https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42 By: Abigail Smith en-us 2018-11-30 22:49:58 UTC 2026-05-18 08:46:21 UTC hello@padlet.com abigailsmith896 https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310008027 The picture below shows an innocent young 14 year old Steven Truscott that was wrongfully convicted for murdering his classmate, 12 year old Lynne Harper. It all started back on June 9th, 1959, when Steven decided to give his classmate, Lynne a ride to her house on his bicycle. Once Steven had dropped her off at the intersection of the County Road and Highway 8, he then proceeded to go his way. Later that evening Lynne's father had reported her missing. Fast forward 2 days later, sexually assaulted and strangled to death, her body was found in a nearby wooded area. One of the main reasons why Steven was found guilty was because he had been the last suspect to see her alive. ]]> 2018-11-30 23:07:04 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310008027 abigailsmith896 https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310012978 After trying to stay private under an alias name for more than 40 years, Steven Truscott decided to give an interview on CBC's hit television show, The Fifth Estate. Linked below is Steven's episode:]]> 2018-12-01 00:09:14 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310012978 abigailsmith896 https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310015937 Although Steven Truscott was only 14 years old, he was still ordered to stand trial as an adult. Since Steven was the last person seen with Lynne Harper before she died, he was seen as the main suspect in the policemen and prosecutors eyes from the very beginning. During the trial, the Crown’s failure to disclose the unofficial versions of Dr. Penistan’s autopsy report in 1959, caused the defense counsel and jury members to miss crucial information. Even though there is actual evidence of people saying one thing in their initial statement and then saying something else later on, during the trial, it was never brought up. After 15 days of jury trial, looking at the statements and the little evidence they had, the jury found Steven guilty of murder and rape. Since this was back in 1959, the Criminal Code required that a death sentence be imposed for murder and the judge sentenced Steven to death by being hung. Later the  Governor General ordered that Steven's initial sentence, of death was to be changed to life imprisonment. Down below is an article describing the details on why he was wrongfully convicted.]]> 2018-12-01 01:03:04 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310015937 abigailsmith896 https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310016575 After being incarcerated for 10 years, Steven was released at the age of 24 on October 21, 1969. He then moved to Guelph, Ontario changed his name, and because of a trade he had learned while in prison he started working as a millwright. Fast forward to October 1970, he then got married to his wife, Marlene and they had 3 children together, whom are pictured below.    ]]> 2018-12-01 01:16:23 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310016575 abigailsmith896 https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310020716 The link below describes briefly about the compensation that Steven Truscott received. Steven was compensated with $6.5 million, given to him by the Ontario government for suffering a "miscarriage of justice". Although Steven and his family were grateful for the money, they all agreed that no amount of money will ever make up for their father and husband missing out on 10 years of his life. ]]> 2018-12-01 02:22:28 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310020716 abigailsmith896 https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310021363 In 2001, 30 years after Stevens release, Innocence Canada submitted an application for Ministerial Review of his conviction. Because of this application, the federal Minister of Justice got a retired Justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal, to do a thorough investigation on the conviction. During a three-week hearing, a five-judge panel of the Court of Appeal, Innocence Canada Counsel along with Steven took a look at the some new evidence. The new evidence consisted of a more thorough look at Lynne's autopsy reports and Steven's medical reports. Upon reviewing the documents, it was frightening that the Court of Appeal was only provided with one version of Lynne's autopsy report instead of the two unofficial versions. While reviewing the two unofficial versions, they realized specific details that would prove Steven not guilty of committing the crimes. The link below describes perfectly the specific details of evidence that arose.]]> 2018-12-01 02:31:17 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310021363 abigailsmith896 https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310023383 In 1966, Isabel LeBourdais, published a book, pictured down below, that brought Steven’s case to the attention of the public. ]]> 2018-12-01 03:02:30 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310023383 abigailsmith896 https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310023634 On January 20th, 1960, Steven appealed his conviction to the Ontario Court of Appeal but the Court dismissed it. He then tried to apply to the Supreme Court of Canada for his leave to appeal his conviction but on February 24th, 1960, the court dismissed is application. In 1966, the Supreme Court were requested to determine whether it would have upheld Steven’s conviction if it had allowed him to appeal the trial court’s decision but on May 4, 1967, the Court came to the conclusion that it would have dismissed the appeal leaving Steven with no further options. In the updated video linked below about the wrongful conviction, the video goes into detail about Steven's many appeals and how they were all rejected.]]> 2018-12-01 03:06:38 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310023634 abigailsmith896 https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310026580 2018-12-01 03:52:02 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailsmith896/iw03tg1uxi42/wish/310026580