Stoddard Online

VEHICLES AND OTHER SUPPRESSED EVIDENCE

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OF THE

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COFFIN AFFAIR

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In the last posting I made reference to the fact that an application had been made to the federal cabinet in Ottawa in late 1955 for a review of the Wilbert Coffin case. Such an application is once again being made to the federal cabinet fifty-two years later in 2007. It is important to note that an application to the federal government for relief to remedy a situation is the court of last resort. It simply means that all lower court applications have been exhausted including an application to the Supreme Court of Canada.
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Wilbert Coffin's application to the Supreme Court had been rejected. His legal defense team were not satisfied that he had received a proper hearing. It was not a unanimous decision on the part of the Supreme Court, and there were arguments to present displaying the fact that all evidence had not been presented at the original trial. New revelations had come to light, revelations that if presented properly to the federal cabinet should be reason for the federal authority to send the case back and order a new trial.
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From the very onset of the investigation into the murders of Eugene Lindsey, Richard Lindsey his son, and family friend Fred Claar there were question marks as to who actually were the last known persons to see the victims alive. Prior to Wilbert Coffin becoming a suspect, he had volunteered the information that when he arrived back at the scene of the victim's broken down truck after having driven Richard Lindsey to Gaspe' to secure a new fuel pump, the elder Lindsey and Fred Claar were in the company of two male individuals, who were driving a Jeep vehicle with plywood sides. The license plate of this vehicle was not from Quebec province. According to Wilbert Coffin, the elder Lindsey introduced these two people as people from down his way in the United States.
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Again, prior to becoming a suspect Wilbert Coffin stated that some time later on his way out of the woods on another day, he saw Jeep tracks in the mud on the road. These tracks were further along on the forest road in the direction of the location of the victims remains. This was reported to Sgt. Henri Doyon of the Quebec Provincial Police. Sgt. Doyon would later report that he too had seen the tracks.
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It is important to note that it was possible to arrive at the location of the visible tracks and the broken down truck without reporting to the gate keeper at the main point of entry. This would be dependent on the direction the vehicles were coming from. It was not necessary to go through the town of Gaspe'. This is particularly important if someone, for whatever reason was trying to elude detection or minimize attention.
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It is interesting to note the police were well aware of the reported sightings of Jeep tracks and of reports of other people in the area. It appears that the police were purposely holding back this information. To prove my point, I am going to share some startling details with you. Firstly, I want you to take a long hard look at an internal police memo from 1953. This should serve as a haunting reminder of police interference in this investigation which resulted in a murder charge against Wilbert Coffin. The following is the memo from Mr. Henri Charland. He was the "go between" when the attorney general of Quebec conversed with the various police divisions. You should also remind yourself, the attorney general to whom I refer was none other than Premier Maurice Duplessis in his dual role. The following constitutes a translated copy of the original of this memo from French to English.
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SPQ 121.

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SURETE PROVINCIALE DE QUEBEC.

Quebec, 21 July 1953.
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DQ 74890-53 NOTE FOR THE FILE.

Re: Eugene H Lindsay, his son Richard Lindsay, and Fred Claar (Hollidaysburg,Pa) Gaspe', City and District of Gaspe', P.Q.
."Disappearance".
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After several phone calls and following information that was furnished me by the APGSC, it would seem that about the 11th June, another group of Americans likely coming from the same place as Lindsay, reportedly would have met the party of three to which we are presently referring, and Sgt. Doyon must double check (verify) this information, and, further more, Wilbert Coffin reportedly spoke of this to Doyon, and they went, as well, in the woods where one of the bodies was found, in order to provide him with details.
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RC/AG (HENRI CHARLAND).
DIRECTEUR ADJOENT SUPPLEANT.
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It is now important to note that several persons had approached the Quebec Provincial Police and made statements with respect to the sighting of a particular vehicle which paralleled that described by Wilbert Coffin that he saw with the Lindsey party when he returned young Richard to the scene of the break-down of his father's vehicle. This is particularly important because the description provided by Wilbert Coffin was freely given prior to being advised that he was a suspect. As well, the police had not made this information public, thus, it cannot be said that other witnesses were purposely tailoring their statement to coincide with that of Wilbert Coffin.
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In the case of two witnesses in particular, Doctor Wilson and his wife Marilyn, they reported seeing a vehicle on the ferry boat crossing the Saint Lawrence River on their way to Riviere du Loup. Not only did the vehicle that they saw match Wilbert Coffin's description of the vehicle that he claims to have seen at the Lindsey site, they were able to state that it also bore Pennsylvania license plates. This should have been treated by the police as of the utmost importance to the investigation. Interestingly though, I am unable to find any reference by the police to this information. It would appear that it was scrubbed entirely from the investigation because I can find absolutely no reference to it in the transcripts of Wilbert Coffin's murder trial. Fortunately, In my investigation of the past few months I have been able to track down Mrs. Wilson who is still very much alive and is still anxious and insistent that her evidence be heard, even though fifty three years have passed.
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I consider the evidence of the Wilson's as important to the determination of this case in 2007 as it was in 1954. The down side of course is the fact that if it had been fairly presented in 1954, Wilbert Coffin most probably would not have been executed. This evidence must be examined. It is incumbent upon the Criminal Conviction Review Group to vigoursly pursue this element and admit it to it's rightful place within the context of the guarantee of a fair and honest trial to a citizen charged with a criminal offence.
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Wilbert Coffin's lawyer, Francois Gravel, became aware of the eye witness sightings of the above mentioned vehicle, and as well, the statements of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. This information would be paramount in his application for a federal cabinet review of this case toward the latter stages of 1955, prior to Wilbert Coffin's last execution date. I have found supporting documentation which proves that. This documentation is highlighted in the research work of investigative journalist John Beliveau. Mr. Beliveau actively pursued this case from the beginning, and was recognized as the chief journalistic authority on the matter until his death some years ago.

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We must consider here, even though a suspect had been charged and convicted, that did not mean that many questions pertaining to guilt and innocence did not prevail. The same questions being asked in Canada were being asked in Pennsylvania. John Beliveau's dispatches to The Altoona Mirror newspaper speak for themselves. I am going to share with you a particular lengthy telegram sent by John Belliveau. I ask you to accept my apologies for the cosmetic appearance, however, rather than re-produce, I have decided to share it as it appears fifty plus years after the fact. If you have problems reading due to size of the font, right click on each telegram page and "save to your pictures," and then use your magnifier to enlarge. Again, my apologies as my technology only permits me to do it this way. The following represents five pages of telegram.

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In the town of Gaspe', long time resident Fabien Sinnett, would also like for his statement to be part of the investigation of the Coffin affair. Mr. Sinnett informed me some time back that he had provided a statement to The Quebec Provincial Police with respect to the week in question when the American hunters were killed. He saw a vehicle and occupants in Gaspe' town. Their vehicle fit the description of the vehicle that Wilbert Coffin had described. There were two occupants in the vehicle and they were buying food at a restaurant. The vehicle was constructed with plywood sides as was the vehicle that others had described. As with the statements of others, Fabien Sinnett's statement was never entered into the official record as evidence for the trial. Mr. Sinnett is a life long resident of the area and is respected by all who know him as one to be truthful and honest. His evidence was worthy of being considered and scrutinized in a court of law.
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I have always felt that the secrets of this case would unravel one day and expose the dirty deeds contained therein. I am still of that opinion, as little by little a picture emerges. I am further of the opinion that The Quebec Provincial Police harboured those secrets, and some fifty-four years later are still maintaining that path. I have asked many hard questions of a lot of people. There is still a reluctance to talk, a half century later. I do not understand that. I ask you to read on. I am quoting from an e-mail that we received awhile back from Henriette Doyon. Henriette Doyon is the daughter of the late Sgt. Henri Doyon of the Quebec Provincial Police former head of the Gaspe' region detachment.

.Ms. Doyon states, "in the autumn 1977, I was living in Murdochville and two hunters stumbled on a jeep with American license plates in the woods. The jeep was at the bottom of a ravine and hidden by old trees. The news spread quickly that this was the jeep in the Coffin affair. The newspapers and TV told of this news. My mother was living with me then because I had just given birth to my young daughter. She said that was certainly the jeep of the Coffin affair..they're going to make it disappear quickly. Immediately the next day, my husband and a friend went to the woods to see the jeep. There were three Surete de Quebec vehicles in the woods making a barrier. No one was allowed to pass, and the next day the jeep had disappeared. All that remained were the tracks of a large vehicle and broken trees, as though a huge truck had looked for something. Afterwards one heard talk of the jeep. Bizarre, isn't it? I don't know the names of the two hunters, but I'm certain that there are men from Murdochville who remember this."

.Thus far I have not been able to locate someone willing to talk to me about this affair. If the story is accurate, I am certain that someone will come forward. It is not difficult to ascertain the importance of assistance in this matter. If you can help, or if you know of someone who can, I need to hear about it now.

.Here is a quotation from another e-mail that I received recently. I have made mention of it previously, however, it ties in with seeking information and stating of facts with reference to vehicles and people in the woods at the time of the murders. I am quoting directly from the e-mail, and the writer states, "Wilbert Dumaresq was with Raymond and Eddy Dumaresq at the time they saw the jeep in the woods. His father Wilbert told him at the time, that the first vehicle was a pick-up truck with an american license with three men, one middle age, and the other two were young men, and about two hours later there was a jeep who stopped and talked to Dufresne a man working for the Dumeresq's. One of the occupant was wearing a jacket with fringes, and they were looking for the bear hunters."

.I have devoted this entire posting to pertinent information that needs to be explored detailing people in the woods and modes of travel. In order that this application be fully explored it is imperative that this information be included in the process. It is also imperative that the federal cabinet actually read the application this time, which they most definitely did not do the last time around. In the absense of cabinet reading and studying the application and evidence, the case will be treated in the same manner that it was in 1955. It is also imperative that the federal government allow evidence that was suppressed to be introduced. Without it, the decision would be made on the same information that the Supreme Court of Canada dealt with in the fifties.

.Again, I cannot do it alone. I need your support. If you know something about this affair, or know of someone else who does, then you know what you should do.

.Lew Stoddard

Posted to site April 22, 2007