Steven Truscott was born on January 18, 1945. On June 9, 1959 in Clinton, Ontario, Canada a twelve year old girl, Lynne Harper, was raped and murdered. On June 13, 1959, Steven was charged with Lynne’s murder by the police. He was sentenced to death on September 30, 1959.
Lynne Harper and Steven Truscott were classmates. On the day of Lynne's murder, she was seen getting a ride on Steven's bicycle. Later that evening, her father reported her missing to the police. Two days later, on June 11, 1959, Lynne Harper's body was found in a nearby wooded area. She had been sexually assaulted and murdered. On June 13, 1959, Steven Truscott was charged with the sexual assault and murder of Lynne Harper.
Even though he was only fourteen, Steven Truscott…show more content… Several witnesses supported Steven’s version of events, and testified that they did see Steven and Lynne riding toward the intersection where Steven said he had dropped her off, or that they had seen him standing on the bridge looking in her direction. Witnesses also stated that Steven seemed normal when they saw him at the school around 8:00 p.m. that evening. No one had seen Steven entering or leaving the forest where Lynne was…show more content… After the sentencing change, Steven was able to continue fighting for justice for several decades.
Six years later, an author, Isabel LeBourdais, published a book titled The Trial of Steven Truscott. It was highly critical of the police investigation and trial process that had led to his conviction. The book brought Steven’s case to the attention of the public and, in 1966, the Governor General requested that the Supreme Court determine whether or not it would have upheld Steven’s conviction if it had allowed him to appeal the trial court’s decision. On May 4, 1967, the Court concluded that it would have dismissed the appeal. Yet again, Steven Truscott was out of legal options.
Steven Truscott remained in prison. He started out in the Ontario Training School for Boys in Guelph. Although once he turned eighteen, Truscott was transferred to the Collins Bay Penitentiary, in Kingston. He stayed in Collins Bay until October 21, 1969. By then, he had been in prison for ten years and was eligible to be released on parole. He was released when he was 24 years old and moved to Guelph, changed his name, and worked as a millwright, a trade that he had learned in prison. In October of 1970, he married his wife, Marlene, and they raised three
