He

married and raised three children.

• On November 29, 2001, Truscott filed for a review of his 1959 murder conviction. Hearings in a review of the Truscott case were heard at the Ontario Court of Appeal.

• On August 28, 2007, after review of nearly 250 fresh pieces of evidence, the court declared that Truscott's conviction had been a miscarriage of justice. He was acquitted of the crime.

• As he was not declared factually innocent, a new trial could have been ordered, but this was a practical impossibility given the passage of time.

• On July 7, 2008, the government of Ontario awarded him $6.50 million in compensation.

Fifth Estate: Steven Truscott

• http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/truscott/multimedia.html

Steven Truscott's $6.5 Million Award for Wrongful Conviction

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToKAhVBtzRE

Steven Truscott Journal Reflection Questions

• Imagine that you were Steven Truscott. How do you think you would feel if you were committed of a crime that you didn’t commit? Give at least two sentences.

• What feelings would Truscott have had when he was finally acquitted of the crime? (Point form is OK.)

• Truscott spent 10 years imprisoned for this crime. Was the settlement of $6.5 million sufficient? Why or why not? (At least 2 sentences.)

• Why do you think that Steven Truscott took an assumed name

when he was paroled? (At least 2 sentences)