Truscott

[Muley69]

Okay...maybe I'm missing something that some of the -- ahem -- more senior posters on this site can help clarify.

Today, Steven Truscott is attempting to have his 1959 murder conviction over turned...but the part that I don't get is the fact that Truscott was 14 years old when he was convicted of rape and murder of 12-year-old schoolmate Lynne Harper.

He was sentenced to hang for the crimes.




Uh...if he was sentenced to HANG then how is it possible that he's ALIVE to launch this appeal? None of the news sites seem to indicate why he didn't die! Anyone know?

[Esks4ever]

Re: Truscott

In September 1959 in a Canadian courtroom, 14-year-old Steven Truscott was found guilty of raping and murdering his classmate 12-year-old Lynne Harper. Sentenced to death Truscott became the youngest person to sit on Canada's death row. His death sentence was eventually commuted to life in prison.
Throughout the years, Truscott has maintained his innocence. He claims that on June 9, 1959, he was riding his bicycle when he met Lynne Harper near the school they both attended. She asked him for a ride to the highway because she wanted to see the man who kept ponies at his house. Truscott gave Harper a lift and dropped her off at the highway. As he was cycling back he saw a car stop where Harper was standing. She got into the car and the car drove off. That was the last time Lynne Harper was seen alive. Her body was found two days later not too far from where Truscott dropped her off.

In 1969 after serving ten years in prison, Truscott was paroled. He took on an alias and maintained a private life for thirty plus years. Recently Truscott has made a public appeal in the hope that his case will be reopened. In April 2000, he participated in TV program that re-examined the case. Many people feel he was railroaded in 1959, and the evidence which would have vindicated him was overlooked. There have been several web sites devoted to seeing this injustice set right:

www.injusticebusters.com/index.htm/Truscott.htm
www.steventruscott.net/
www.tv.cbc.ca/fifth/truscott/index.html

Since the crime occurred over 40 years ago, it becomes difficult to sort through all of the facts. Some of the evidence has been destroyed. Some of the people involved in the investigation are no longer living. However, there is one document we can review which is a very good source of information as to what happened on that June evening in 1959. In 1971, Pocket Book published "The Steven Truscott Story" by Steven Truscott as told to Bill Trent. Let's see what Truscott has to say about the death of Lynne Harper.

[Muley69]

Re: Truscott

Thanks for that.


You know, it's been said that THIS CASE was the reason why the death penalty in Canada was abolished...and is it any wonder with all the circumstantial evidence? To think that today there are more heinous crimes with irrefutable proof that WOULD qualify for the death penalty (and be deserved) if we still had that law.

[Opus]

Re: Truscott

we didn't have the technology then that we do now to determine guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.