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 Steven Truscott's $6.5 Million Award for Wrongful Conviction

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)