IS IT A FAIR PROCESS OF LAW?

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YOU BE THE JUDGE.

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2008 is winding down with just one more day to go. It is time to get back into the thick of things and continue where we left off with the police reports on the Wilbert Coffin case. There are still many many reports to present, and I have to say that in many cases the police do not look very good with the handling of this case. The sad reality of the situation is, and always has been that a man took his final walk in life, to the gallows, based I believe on the way that this case was assembled and presented.

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As before, some of the stuff that I am going to show you, I have displayed previously. However, there are new folks joining the web site all the time, so it is imperative that they be brought up to date as well. Additionally, perhaps some of you did not fully understand everything the first time around so it is a chance to review what I am presenting. There are some reports that I had not presented previously, so I can guarantee we should all garner some knowledge from them.

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These police reports can serve as a reminder that one should view this Brossard Inquiry thing with a very open mind. You will not read the information that comes from these reports in the Brossard Inquiry, simply because in most cases it differs greatly with that which was presented at trial and at the inquiry. They simply did not want the public to know, otherwise the information would have been readily available, because much of it I am publishing for the first time in history. If it had been wide open as it should have been, common sense dictates to me that the course of the trial I believe would have been quite different.

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Firstly we are going to talk about handguns. Initially according to the police of the day, the Lindsey party did not carry handguns on their person. That is interesting. I want you to take a look at the following list of exhibits that the police assembled for the court. This list is supposedly made from the property of the Lindsey and Claar hunting party.

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Pay close attention to exhibit number 28. Very clearly the police specify number 28 as that of a handgun. Now the big question, did they have one handgun, did they have two, did they have five? How many did they have? We do not know that and never will. I suspect though there was more than one. I say that though because as I have reported in the past, I have had a gentleman come forward and admitted to me that he found a handgun in relative close proximity to where the crimes were committed. For obvious reasons I will not name him here, however, the information will be passed to the department of justice.

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One more question to ponder. Do we know for sure that all items in this list came with the hunters from Pennsylvania? If you say obviously it did, I will immediately ask you, how do you know that for sure? The police say that it was all the property of the Americans as well. They were not being honest though when they were making that statement in court. It is ok to ask me if I can prove that statement. My answer is that according to the police themselves they could not verify what the Americans brought to Gaspe' with them. I retrieved that information from a letter that Captain Matte himself authored. I invite you to read it. I have provided it here directly below the list of exhibits.

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In that same letter we get two police reports for the price of one, and they both offer contradictory testimony to what the police touted. I am referring of course to the amount of money that Eugene Lindsey was supposedly carrying on his person. Captain Matte, in his letter to his boss states that they could not determine the amount of money that Lindsey might have had. This was determined when he was in Pennsylvania, yet later during the trial the figure of $1,000.00 was the figure that the prosecution bandied about to the jury as the amount that Wilbert Coffin stole from Lindsey's wallet. I am of the opinion that manipulation was set into play in a big way.

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Even though Lindseys wallet was found void of currency, would it not be feasible that one of the searchers may have come across the wallet and helped himself to the contents? It may be circumstantial, but it is no more circumstantial than the figure of $1,000.00 itself, and the court even referred to "the" $1,000.00 figure as a known item when it was not. Again, I believe that it was manipulation by the prosecution preaching to an uninformed jury and a dud for a defense lawyer. I ask you to read the two letters and I welcome your thoughts.

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LIST OF EXHIBITS.

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The Coffin Case.

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2670.

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1) Geographical map used by M. Hébert to show the route followed leaving Gaspé to go to the place where one did the searches and found certain effects.

.2) Aerial photo indicating white diagram ( sketching) View of the whole of the region, small truck, etc…

.3) Stove ( cooker) found at camp no. 21.

.4) reservoir fort the stove.

.5) camera.

6) case of rifle.

7) Rifle; marked Winchester, model 66, caliber 30.06 series no. 131404.

.8) strap attached to the rifle.

.9) aerial photo indicating the place where the rifle was found, (letter c ) and letter (1) spot where the remains of Eugene Lindsay were found.

.10) (a) P-10 (c) 3 photos showing Lindsay Sr. skeleton.

.11) Aerial photo of camp 26.

.12) leather wind breaker? Young Lindsay.

.13) photo of pants of young Lindsay with pockets turned out.

.14) photo of wind breaker.

.15) photo sweat shirt “ Hollidaysburg tigers”.

.16) photo pierced shirt.

.17) (a) (b) (c) invoices produced by Tyrrel Eden clerk at Robin Jones.

.18) bottle of ‘ old Time ‘ syrup.

.19) box containing a stamped egg.

.20) fuel pump.

.21) invoice for the pump.

.22) copy of declaration sworn by Coffin to two police officiers.

.23) pick.

.24) shovel.

.25) tarp.

.26) Binoculars with case No.150870 7x35 Bushwell.

.27) knife with accessories.

.28) Revolver No. Series 4597.

.29) Serviettes ( blue) 1 large, 2 medium, 1 small marked Sears & Roebreck.

.30) 1 suitcase.

.31) overalls, blue.

.32) toilet paper (blue).

.33) 1 rifle marker Winchester, No. Series 147862 caliber 30.06.

.34) 1 rifle , no marking nor series number, identified by Clarence E. Claar.

.35) 1 T-shirt, 1 plain shirt, 1 mackinaw.

.36) 1 wallet.

.37) 1 wrist watch (no bracelet).

.38) 1 mackinaw, 1 sweat shirt, 1 shirt1 post card addressed to Mrs. Lindsay“ “ “ “ “1 ring belonging to the friend of young Lindsay1 wallet1 hunting cap1 distance binoculars 7x50’ Mercury”photo pelvis of human remains1 pr. Coveralls ( blue) produced by the defenseThe following exhibits P-6,P-7,P-8,p-35,P-38 were loaned to Dr. Roussel for study. Exhibit P-22 to M. Oscar Boisjolie official stenographer for transcription.

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. Antonio Rail.

.Registrar for the Court

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Surete Provincial De Quebec
Director Adjoint De La Surete
Gaspe'.

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July 29, 1953
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We were not able again on this trip to obtain any certainty of the amount of money that Eugene Lindsey might have had in his possession before he left Hollidaysburg, neither a single detail about the sort of baggage that the hunters would have had when they were getting ready to come to Canada.
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(J A Matte) Captaine.

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In Charge Of Judiciary Police

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I shall be back in a couple of days to show you more. Thank you so much for taking an interest in my web site. As usual your signed comments are always welcome, with the usual rules in place.

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Lew Stoddard

LEW STODDARD'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE.

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Once again we have reached that special magical time that comes around each December. Yes, it is Christmas, and my most favourite time of the year. Sadly, Christmas can bring out both the best and the worst times in many of our lives.
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This year could perhaps be particularly rough for many families when one considers the state of our economy. It is very rough on families where income has been wrenched away due to employment layoffs, and in other circumstances even though employment is still in place, the uncertainties created by instability in our everyday living plays very heavily on children and families.
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Christmas is a special time of year to put aside the everyday pressures of life and reflect upon life in general. Though times may be tough for many of us, there are many within our borders who are worse off.
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In the past few days I have had the opportunity to visit a childrens hospital with a charity group that I help at Christmas. I can tell you this. If you were not a sentimental person when you went there, I guarantee you that you would be when you left. Little boys and girls so seriously ill and yet they put a smile on their faces when they greeted you.
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I had the opportunity to speak with many of these kids, and one in particular, though she was obviously very seriously ill, literally stopped me in my tracks. I had asked her to pick out a bear for herself from our assortment. She explained that she was selecting one, but not for her. I asked who it might be for. She calmly said she was selecting it for her Mom, and that she was worried and concerned about her Mom. You think about that for a moment, here you have a darling little girl, who has not had the opportunity to grow up or experience life and now faces what could be a terminal medical situation. Is she concerned and worried about herself? No she is not. She is worried about her Mom.
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Suddenly after witnessing something like I just described, I have to tell you that one very quickly should realize that we have a lot to be thankful for. Unfortunately we have allowed greed and selfishness to occupy our minds in many cases. In my own case I was diagnosed two years ago with leukemia. Of course it was devastating news. I decided to fight it and meet it head on. Thank God the leukemia is now in remission. I have a biopsy coming up in the last week of the year. If all is still well, and I believe that it is, the medical team do not want to see me again for six months. It is as if I have been granted another lease on life. The bottom line is simply, no matter how bad off we appear to be, there is always someone who is worse off. That little girl at the hospital was a graphic example of that statement for me.
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I encourage everyone during this holiday time to make a point of picking up the telephone, or sending someone an e-mail and let them know you are thinking of them. It only takes a moment. Over the next few days we are going to put the normal work on the site on hold. During this time I invite each and everyone of you to use the comments page to send a message to your friends or relatives. I just ask that you sign your comments as I do not publish anonymous submissions.
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Before I close I want you to remember and reflect upon our members of our armed forces. As many of you are aware, there are many men and women from Canada deployed in Afghanistan and to date, in excess of one hundred have given their lives there. Without doubt, this is truly a sad time for their families and loved ones at home across Canada.
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In closing I wish to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very "Merry Christmas."
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Lew Stoddard
Photo credit: Judith Reeder, Gaspe', Quebec

THE LAST JEEP.

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You will recall a few days ago I made mention of the fact that I have many pieces of police correspondence from the Coffin case to display to you. I am pleased to say that I have more than first mentioned. I also mentioned to you that I had a picture of a "Jeep" that I wanted to show you. I have divided this posting into two parts, removing the necessity of having to talk about the Jeep and the police reports in one posting. It is the police reports that are important, not all the banter about Jeeps, as you will see a few postings down the road, because it is another type of vehicle that will become "very" prominent.

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Anyway folks, here is the picture that I told you about. It is a Jeep that was assembled by someone else, perhaps by the CBC or by one of the newspapers. Lawyer Francois de Billy Gravel, who was one of Wilbert Coffin's lawyers touted it as a replica of the Jeep as described and seen by Wilbert Coffin in the forest. This Jeep was widely circulated in the province of Quebec and was put on display. Pictured inside the Jeep that I am showing you is, Francois de Billy Gravel, the lawyer.

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The picture may very well be an exact replica. It was constructed based on the description of the Jeep that Wilbert Coffin described as having seen. It was displayed as a means of drawing attention to the vehicle and at the same time asking folks to come forward if they had seen it.

.I shall be back folks in two days to continue with all the police reports. I guarantee you will be looking at some strange affairs based on police interviews and what actually made it to the court.

.Lew Stoddard

POLICE REPORTS. . . POLICE REPORTS.

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AND.

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MORE POLICE REPORTS.

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You will recall from the last posting that my plan is to continue sharing with you various police reports pertaining to the Wilbert Coffin case. That plan has not changed, however, I am pleased to say that I am now in a position to be able to share more with you. I think after you see some of these graphic examples you will be in a much better position to understand that Wilbert Coffin was not well handled.

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You will see that I am not subjecting my opinion upon you, but allowing you the reader, to see first hand the reports filed by members of the judiciary, namely the police themselves. You will see that what was determined by the police was not always what was examined in the court at Perce'. You will also see and read much that never made it to the court.

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We shall continue on here where we left off. I am going to display to you an exerpt from a letter written by Sergeant John Vanhoutte to his boss, Captain Alphonse Matte. The following represents the exerpt, and as we all know, translation is not an exact science, therefore small flaws may occur and I beg your forgiveness.

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Gaspe P.Q.

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From J.C. Vanhoutte, agent P.J.

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Captain in Charge of the Judicial Police:

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Re. Eugene H. Lindsay, Richard Lindsay and Frederick Claar (Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pa. Gaspé south PQ.

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" MURDERS"

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To follow your verbal instructions, those that were transmitted by Lt. Gerard Morel, July 23 1953, I left Quebec, to take myself to Gaspé, to accompany you to the present inquiry (investigation) and here at the 29th of the same month, then as were your instructions I was living at Gaspé in order to control different information concerning this affair, accompanied by the agent, Jules Fradette, actually stationed at the "Poste de Gaspé".

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I am troubled by one statement above from Sgt. Vanhoutte. He states that on instructions from Captain Matte that he was now living in Gaspe' in order that he "might control different information concerning this affair". What do they mean when they say "control?" A nastier, more cynical person than myself might be inclined to read more than one meaning into that statement, considering the fact that many other allegations are beginning to float to the surface with reference to the conduct of the judiciary.

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The following is paragraph 15 as the first exerpt that we shall look at. Sgt. Vanhoutte is talking about the entry permits that were a requirement to enter the forests throughout the controlled areas around Gaspe' town. Sometime back through a contact of Lani Mitchell's we were fortunate to acquire a goodly number of these permits, and I am pleased to say, we were blessed to receive the permits covering the period of time prior to Doctor Burkett and Mr. Ford from Altoona, Pennsylvania arriving right up until after the Lindsey party entered the forest. As well, you will note Wilbert Coffin and Angus McDonald on the permits as well.

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15) In the course of this investigation, I went likewise many times to the gate of the York river at Wakeham where I got all the booklets of permits (travel) in the forest given at this spot for June 1953. A complete list is made, giving the no. of permits, the person, the destination and the no. of days for which the permit given, for the day between 8am-6pm by the forest warden, Lewis Annett. Copies of this list is annexed to this report and in examining the said list one can see and easily compare the entries of Burkett, Ford at the end of May 1953, as well as Coffin, MacDonald, Lindsay and Claar in June.

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It is important to note that the column just to the right of each name states the number of days that a party plans to stay in the forest. Equally important is the fact that these permits were entrance permits, and in reality the life of the permit expired when the permit holder left the forest, unless of course it was necessary to leave through the same gate for a short time and then re-enter by the same gate on the same date. I am told that in cases such as this, the gate keeper usually waived the necessity of acquiring a new permit.

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. The following permit displays the emergence of Wilbert Coffin and Angus McDonald. They are accomadated by permit numbers 527 and 528 on June 08, 1953. If you scroll downward you will see where the Lindsey party arrives at the forestry gates and are awarded permit numbers 545, 546, and 547, on June 09,1953.
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You will note that Doctor Burkett and Mr. Ford were visiting the forest on an eight day permit. This permit was issued to them on May 27, 1953, which would have indicated that their eight days would be expired on June 04, 1953. The police knew the dates of these two gentlemens permit. You saw a few paragraphs back where the officer states that he had gone to the gate several times to view these same permits that I have just shown you. The permits look clear and straight forward to me.

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You will see in my next posting where Captain Alphonse Matte made a journey to Pennsylvania. On this sojourn to the United States you will see in the police report that I shall be sharing with you that he spoke to Doctor Burkett and Mr. Ford. Armed with the knowledge garnered from the gate permits and his conversations, he knew exactly the details of these gentlemens' trip to Canada.

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This is now another example of where this investigation turned ugly. The prosecutor, who would be well aware of the police investigation implied that Wilbert Coffin was telling a lie when he had insisted that the vehicle and occupants that Wilbert Coffin had seen in the forest with the Lindsey's was not Doctor Burkett and Mr. Ford. The prosecutor brought Doctor Burkett and Mr. Ford to the trial to give evidence of their movements and times of arrival and departure, making it sound like Wilbert Coffin had tried to finger them as the people that he had seen.

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The truth of the matter was that Wilbert Coffin did not even know of the existence of Doctor Burkett and Mr. Ford when he went into the woods. That is clear because of the fact that Wilbert Coffin entered the forest at least four or five days after they had made their departure. The entry permits prove that. It is sad when a prosecution has to rely on trickery, outrtight manipulation, and lies to present a case in criminal court. Prosecutors have a fancy title for behaviour such as this. They call it tossing in a "red herring". I call it outright manipulation, lies and deceit. In this case it was done for one reason only, and in my view, it was done to manipulate the jury into thinking that Wilbert Coffin was a liar and if he lied about this, then he was probably lying in many other areas. It is components such as this that could sway a jury when they begin deliberations.

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This is where we will break for this posting. If you really read into this posting there is a lot to consume. I would like you to sit back and ask yourself, if it were you who was charged with this crime and you knew this stuff was going on, would you be satisfied that you were being subjected to a fair and impartial process of law?.

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I will be back in a very few days to present more. As I have mentioned to you previously, some of these reports I have shared with you in the past, but you will now see it all in much more graphic detail. I now have many pages of various letters and reports from the police and judiciary of the day and my plan is to systematically present them for all to read. You must remember, a lot of this stuff was never reported at trial, therefore, it does not show on trial transcripts, and for certain, it does not show in transcripts from the Brossard Commission, because in my view, the Brossard Commission was really an investigation by the judiciary on themselves, in a half-hearted attempt to convince the public that they could do no wrong.

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Thank you again for reading my site. I will be back in a very few days with what I think is something that you will find most interesting. We are even going to talk about a "Jeep" among many other things. God Bless you one and all, and talk to you again real soon.

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Lew Stoddard.

THE TIME HAS COME. . .

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It is unfortunate that some folks may be led astray and off the focus of the real issues surrounding the Wilbert Coffin case. All the garbledy gook about Jeeps, stuff that went nowhere, and continues to go nowhere. Who saw what Jeep, what was the colour, how was it constructed, who were the occupants if it existed, and the biggest question of all, was there a jeep in the area that Wilbert Coffin claimed? Those questions and statements can and will be argued and embellished upon until the end of time.

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Wilbert Coffin was being made out to be a liar in 1953 and 1954 with reference to his claim to have seen a Jeep vehicle, and there are those today still preaching the same sermon. I'll make a tiny suggestion to anyone caught up in this furore. "Get yourself a coffee, sit back, relax and read on," because I can state emphatically that "yes" a Jeep did exist in the area where Wilbert Coffin claimed to have seen it. The question begging an answer now would be, can I prove that statement?

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Well by now you should know that nothing gets published on this site without documentation, and yes, as usual I have that documentation. Read on and you will find out how I know that the Jeep type vehicle existed when Wilbert Coffin returned to the forest with Richard Lindsey. You will also see that it was Captain Matte and Seargeant J C Vanhoutte, the leaders of the investigative crew, who forgot to cover their tracks by leaving their notes lying around for that nosy Mr. Stoddard to find some fifty years later.

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You see, back in the 50's the art of communications had not been refined to the extent that we do things today. There was no e-mail or text messaging, and telephone and telegraph service was very limited at best because it was dependent upon available service. Thus, the old fashioned way by surface mail offered few options. Hence, the term "paper trail" took on new meaning.

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In my files, I am in possession of a ton of these little gems from various paper trails pertaining to the Coffin affair. Some of them simply got turfed, but I must reiterate, many qualify for publication on my site simply because they can be authenticated. As an example, I speak specifically of letters and notes written and signed by senior police officers to each other, and in some cases the correspondence advanced all the way to the top. In this affair one step had been removed. That stepping stone had been the office of the Attorney General, because as we know, the guy at the top was Maurice Duplessis as he had appointed himself Attorney General to compliment his position as premier, not to mention the ease that the appointment would carry in one's quest to stick handle around legal obstacles.

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It was pointed out to me a few days ago that a particular blog on the internet appears to be attempting to re-invent the wheel by re-writing history with reference to Jeeps in the Coffin affair. I can tell you, Jeeps really have no relevance to the overall outcome of this affair. In a twisted way, Jeeps were made out to be a major factor. In my view, this was done by the police and judiciary in an effort to display Wilbert Coffin as a liar, because if the jury could be convinced that Wilbert Coffin was prevaricating in this aspect, it would be much easier to convince them later on in the trial on other matters pertaining to Mr. Coffin.

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It is important that you understand this hearing was not a trial for Wilbert Coffin. At the time of the Brossard commission, Wilbert Coffin had already been hanged some eight or nine years previously. The Brossard commission was assembled by the government of Quebec to investigate alleged wrong doing by the police and justice officials during the Coffin affair as spelled out mainly in the writings of Jacques Hebert.
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As my attention was once again drawn to this site by an e-mail from a commenter, it is not difficult to understand the confusion generated there. There is room for speculation that many folks could be inclined to accept what is written on this site was the evidence produced at trial to convict Wilbert Coffin, when in fact, much of what was contained in the Brossard commission was stuff that was never brought up at trial. Some material that had been submitted as evidence for the trial never made it to the court room. In some cases though, certain statements from that same evidence were taken out of context and presented at the Brossard commission.
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As mentioned earlier on in this posting, I have many notes, statements, and letters from various levels of the judiciary of Quebec pertaining to the Coffin affair. I also mentioned that some of these letters etc. do not always agree with what was accepted and used as evidence during the trial. These are the areas that cause me much concern and interest. It is at this point of time that I simply ask "Why?" Immediately a flag goes up. If there was only one example, I could understand "why." When there are many, instantly one speculates and asks oneself if someone was trying to thwart the direction of justice. But then, justice officials of Quebec of that era would never do that. . . . . would they?
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Even though I have published some of these in the past, there will be those who have not had the opportunity to peruse them. My current plan is to publish one or two of them every few days so that you may see for yourself the up hill battle that was waged against Wilbert Coffin. Perhaps then it will become clear as to why I have embarked upon a systematic study and investigation of the "Regina vs Coffin" case.
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The following is an exerpt from a note snt by Henri Charland, a justice ministry officer to his bosses that would go all the way up the ladder to the attorney general, but in this case the attornry general was also Premier Maurice Duplessis. I feel that it is necessary to show you this so that you have a graphic example of some of the things that went on during this period. I have highlighted the letter in colour, making it easier to follow. My comments immediately follow the letter.

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SÛRETÉ PROVINCIALE DE QUEBEC.

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Quebec,
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21 July 1953.
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DQ-74890-53.
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NOTE FOR THE FILE.
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.Eugene H. Lindsay, his son Richard Lindsay, and Fred Claar (Hollidaysburg, Pa.) Gaspé, City and District of Gaspé, P.Q.

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“Disappearance".

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After several phone calls and following information that was furnished to 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 Sergeant 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).

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DIRECTEUR ADJOINT SUPPLEANT.

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Copies/rl.

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Quebec4-9-53.

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This letter is most important because Wilbert Coffin had declared that he had seen a Jeep type vehicle with the Lindsey party when he returned young Richard to the forest from acquiring the replacement fuel pump for their truck. The police spared him no mercy by insisting he was a liar and that the vehicle never existed, and that was also the story that the prosecution took to court to tell the jury. That story is still be told fifty-two years later as Mr. Fortin makes reference several times on his site that Wilbert Coffin "pretended" to have seen this vehicle. You will notice in the letter that I just published above, the police were very much aware that the vehicle existed, and yet they chose to lie to help gain a conviction.

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In my next posting we shall put the Jeeps back in the toy box. I will furnish at that time another police report about a specific Jeep and it's occupants. Thank you for reading my site today. Many hours have been put in by Lani Mitchell and myself to make it possible to present this story and case to you. Thankfully, it is now all coming together and I think you shall agree within a very short period of time. Once again, Thanks and God Bless You One And All.

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Lew Stoddard.

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Host of "Stoddard Online"

THE FACTS OF THE MATTER.

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I am of the conviction that if a story is told and embellished enough times someone may start to believe it. In other words, the more bizzare it is, coupled with some new hype and certain people will take a stab at rewriting history. You see, many stories and events in their true form are dull and boring, so sometimes certain writers may find it necessary to "Jazz" it up a bit. I borrowed that word from my teen age niece, but I do agree with her.

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Of course I am making reference to the Wilbert Coffin case here. More specifically, to certain elements of the case. We have seen and heard a lot about those pesky little vehicles called Jeeps in the past fifty years. You know the ones I mean, the ones that were thrown away by Crown Assets Disposal after the Second World War. You could pick them up for as little as fifty bucks at an auction, thus making them available to not just the affluent, but to the poor as well. Affectionately, they were known as the poor man's Cadillac in many circles.

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For the sake of those seven or eight people who may read a particular site on the internet about the Wilbert Coffin affair there are a couple of things that you should remember or be made aware of before you get your knickers tied in a knot. I am speaking of the gospel according to Fortin.

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There are several elements that sets the site to which I refer apart from what you read on "Stoddard Online." You see, and I mention this often, nothing gets published on my site unless it can be backed up with documentation. That documentation may consist of a true documented account, personal interviews with subjects involved, or a combination of both. This space has not in the past been over overrun with hearsay, is not currently, nor will it be in the future. To borrow a line from Ford Motor Company, that rule is "Job One" on this site.

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Reference is constantly made about Wilbert Coffin's sworn statement to the police concerning the vehicle in the area of the Lindsey's when he returned young Richard to the site.. I have yet to see that sworn statement and there is a very good reason. The reason is because Wilbert Coffin did not make a sworn statement to police. Anything that Wilbert Coffin had to say to the police they most certainly would not have wanted in sworn context and the reason is very simple. The police were only interested in garnering a confession, nothing more, nothing less. What they got was Wilbert Coffin steadfast in his statement proclaiming his innocence.

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True there were hearsay statements presented at trial about this vehicle that Wilbert Coffin saw. The one key element that was missing at the trial concerning this vehicle was the one who saw the vehicle himself, Wilbert Coffin. You will recall he wished to give evidence at trial. You will further recall that it was a dead beat defense lawyer by the name of Maher who denied him that chance, thus the hearsay evidence was accepted. Further to that, Sergeant Henri Doyon of the Quebec Provincial Police was portrayed as nothing short of a liar because he did not give evidence consistent with what the crown wanted about this vehicle.

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Wilbert Coffin did make a sworn deposition regarding his case. This is where this other web site that I allude to is obviously confused. As several folks pointed out in my last posting, this other site is constantly monitoring my whereabouts, so once again I shall do my part and set them straight so that they may get their facts straightened out.

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While waiting to be hanged at Bordeaux Jail in Montreal, Wilbert Coffin made a 49 point deposition. In the deposition Wilbert Coffin outlined his case to Arthur Maloney QC, touted to be one of the best criminal lawyers in Canada past and present. Also in attendance was Antonio Pilon. Wilbert Coffin decsribes in detail the vehicle that he witnessed. I am in possession of that deposition. I will share with you the following which is an exerpt from that sworn deposition:

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22) On October 8 1955 I had an interview with my lawyers, Mr. Arthur Maloney CR of Toronto and Mr. Francois Gravel of Quebec and gave them the explanations about particular facts that they raised during the interview. I will state now these particular facts in the following paragraphs.

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23) Mr. Maloney produced a photograph of a jeep with part of the body that was made of plywood, designed like Exhibit A in this declaration. In this declaration Mr. Maloney said that he had obtained this photograph from the Toronto Evening England that presented it as the photograph of a jeep that had been found in New Brunswick. After studying the photograph, I couldn’t judge if this was the same jeep as the one that occupied the two Americans I met with the Lindsay group. The fact that the two jeeps resemble each other, and that the two were constructed in the same way. The jeep I saw, occupied by the two Americans seemed to be constructed as though the plywood wasn’t put there by a manufacturer, but by someone with less experience in this kind of work, and it seemed to me that it was stained with some kind of oil or varnish. It could be that the jeep in the photograph marked exhibit A was the same jeep but I couldn’t swear to it.

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Let us now refer to paragraphs 41 and 42 in the deposition;

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41) During the time I was in the company of the police and the group of searchers in the region of the camps, I distinctly remember on the road the tracks made by a jeep. I remember seeing such tracks between camps 24 & 25, and on different places on the access road in the region. I particularly instructed Mr. Maher, my lawyer, to try and have photos taken of these tracks as I felt that they still would be visible. No one took these photos. I am now in the belief that Sergeant Doyon had said to Mr. Gravel that he also had seen the jeep tracks.
It arrives that neither the ;lawyers for the Crown nor the defense lawyers had ever poised that particular question during the trial. On the contrary, the lawyers for the Crown pretended in front of the jury that there were no jeep tracks in the region. In other words, they exploited evidence that the recent admission of Sergeant Doyon demonstrated to be a falsehood.

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42) The lawyers of the Crown brought Dr. Burkett and Mr. Ford, who admitted being in Gaspé in a jeep but who proved they left the region June 5. In the process, they tried to imply that I wanted to throw the blame on them. Nothing could be further from the truth, because M. Burkett and Ford definitely weren’t the men I saw in the company of Lindsay June 10 1953.

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The following represents paragraphs 47 to 49 inc.

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47) The details given in this declaration are made to my lawyers Mr. Arthur Maloney C.R. and Mr. Francois De B. Gravel Saturday October 8. They have retained the services of a stenographer and dictated the statement I gave them after checking that I found it exact.

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48) I repeat that I am innocent of this crime and I don’t feel I had a fair trial, mainly because the evidence concerning the other jeep and the other Americans in the district of Gaspé wasn’t produced and the evidence of the existence of the tire tracks of a jeep on the road in the vicinity of the camps wasn’t mentioned at all.
They made me out to be a liar because they proved that Dr Burkett and Mr. Ford weren’t the men that I saw when I left the Lindsay group, and new evidence now proves that another jeep and other Americans were in the district. The police reporting on my case knew that and didn’t say it.
It also is now proved by Sergeant Doyon in his deposition to my lawyer M. Francois Gravel that there were jeep tracks on the route.

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49) I would be pleased to be given the chance to be questioned by a member of the Ministry of Justice of our Federal Government to be able to explain at length all that I’ve said here, and all that again would be necessary.
Signed in the prison of Montreal, Bordeaux, Que.

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9 October 1955
(S) Wilbert Coffin.

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Witnessed in front of me at the Bordeaux prison
This day of 9th October 1955
J.- Antonio Pilon
Juge de Paix, district of Montreal.

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As you can see, what was actually a sworn deposition differs greatly as to what is touted as a sworn statement to police. Due to dirty deeds by the crown, Wilbert Coffin never got a chance to address his case. Equally important, you can easily see that statements given to the police were twisted and fabricated to bolster the crown's case.

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In the case of the reported sightings of a vehicle by Dr. Mimi Wilson, it is particularly interesting as she is very much still alive and I have interviewed her twice. She was not called to testify at the trial because the crown chose to not advise her when the trial was on. Consequently, her evidence was never brought forward to trial. She still wants to be heard though. In Gaspe', Fabien Sinnett, also very much alive, saw a vehicle as well on the days in question. He reported it to police, but like Mrs. Wilson, was not called to testify. His testimony would have also helped Wilbert Coffin, and to this day, he is willing to testify as he does not feel that justice was served. Having had the opportunity to interview both these people, there is one statement that both parties made that is common to this case. I have purposely not reported this statement so as to not compromise their statements. As you can no doubt see, I am patiently waiting to get a look at this vehicle reported by Mrs. Wilson. It should be interesting as there are no pictures available, and yet Mr. Fortin says we will take a look at it. This is where the above held back statement will hit it's mark.

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As you can see Wilbert Coffin did not give evidence about a bunch of gawdy colors. He merely stated that the plywood on the vehicle looked like it was covered by oil or by some sort of varnish.

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In the case of his mother, one would not expect an elderly lady to necessairly be precise in a description. Afterall, she never said that she had seen the vehicle. She was only basing what she remembered from a conversation many months before.

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As usual, I am looking forward to your comments. I encourage comments from all, just three basic rules, topical, no profanity, and complete with the authors name. Further I wish to thank you for such a nice cross section of Remembrance Day messages. Stay tuned as there is a big one coming up in just a few days. God Bless You, one and all. . .

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Lew Stoddard

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In Flanders Fields.

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In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

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We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

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Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

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Lieutenant Colonel John McRae.

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This is the week in history that should be foremost and number one in the minds of all folks in the free world. I am speaking specifically of the symbolic end of armed conflict involving Canadian men and women. The eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, hence, Remembrance Day.

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Remembrance Day was to be a day of reflection, a day to put aside the trials and tribulations of everyday life and show respect for all those who so unselfishly were there to answer the call without conscription, and travel to a far away land in an effort to do their part for all Canadians in an effort to bring successful conclusion to the threat of loss of freedom.

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In the past few years I am troubled when I can notice a down turn in the recognition of this date. True, many of the elder men and women who took part in these conflicts are no longer with us, and their numbers are dwindling each year. That is no excuse. It simply is not. One only needs to take an example from the last verse of Colonel McRae's poem to recognize that fact. He states it well. . . "Take up our quarrel with the foe, to you from failing hands we throw, The torch be yours to hold it high, If ye break faith with those who die, we shall not sleep". . .

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Many of us in Canada can trace our roots to an ancestor who answered the call. It is important to note that from all those who answered the call many thousands were not fortunate enough to come back home. From those who did manage to make it back to our shores, there were many whose lifes would forever be changed from physical and psychological injuries.

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The highest award for valour in the British Commonwealth is the Victoria Cross. I have been particularly blessed by personally meeting two recipients of the Victoria Cross. Through media work I had the occasion to meet the late retired Lieutenant Colonel Cecil Merritt and the late Sergeant Ernest Alvia (Smokey) Smith. Both of these gentlemen were everyday people, just like you and I. Sergeant Smith always had time for a laugh and a joke.

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In the case of Sergeant Smith, he was happy to oblige when young children would ask him questions about the military and the war. He knew just the way to explain it to them in language they could grasp without fright. I had the opportunity to hold his Victoria Cross medal. I have to tell you, it caused goose bumps. Suddenly one realizes the appreciation that we should hold for these gallant people as they fought the horrors of war.

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Each November 11th, I personally make a point of visiting a military cenotaf. I encourage others to do the same. For many, it provides an opportunity for young people to cross paths with others who made a big sacrifice by fighting and standing up for the freedoms that we enjoy to this day. Freedoms and rights were not free. They came at teriffic cost. These are the things that we should all think about, these are the things that we should be impressing upon our youngsters. Upon visiting a cenotaf one very quickly learns those tears in the eyes of elderly men and women are genuine and real, especially where in many cases they are being shed by someone horribly disfigured from the rigors of war. These people are however, not lamenting on their own injuries, they are lamenting the loss of those who did not return.

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Even though many returned military personnel had made a teriffic sacrifice in Europe and elsewhere, some were not treated very well in the years immediately following the war. One of these soldiers was from the province of Quebec. He was from the town of Gaspe' on the Gaspe' peninsula. His name was Wilbert Coffin. This is particularly significant because Wilbert Coffin came from Quebec, and the then premier of the day, Maurice Duplessis was against Quebec taking part in the war in Europe. Duplessis liked the freedoms, but he was totally against trying to win them.

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I invite you to express your thoughts on the comments page. If there are those who thought that I had fallen off the face of the earth, I am pleased to inform that I am still here. If there are those who hoped that I had fallen off the face of the earth, I encourage you to stay tuned and pay attention.

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Lew Stoddard

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Photo Credit: Minister Supply and Services Canada

YOU BE THE JUDGE.

As I have stated numerous times in the past I do not occupy my time in getting caught up in most of the junk that has floated around and haunted the Coffin case for the past half century. As long as there are people out there in society who thrive on sensationalism, there will be those who in my opinion, are ready to answer the call. These are the ones who traditionally occupy the "wannabe a best seller" shelf in the local book store.

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Again this is my opinion, but I do know that it is an opinion shared by others who have an interest in this case. Occasionally, someone will send me an e-mail pointing out something that they have read and want clarification on what someone is writing. Such is the case of things being written and published with reference to a particular gentleman named Jacques Hebert.

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I was pointed to the site of Clement Fortin. You will no doubt recall Mr. Fortin. It was his site that routinely "borrowed" information and comments from my site and published it as his own correspondence from his readers. You will also recall that it was necessary that I issue a cease and desist order to Mr. Fortin to curb this practise. You will also recall that I set up a fictious character and sent myself an e-mail from this fictious character and I then published it on my web page. Lo and behold, the very next day this fictious character that I named Reg suddenly began to breathe life and somehow was able to send Mr. Fortin the same letter for his comment page. I took this approach to prove that this type of activity that I describe was actually taking place. You may also recall that Mr. Fortin established a direct link to his page from mine without my permission, which again, forced me to advise him to remove it. I do not bring up these things again as a means of throwing salt into an already open wound, but merely as an avenue to display to you, the readers of this site, some of the credentials of the author who takes many cheap shots against Jacques Hebert and others.

It was suggested by a couple of readers that I take a look at what has been said about Jacques Hebert on Mr. Fortin's site. I have to say that I am much disappointed with Mr. Fortin. In my view, he comes just short of labelling Mr. Hebert a liar. It is real easy to knock a dead man. If Mr. Fortin had these things to say, why did he not make the statements directly to Mr. Hebert, whilst Mr. Hebert was still with us, as it was only last December that he departed.

I do not know how much you may or may not know about Jacques Hebert. I know that Jacques Hebert was a man of distinction. I know that he was respected by thousands and that he had many friends and aquaintances the world over. I had the honour, and I do class it as an honour to have spoken with Mr. Hebert on many occasions. He kept appointments and he answered my questions with class and dignity. Mr. Hebert believed in the innocence of Wilbert Coffin. He was really the only one, other than Jean Beliveau who had the courage to stand up and be counted on the matter.

You must remember the Brossard Inquiry was brought about as a result of Jacques Hebert. It was not convened because the judiciary cared anything about the people. It was a vain attempt to prove Jacques Hebert wrong in his sayings and writings. It was nothing more than the police and judiciary investigating themselves and shovelling it down the throats of the people. It did nothing to prove or dis-prove the case against Wilbert Coffin as when the inquiry took place he had been executed nine years before.

The following are some brief notes extracted from the official biography of Jacques Hebert.

Jacques Hebert received his early education in the maritime provinces. Mr. Hebert later received an honourary Doctoral degree from Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto.

From 1951 - 1953 Mr. Hebert worked for Le Devoir newspaper.

From 1962 - 1970 Mr. Hebert worked as a host and writer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

From 1965 - 1972 Mr. Hebert was president of the Association of Canadian Publishers.

In 1963 Mr. Hebert, with Pierre Elliot Trudeau founded the Civil Liberties Union.

During his career, Mr. Hebert founded two publishing houses, Editions L'Homme and Editions du jour.

Jacques Hebert wrote and published many books, including the 1963 publication titled J'accuse les Assassins de Coffin which he steadfastly defended until his death.

Jacques Hebert travelled to more than 130 countries of the world promoting peace and harmony.

Jacques Hebert was the founder of Katimavik in Canada which promoted the involvement of youth, while promoting cultural diversity.

Jacques Hebert was nominated in 2002 to receive The Nobel Peace Prize.

When one peruses the above credentials of an individual such as Jacques Hebert, one has to be very cautious in accepting the cheap shots fired in his direction by someone such as Clement Fortin. One must remember, it is Mr. Fortin who constantly states that he is a lawyer. One must also remember that it is the same Mr. Fortin who evades the question when asked as to where he was engaged in private practise. He states that he taught law. What kind of law? Was it criminal or civil litigation? Down deep, I couldn't care less as to what the answers are to these questions. I do care a lot though when an individual can hide under a veil of secrecy and publicly try to influence the public to accept a doctrine for which there is no basis.

Equally disturbing is the fact that Mr. Fortin has embarked upon a course of action to discredit the late Sgt. Henri Doyon and the late Lewis Sinnett. These two officers were two of the very few on the Gaspe' coast who worked tirelessly on this case from day one. It would appear that because their opinions did not entirely parallel those of the thugs who were appointed to steer this investigation, Mr. Fortin has chosen to take passages out of context and label them as liars and drunks. Most of Mr. Fortin's passages are from the Brossard inquiry, which took place some eight or nine years after the trial at Perce. It is to also be noted that this enquiry was not to establish innocence or guilt, but was an attempt to convince the public that the judiciary of Quebec made no mistakes during the investigation and trial. It was an attempt that failed miserably. That is precisely why this case is still being studied more than fifty years later.

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Lew Stoddard

WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS

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The term wrongful conviction is a broad term, a very broad term indeed. In reality it is a flowery term that displays error, but in most cases does not address the real root of the problem unless exerted pressure from the public is sufficient to erode the very infrastructure of the process itself.

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If one takes the time to research cases of proven wrongful conviction, it is prudent to deduce that in all cases, the problems either stemmed from sloppy investigations of the crime or corrupt practises on the part of the police and judiciary. In many cases the wrongful convictions were the result of a combination of both.

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Unfortunately, when a wrongful conviction becomes apparent, never do we simply see a politician or senior police official rise to his or her feet and simply say, "we screwed up." No, no, no you will never see or hear that. If that were the case, politicians would be trampling on other politicians, police officers would be breaking that silence code that exists among their ranks, and lawyers would be in violation of their favourite old adage stating that "it is better for one thousand guilty men to go free than for one innocent man to go to the gallows."

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It is important to note, and again statistics will bear me out on this, wrongful conviction numbers are much higher in certain parts of the country as compared to others. The provinces of Ontario and Quebec carries by far the highest wrongful conviction rates in Canada. True, these two provinces have the highest population, however, in terms of sheer numbers the count is staggering.

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Lets take a look at Ontario for a moment. Do you listen to the news? If you do not, you should, because the number of people who have been wrongly convicted there at the hands of the Ontario judiciary in the past few years is abhorrent. It is not something from the past, it is still going on. Many have been convicted because of drummed up reports by people unqualified to act as pathologists on the part of government. The government is now beginning to admit this. They have no choice. Did the government admit to this as a result of their own findings? Not a chance. They had no choice because the people took a stand on the matter. People who obviously had no connections to these crimes are now being set free. There are many more to go yet.

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You will recall very recently the conclusion of the long saga of Steven Truscott. At the age of 14, Steven was sentenced to hang by the neck until he was dead, the result of a very botched case brought about as a result of a very corrupt judicial system. It took 49 long years to see justice done on Steven's part. I am of the opinion that the only thing that actually saved Steven from the gallows was the fact that he was only 14. Look at it this way. John Diefenbaker may have signed the order commuting his sentence from death to life in prison, but I believe that it was done for a reason. I ask you to answer the following question for yourself. Which way would Diefenbaker and his crew have a better chance at re-election, by allowing the hanging of a 14 year old boy from a case that was already full of holes, or signing a piece of paper. Again, it is my opinion, but I do not believe that the government of the day back in 1959 was any more compassionate than it is today. Fortunately for Steven Truscott, he had the stamina to fight a long hard battle. He won that battle and I congratulate him.

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Before we leave Ontario, let us not forget that darling couple from St. Catherines, Carla Homolka and Paul Bernardo. The Ontario government looks and smells terrible on this one. You see, Carla was wrongly convicted. She was allowed to cut a deal with the attorney general of Ontario. She would be allowed to enter a guilty plea on a charge of manslaughter in exchange for her testimony against Bernardo. At the time the government said they were doing this because otherwise they might not get a conviction against Bernardo, and they further said that they did not have enough evidence against Holmolka.

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In the search of their house in St. Catherines the police did not find two dozen video tapes of the torture, rape and murder of two innocent school girls. These tapes were there and were retrieved by a lawyer who did not present them. Very definitely, Carla Holmolka was a willing participant in this affair. In addition, Carla Holmolka supplied the drugs to administer to her younger sister rendering her unconscious, so that Bernardo could rape her. Apparently this was done as a "gift" to Bernardo. The sister died in the process. As I pointed out above, Carla Holmolka was wrongly convicted as a result of all this. She was wrongly convicted because her unrepentant butt should have occupied the cell next to Bernardo's for the rest of her days. Holmolka should have faced the same first degree murder charges. She did her 12 years and is free now thumbing her nose at society.

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As if those revelations are not startling enough, a gentleman was just released from custody in Ontario. He was there serving time for murder. He was declared wrongly convicted when the true killer admitted his guilt to a television news crew. The true killer who confessed his crime and was able to prove it was Paul Bernardo.

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Moving eastward, the province of Quebec can boast the highest numbers for unsolved murders of any region of Canada. Again my research comes from official numbers from the government. Indeed, Quebec is also known for a high incidence of wrongful convictions dating back many years.

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These events and figures are alarming. They are also scary. Will we ever know the true figures as to how many people have been wrongfully convicted? Of course we will not.

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One of the most celebrated cases in the history of Canada took place in Quebec. That of course was the conviction and eventual hanging of Wilbert Coffin at Bordeau Jail in Montreal in 1956. The question that is being studied is whether or not Wilbert Coffin was wrongfully convicted and executed. I believe that he was, and I further believe that based on the evidence that was used to convict him, I can produce evidence and information that was never raised at trial that would have freed Wilbert Coffin.

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We have to ask ourselves, how and why did this happen? Was it a case of societal pressure on the justice system? Was it a case of political pressure exerted by the United States of America on the Canadian government in Ottawa? Perhaps it involved both. I can produce documentation that lends credence to that theory.

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Earlier on in this report I mentioned problems that Ontario experienced with pathology reports and autopsies. In the Coffin case, a true pathology report was virtually non-existent. It was not complete, it was hastily thrown together, and it lacked key elements.

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Very soon the Coffin case will be reviewed by the Criminal Conviction Review Group in Ottawa. I am now in the process of putting my report together that is based on two solid years of research and investigation by myself and Lani Mitchell. I shall be forwarding the report to the review group in Ottawa. There are some things contained in my report, that for obvious reasons, I have not written about. We are truly hopeful that our report will have an effect on the outcome of this case.

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This case was a major undertaking not only for me, but for Lani Mitchell as well. We have talked to scores of people across Canada and elsewhere. As soon as the report has been delivered to the proper authorities, I shall be explaining everything to you.

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Once in awhile someone will ask me why I have arrived at this or that conclusion. My answer is always the same. If it cannot be backed up by a document or an interview, it does not get published on this site.

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In the next few days, I shall be forwarding my report to Ottawa. My plan at that time is to provide you with the complete findings. I have had to exercise caution, as there is apparently one or two people who try to scuttle my report from time to time. I know who these people are.

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Folks, as usual you are a great audience. I thank you for your patience for the past month or so. Medical problems have wreaked havoc from time to time. Now is a great time to write a note about the case to your member of parliament. Just click on the link marked letters to members of parliament on the left side of the first page.

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As usual, it is good to read your comments. Feel free to leave a note on the comment page. As you know, only submissions bearing the name of the author can be considered for publication. God Bless you one and all.

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Lew Stoddard

BACK ON TRACK.

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THE WILBERT COFFIN CASE.

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Prior to getting back to a regular posting routine of the Wilbert Coffin case, there are a few things that folks have requested of me by e-mail for clarification. As I have been battling health issues, I have been unable to post with the frequency that has been possible in the past. Hopefully, those issues are behind me now for awhile, and I will now address a couple of things.

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Firstly, there have been a few folks asking about the Brossard Inquiry and its significance to the murder conviction of Wilbert Coffin. Apparently, there is a web site with the mandate to pursue the Brossard Inquiry transcripts, and tie them in with the finding of guilt of Wilbert Coffin.

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As readers of this site, you will have learned that Wilbert Coffin was found guilty in Perce', Quebec in 1954 for the murder of Richard Lindsey. I have also alluded to the fact many times that the Brossard Inquiry took place nearly ten years after the trial, and approximately eight years after Wilbert Coffin's execution.

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Based on this knowledge, you may be asking why the Brossard Inquiry was necessary, and if so, what was gained on conclusion? In simple terms, in my opinion, the inquiry was not necessary and nothing was gained on conclusion.

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You must understand the Brossard Inquiry was not an appeal of Wilbert Coffin's conviction, nor was it an appeal of his sentence. In my view the inquiry was nothing more than a selfish move by the government and the judiciary of Quebec in a vain attempt to absolve themselves of the appearance of any wrong doing, when it could be demonstrated that a man was hanged based on a trial that was unfair and in many instances illegal. It is also important to note that many of those charged with the responsibility of a fair and impartial inquiry were the same ones who had headed the steering committee on the original police investigation. I speak specificially of John Vanhoutte and others. In effect, John Vanhoutte was investigating himself.

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The journalist, later to become Senator, the late Jacques Hebert brought much heat on the judiciary of Quebec during those days. The inquiry was portrayed as a means of bringing Mr. Hebert to task for his actions, however there are apparently some who now preach the findings of the Brossard Inquiry as part of the finding of guilt of Mr. Coffin.

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I have had the opportunity to look over the Brossard transcripts in detail, and one does not have to be a genious to quickly discover that questions asked of witnesses at the inquiry were well placed to focus information in a different direction than that made available for scrutiny by the jury at the perce' trial. One must also ponder the very real possibility that after a time lapse of almost ten years, it is reasonable to assume that answers to some questions may vary. Think for a moment, do you remember in the finest of detail the conversation that you may have had with someone nearly ten years ago?

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Another aspect of this inquiry that renders it useless is the fact that information could be taken out of context from the original trial. Questions could be asked of the same witness, but I do notice that the questions could be worded in a slightly different manner, and thus the answer given at trial differs from that of the inquiry.

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I do stress that before you base your thoughts on guilt or innocence from what you are being presented from the Brossard Inquiry you should consider all the variables and draw conclusions only after you see the full story presented from the trial. Afterall, it was the trial at Perce' that convicted Wilbert Coffin, not some travelling dog and pony act.

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It is blatently obvious that the trial of Wilbert Coffin was a very flawed process. It was the result of this flawed process that I believe robbed a man of his life.

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In the next few days we shall be hitting this trial in a heavy handed way. The forensic report will prove that. This is stuff that you will never read about in the Brossard Inquiry transcripts. In addition, I shall expose a couple of letters written by John Vanhoutte and Captain Matte. These I guarantee you will not see in the Brossard Inquiry, because if the information contained in these files had been brought up at trial, there would have been no Brossard Inquiry because the trial could have ended.

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Thanks once again in a big way folks for being patient. I shall be back in a few days. As you know, I am a man of few words but we do our best out here on the west coast of Canada. God Bless You, one and all.

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Lew Stoddard

THE WILBERT COFFIN CASE.

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BACK TO BASICS.

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Hello everyone, it is great to be back. Thanks to all who sent e-mails and words of encouragement, telephone calls, and especially to those who remembered me in their prayers. I am feeling much better now, and will get down to business again very shortly.

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Most of us are able to find something to be thankful for in spite of the crazy mixed up world in which we live. That is what encourages us to trudge onward. Throughout the past few weeks, I have reflected in my thoughts as to what the thoughts of Wilbert Coffin may have been during his last months on this earth. Never faltering, he maintained his innocence until the end, and now, some fifty-two years later, I believe that I can present a very strong case which confirms that he was telling the truth. Very simply expressed, he was the victim of gross manipulation at the hands of a very corrupt regime.

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In the past two years I have had contact with scores of people who support what Wilbert Coffin was saying with reference to his innocence. People are still coming forward at this late date with their unsolicited comments regarding the events of the early 1950's in Quebec. As an example, please read on.

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A few days ago I was in the city of Burnaby. By chance encounter I met an elderly French Canadian lady in a restaurant. This lady's name was Marie. I asked Marie if she had been born in the province of Quebec. Marie stated to me that she had in fact been born there and remained there with her family until she was in her late 20's. She further stated that it was at this time that her Dad said it was time to move. Marie and her family moved from their small home town situated between Trois Rivieres and Quebec City and moved to another province.

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I was curious as to the move made by Marie and her family so I inquired as to why. Having worked and lived there for a time, I suggested to Marie that Quebec is a very beautiful province. Marie was quick to point out that yes it is a very beautiful province. I asked her what she remembered and missed the most about her home village. Very quickly she mentioned the village, it homes and people, and the gleaming white church with the large steeple. In looks Marie said, it was a perfect post card. Unfortunately stated Marie, "the post card harbored many ugly secrets and scars."

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Marie went on to point out that in her opinion, "Quebec was controlled by a very scary regime in those days." Marie continued stating that this regime of which she spoke was headed by none other than Maurice Duplessis. Marie explained that "many during this time feared Maurice Duplessis and his band." Marie further stated that Duplessis and his gang were responsible for the hanging of an innocent man by the name of Wilbert Coffin.

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According to Marie, the majority of French speaking in her area of Quebec never believed in the guilt of Wilbert Coffin. Marie suggested that everyone who has an interest should research and read of the happenings in the province during the tenure of this man. She mentioned the Jehovah Witnesses in Montreal and their treatment, and she mentioned the treatment of twins born in the province. In Marie's words, "if you were French speaking, if you were Catholic, and if you supported the Union Nationalle political party, you would be treated much better than those who did not." These were the reasons that Marie and her family left Quebec.

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I point these things out to you today because it is necessary that you know something of the regime that executed Wilbert Coffin. Suddenly, it is difficult to place much respect on the decisions of a judiciary falling under such a regime that I have just described.

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As I have shown you many times in the past two years, there was so much evidence that was suppressed, evidence that was intended for the court room at Perce' however, never being presented for the jury to ponder and examine. These things could only happen in a crooked and corrupt regime, manned and staffed by a bunch of thugs, and protected and encouraged by a higher level. That higher level being the late premier Maurice Duplessis who doubled as attorney general in congruous fashion.

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I have further stated to you many times to not get caught up in this Brossard Inquiry. This enquiry took place eight years after the execution of Wilbert Coffin. You should also remember that this enquiry was really a trial for Jacques Hebert, because, it was Mr. Hebert who had the nerve to speak out about the injustices of the day, and in doing so, the judiciary of Quebec was painted another color. In other words, the late Mr. Hebert stepped on a few toes, and in doing so, blemished the government. True, by the time that this enquiry was held, Mr. Duplessis had departed, however the new Liberal government under premier Jean Lesage allowed the inquiry to proceed. It could be viewed as a means of distancing his government from that of Duplessis.

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As we know by now, the ones appointed to oversee the inquiry were some of the very ones who were involved. Names such as Captain Sirois, John Vanhoutte and others were prominent. In effect, they were investigating themselves for wrong doing. It is also important to note that evidence presented at this enquiry was the same in most cases as that of the original trial, and suppressed evidence still remained suppressed. Evidence was perhaps spun in a little different direction in some cases, but in the end nothing was really accomplished.

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There is argument going on about the term Jeep and station wagon. Firstly, a jeep covered with plywood on the sides could very easily be labelled as a station wagon, but any intelligent person would agree that a station wagon covered with plywood on the sides in no way resembles a Jeep. For some strange reason there are some who now play with the idea that this denotes guilt. I can understand that an elderly lady such as Jessie Coffin could very easily have said station wagon instead of Jeep, especially when told of the plywood sides. Ladies and gentlemen, there are much bigger fish to fry in this case.

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I get asked periodically about stuff that is being read on another website about this case. This writing apparently is a spinoff from the Brossard Commission transcripts. I do not know what is being written on this website that is referred to, and quite frankly, nor do I care. One thing that I am abundantly clear on however, is the fact that if what some have suggested to me is being said there, then the writers of this site know very little about the Wilbert Coffin case and have done no research whatsoever, other than to read tarnished reports from a corrupt regime as has been proven.

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I have researched this case for two years, interviewed dozens of people, and checked and rechecked many reports. Information and comments has been stolen from this site and I have shown you proof of that. Because of that, I would never compromise the hard work of Lani Mitchell and myself in order to dignify some of the questions that I get asked with reference to the site in question.

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In a few days I shall be presenting to you a few more disturbing facts of the Wilbert Coffin case. I do believe now more than ever before, that we have a good chance of having this case overturned and a new determination being established. This ladies and gentlemen comes from hard work, not from sitting back and taking at face value the minutes and and transcripts that were assembled by a corrupt regime.

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Once again folks, you are a great audience. I love you one and all and I want to hear from you. Thank you for bearing with me and God Bless you one and all.

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Lew Stoddard