# data[].attributes.body
This image shows Steven Truscott as a young adolescent with his bike, before he was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the murder of Lynne Harper (Innocence Canada, 2008).
Fictional new movie packs ‘emotional truth’ of Steven Truscott’s wrongful conviction for reporter who helped expose the case | The Star

# data[].attributes.body
This is a photograph of Lynne Harper, the victim of a brutal murder and sexual assault at 12-years-old, thought to be committed by Steven Truscott (Innocence Canada, 2008).
(12) Pinterest

# data[].attributes.body
This video outlines the specific details of the case and provides background information on both Harper and Truscott. The information is discussed in chronological order, from their early lives to the most recent update in the appeal process. The video is accompanied by relevant and historical images to give viewers a better understanding of the story. This video was posted on YouTube on January 29, 2007, before the Court of Appeal made their decision on whether to exonerate Truscott (National Post, 2007).
Steven Truscott Case - updated version - YouTube

# data[].attributes.body
This video discusses the monetary award Truscott received as a result of his wrongful conviction. The first review the details of his original trial and appeal, then discuss the 700-page report that outlined the injustices that occurred throughout the judicial process, against Truscott (NeubergerRose, 2009).
Steven Truscott's $6.5 Million Award for Wrongful Conviction - YouTube

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Steven Truscott's $6.5 Million Award for Wrongful Conviction

# data[].attributes.body
In 2011, Truscott would be faced with another life challenge: being diagnosed with prostate cancer. He would have to get his entire prostate removed. He reflects back on his wrongful conviction in his interview saying, "I figured if the government couldn’t get rid of me, this wasn’t going to get rid of me either" (Guelph Mercury, 2012)
Steven Truscott fights another battle for his life (guelphmercury.com).

# data[].attributes.body
1. Tunnel Vision
2. Evolution of and Errors in Forensic Science
3. Professional Misconduct (Innocence Canada, 2021)
Causes of Wrongful Convictions - Innocence Canada

# data[].attributes.body
This document outlines questions and answers to provide more context to the Truscott case.

# data[].attributes.headline
Steven Truscott in 2012, Cancer Diagnosis

# data[].attributes.subject
Steven Truscott in 2012, Cancer Diagnosis

# data[].attributes.body
This image shows Steven Truscott 43 years after his release from prison, around the time of his cancer diagnosis. This article explains the new health battle that Truscott must fight, 5 years following the end of his legal battle for innocence (Guelph Mercury, 2012).

Steven Truscott fights another battle for his life (guelphmercury.com).

# data[].attributes.body
Alexander Kalichuk is supected to be the real killer of Harper, but it has never been proven as he died in 1975. He had been charged with the sexual harassment of girls around the same age as Harper, near the same area she had been found dead (The Fifth Estate, 2008).
Case not closed: The enduring tragedy of the Harper – Truscott murder case – Canadian Military History (militarybruce.com)

# data[].attributes.body
Truscott was awarded $6.5 million in compensation from the Government of Ontario, 49 years after the trial occurred. The government appointed retired judge Sydney Robins, to review the case and determine how much financial compensation would be fair and just, based on numerous factors related to the impacts of  a wrongful conviction on an individuals' life (The Fifth Estate, 2008).
Steven Truscott to get $6.5M for wrongful conviction | CBC New

# data[].attributes.body
This video was taken the day Truscott was exonerated, August 28, 2007. Truscott did not give an official statement to the press but his daughter shared information about finding out about her father's past.  She also discusses how the conviction affected their family and how this acquittal was a major relief (NeubergerRose, 2009).
Steven Truscott's $6.5 Million Award for Wrongful Conviction - YouTube

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A Canadian court acquitted Steven Truscott today and called his murder conviction "A Miscarriage Of Justice". http://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/think-and-grow-rich/198261

# data[].attributes.body
This article further details the factors that were examined when considering how much compensation Truscott should receive. Suffering, the stigma of guilt, past cases (David Milgaard), and financial support for himself and his family, were the bases used to determine the appropriate amount of compensation (The Fifth Estate, 2008).
Steven Truscott to get $6.5M for wrongful conviction | CBC New

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Ontario government will pay Steven Truscott $6.5 million for suffering a "miscarriage of justice" and living 48 years with the stigma of being wrongfully convicted of a rape and murder he did not commit.

"We are doing what we can to bring to the conclusion this remarkable aspect of Mr. Truscott's life's journey," Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley said Monday in Toronto.

"We are doing what we can to conclude this journey, and it is my hope that Mr. Truscott and his family will now be able to spend all their time on the rest of life's journey."

He added that Truscott's wife, Marlene, will get $100,000 in compensation for the time she spent working to clear Truscott's name.

The announcement comes almost a year after the Ontario Court of Appeal acquitted Truscott of murder in the death of his friend, 12-year-old Lynne Harper, in the southwestern Ontario town of Clinton in June 1959. The court said his conviction was a "miscarriage of justice."

Truscott was just 14 years old when he was convicted in September 1959 after a 15-day trial. He was initially sentenced to hang, making him Canada's youngest death-row inmate, but after four months on death row, the sentence was commuted to life in prison.

He was granted parole at age 24 in 1969, after serving 10 years in jail.

Bentley said the government's decision to compensate was based on the advice of retired judge Sydney Robins, who was asked to study whether compensation would be appropriate, and if so, how much should he get?

'No amount of money could ever truly compensate Steven'

In a written statement, Truscott and his wife called the compensation a "final and long-awaited step in recognizing Steve's innocence." Still, the couple said the money is bittersweet.

"Although we are grateful for the freedom and stability this award will provide, we are also painfully aware that no amount of money could ever truly compensate Steven for the terror of being sentenced to hang at the age of 14, the loss of his youth or the stigma of living for almost 50 years as a convicted murderer," the Truscotts said.

Robins, in a written report outlining how he decided how much Truscott should be paid, noted there is no legal obligation to compensate Truscott, Still, he said not compensating Truscott would leave him with a stigma, a suggestion of guilt.

"The total amount paid to Mr. Truscott should be enough to ensure that he can live the remainder of his life with financial security, and in comfort and dignity, able to assist his family as he sees fit," Robins wrote.

"It should also be enough to send a clear signal to the public that the government recognizes the enormity of the suffering that this miscarriage of justice has caused."

The Harper family has yet to comment publicly on the compensation package. Harper's father, Leslie Harper, has said he was stunned by Truscott's acquittal and fears Truscott only sought to clear his name for financial reasons.

Since the acquittal, no one else has been charged with Harper's slaying. Over the years, other people have been named in the media as potential suspects. They include Alexander Kalichuk, an air force sergeant with a history of sexual offences who lived near the military base where Truscott and Harper grew up. Kalichuk, a heavy drinker, died in 1975.

Suffering considered in compensation decision

In awarding Truscott $6.5 million, Robins said he considered the emotional turmoil he has endured.

"There is no question but that Mr. Truscott's conviction, incarceration and parole forever altered his life," Robins wrote.

He noted that Truscott, who now lives in Guelph, Ont., suffered from loneliness, isolation and a loss of privacy while spending his teenage years and early adulthood in prison. Robins talked of the terror Truscott felt knowing when he thought he was going to die, including the day Truscott heard hammering outside his prison cell and was certain it was prison guards building the scaffolding where he would be hanged.

Once released from prison, Robins noted that life wasn't easy for Truscott. Under the conditions of his parole, which lasted until last year's acquittal, he couldn't leave the country or move without informing authorities. He was told to change his name to avoid attention.

Truscott and his wife married in secret in 1970 to avoid publicity and moved nine times to protect the safety of their three children, Robins said. He said Truscott suffered from nightmares and social anxieties, and has become extremely shy and hesitant.

But despite all the hardship, Robins said Truscott has been "an exemplary citizen," working steadily as a machinist and millwright, providing a stable life for his family and always abiding by the law.

Lack of DNA evidence in Truscott case

Robins noted that the Ontario Court of Appeal did not declare Truscott factually innocent, but Robins said it would be impossible to ever do so since DNA evidence has been lost and destroyed, and witnesses have died. Robins said it would be unfair to punish Truscott because of this.

Marlys Edwardh, one of Truscott's lawyers, said Truscott's case could give hope to others who are wrongfully accused but have no DNA evidence to clear their name.

"There are many wrongful convictions that can't be unwound by DNA," she said. "I think the model [Robins has] adopted is both useful and insightful, and will be of [precedent-setting] value."

But Alan Young, a professor at York University's Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, said the government is not bound to follow the same guidelines when dealing with other cases.

"It may be that the Steven Truscott case had such notoriety that they felt that they had to make the payment because the whole world was watching," he said.

"I like the development, but I wouldn't start celebrating a huge change in the approach, because it will still be a case-by-case determination."

Robins considered other cases

Robins said he considered other wrongful conviction cases in Canada, including the $10 million awarded to Winnipeg native David Milgaard after DNA cleared him of the 1969 rape and murder of a Saskatoon nursing aide. Robins noted that Milgaard, who was 16 at the time of his conviction, spent a total of 23 years in jail, 13 more than Truscott, and suffered a violent sexual assault while in prison.

Robins said the case of Maher Arar wasn't relevant to his decision, because the $12.5 million in compensation Arar received from the federal government was not for a wrongful conviction, but for damages resulting from his deportation to Syria, where he was jailed and tortured.

The Ontario Court of Appeal finished its eight-month review of Truscott's case in February 2007, and announced its decision to acquit last Aug. 28. At the time, then Attorney General Michael Bryant apologized to Truscott and said the Crown has no plans to appeal.

Provincial legislators have been calling for Truscott to receive payment. In April, Guelph's Liz Sandals of the ruling Liberal party tabled a private member's motion seeking support for compensation for Truscott, and all parties approved it.

Robins recommended that the federal government pay 50 per cent of the compensation. Bentley said Ontario is paying it in full for now, to ensure Truscott gets his compensation quickly, but that negotiations with the federal government are ongoing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Steven Truscott to get $6.5M for wrongful conviction | CBC News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Ontario government will pay Steven Truscott $6.5 million for suffering a "miscarriage of justice" and living 48 years with the stigma of being wrongfully convicted of a rape and murder he did not commit. "We are doing what we can to bring to the conclusion this remarkable aspect of Mr. Truscott's life's journey," Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley said Monday in Toronto.

# data[].attributes.body
This article reveals details of his long-awaited acquittal and subsequent compensation. However, the author shares the perspective of the Harper family and how they were opposed to this ruling as they still considered him guilty in the murder of their daughter. Comparisons are made between the amount awarded to David Milgaard ($10 million) and Truscott, noting that Truscott received significantly less (Benzie, 2008).
Truscott's legal nightmare ends | The Star

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Steven Truscott's 49-year legal nightmare is finally over thanks to a $6.5 million compensation cheque from the Ontario government.

Attorney General Chris Bentley announced yesterday that Truscott, 63, would receive the payout from the province almost a half century after being convicted of a murder he did not commit.

In a joint statement from their home in Guelph, Ont., Truscott and his wife, Marlene, said "this is a bittersweet moment for us."

"When we began this journey more than a decade ago, we thought only of exonerating Steven - the possibility of compensation never entered our minds," the couple said.

Sentenced to hang in 1959 at age 14 for the sex killing of his 12-year-old school chum Lynne Harper, Truscott has spent most of his life fighting to clear his name.

Last August, the Ontario Court of Appeal quashed his conviction and acquitted him, ruling he was the victim of a "miscarriage of justice."

Even though Truscott had never demanded a financial settlement, the provincial government appointed retired judge Sydney Robins to determine how much should be paid out.

Robins, who studied similar cases around North America, concluded Truscott deserved $250,000 for each of the 10 years he was in jail plus $100,000 per annum for the 38 years he was on parole. The judge then rounded up the amount to $6.5 million.

"The reality is that no dollar figure can replace his lost years and lost opportunities or compensate for the injury sustained through this miscarriage of justice," Robins wrote in a 57-page report.

Marlene Truscott was awarded an additional $100,000 as compensation for lost earnings as she worked tirelessly to help him.

Beyond the amount given to the Truscotts, the province will cover $990,000 in legal aid bills accrued during their crusade for justice.

"Although we are grateful for the freedom and stability this award will provide, we are also painfully aware that no amount of money could ever truly compensate Steven for the terror of being sentenced to hang at the age of 14, the loss of his youth, or the stigma of living for almost 50 years as a convicted murderer," the couple said.

"This is the final and long-awaited step in recognizing Steven's innocence," they said.

The Truscotts added they were "especially appreciative of Justice Robins' finding that: `It was the state, through the operation of the criminal justice system, that inflicted the harm on Mr. Truscott.'"

"Right now we need some quiet time to absorb this news and to reflect with our friends and family on everything we've been through."

Lawyer Marlys Edwardh said the Truscotts would be making no further public statements, emphasizing the couple were "very pleased" with the settlement and plan to use the money to help their three grown children and their grandchildren.

While a record settlement for the province, it is considerably less than the $10 million the federal government paid David Milgaard, wrongly imprisoned for 23 years for the 1969 rape and murder of Saskatoon nursing aide Gail Miller, and Maher Arar, deported in 2002 to Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured.

Bentley, who received Robins' report on March 28, said he warned the Harper family on Sunday that a compensation deal was imminent.

He said he understood the sensitivities surrounding the case.

The Harpers still blame Truscott and have been opposed to any payout.

"I have met with Lynne's brother and his counsel and I spoke yesterday with Barry (Harper) and advised him what the decision was going to be," the attorney general told reporters at Queen's Park.

Bentley declined to discuss his conversations with the family or their feelings.

"I will let the Harpers speak for themselves," he said.

Lynne was with Truscott the last time she was seen alive, riding on the crossbar of his bike on a county road toward Highway 8 near Clinton, northwest of Stratford, Ont., on June 9, 1959.

Her body was found two days later and, on Sept. 30, 1959, Truscott was convicted of capital murder by a jury following a flawed trial - complete with pathology testimony since discredited - and sentenced to death by hanging.

There were numerous other potential local suspects, including a convicted pedophile, a former alcoholic and psychiatric patient known for having a sexual interest in children, a convicted rapist, and a minister who had been accused of sexual offences.

Amid public furor over the planned execution of a child, prime minister John Diefenbaker and the federal cabinet commuted the sentence to life imprisonment in 1960.

Truscott was paroled in 1969 after a decade behind bars. Until 2000, he lived under the assumed name Bowers and worked as a mechanical millwright. He recently retired.

In 2004, federal justice minister Irwin Cotler asked the Ontario Court of Appeal to review his conviction, and three years later the court acquitted him.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Steven Truscott's 49-year legal nightmare is finally over thanks to a $6.5 million compensation cheque from the Ontario government. Attorney General Chris Bentley announced yesterday that Truscott, 63, would receive the payout from the province almost a half century after being convicted of a murder he did not commit.

# data[].attributes.body
Citations for information written within this padlet.

# data[].attributes.body
Featured on their 2000 studio album, "The Days In Between", Canadian band, Blue Rodeo, released the song "Truscott" about Steven's case.

Truscott - YouTube