WILBERT COFFIN CASE UPDATE.

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It has been a very busy month. We are in the process of packaging our complete investigation and research of the Wilbert Coffin case for presentation to AIDWYC for the CCRG.

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As I look it over on a daily basis, I am impressed with what we able to accomplish, thanks to a good healthy cross section of folks out there, determined as we were to get this case straight once and for all. It is particularly rewarding considering that we were able to pull it off with no budget, and no staff, just sheer determination on the part of Lani Mitchell and myself.

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I am impressed further as I learn of the respect that national and international media is pointing in my direction with reference to this case. Obviously my investigation and research for the past three years has caused folks to sit up and take notice. Precisely, that was one of my objectives. Folks are tired of reading the same old rhetoric, sensationalised to the outer limits on this case.

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There are possibly no less than fifty versions of the same story floating around out there. That was my reason for reading nothing about this case prior to commencement of my work. It was started fresh, and continued in that fashion, with each element properly documented. I couldn't care less what someone else had written or were planning to write in the future. Mine would always continue to be what it started out as, a clear factual portrayal of the elements of this case, not tied together with hearsay coupled with hypothetical theories. In simplistic terms, if it could not be backed up by a document or personal interview or a combination of both, then it did not get published on this site.

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The above statements may sound like I am bragging. Perhaps I am. However, I stand by my work in this matter. The truth always finds a way to work it's way to the top. The only thing that defends truth, is truth itself. It was not difficult to understand that my investigation was making a mark. I say that because information was routinely stolen from my site and published elsewhere. That statement was easily proven because as you may know, I set up a sting operation and caught the perpetrator red handed.

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Several media outlets across the country have expressed an interest in the Coffin affair as a result of my investigation and writing of this black mark on the history of Canada. I know this because of invitations extended to myself to appear as guest to talk about this event. I am presently co-ordinating several such invitations which will take place within the next few weeks.

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In the earlier stages of my investigation I was given the opportunity to discuss at length my involvement with the Wilbert Coffin case. That particular interview was conducted by popular Canadian news talk show host, Tom Young.

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In case you are not aware, Mr. Young has been a prominent news broadcaster for many years, and is aware and understands the stories and events that have shaped our horizons. Throughout the week Tom broadcasts to a large audience as his program from the studio in Saint John, New Brunswick is carried live on local FM radio at 88.9, and live on many areas by way of cable. Additionally, the program is available world wide on the internet.

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At the conclusion of my prior interview, Tom requested that I keep in touch. I extend my thanks to Tom and his producer, Tyler McLean, for granting me the opportunity to come back on the show and bring everyone up to date. As I mentioned, media attention on this case is increasing. Considering the attention previously by Tom Young and his "Afternoon News," I thought it pertinent this time around to extend the opportunity firstly in this direction.

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I invite you to listen to the upcoming broadcast which will take place this coming Friday, December o4, 2009. To determine the time in your local area of Canada, please check the appropriate time zone at the conclusion of this report. I am safe to say that it is available in your area no matter where you reside on planet Earth. Locally of course in the New Brunswick area it is available at 88.9 on your FM radio dial as well as well as being broadcast on the Rogers cable TV system. If neither of those options work for you simply click on the the internet address shown below and that will take you directly to the radio station. When the radio station page opens, simply click on the "Listen Live" tab at the top right of the radio station page and it will automatically take you live to the show. Here is the address,

http://www.news889.com/

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As we are dealing with six time zones, the following represents the time of broadcast.

Atlantic Standard Time 2:30 PM.

Eastern Standard Time 1:30 PM.

NFLD Standard Time 3:00 PM.

Central Standard Time 12:30 PM.

Mountain STD Time 11:30 AM.

Pacific Std Time 10:30 AM.

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Lew Stoddard

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WHY THE SYSTEM FAILED WILBERT COFFIN.

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.As soon as the federal government became involved in the Wilbert Coffin affair, it ceased being a case of probable unfair and unjust principles that were levelled against a defendant. It would fast become a political football between the province of Quebec, and the federal government of Canada, with the United States of America standing by ready to gobble up the spoils of what remained. This statement can now be easily proven. Documented proof still exists to this day that substantiates that claim.

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It is no longer a secret that premier Maurice Duplessis of Quebec hated The Right Honourable Louis St. Laurent, the prime minister of Canada. It is also no secret that St. Laurent carried a hatred just as large for Duplessis. The American administration in Washington DC knew this, and they would use these facts behind the scenes to foster their own agenda with reference to Canada. They would do it smoothly, they would do it diligently, all the while making it appear that it was Ottawa who had smoothed out the edges. If the boys in Ottawa could be manipulated into a situation where they looked good to themselves, the electorate in Canada would hopefully look favourable at them again as election time was looming.

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Prime Minister St. Laurent, and his band of loyals known as the federal cabinet must at all costs appear unified. It was paramount, affairs must be carried out accordingly. It was imperative. If the liberal government under St. Laurent was to have a chance of another term in Ottawa, the electors in Quebec must be kept onside, with or without the personal support of Duplessis.

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One must consider here, this period of Canadian history and the way that it was put together would stand out as the very catalyst in the drafting of an accord affecting the two largest trading partners on the planet. The United States Of America was not about to sit with their engines in idle. Let's face it. They had the most to lose.

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Canada had what the USA needed most, that was resources. This was post Second War, and the half way point of the century. There was an even bigger fish to fry. In 1954, Canada and The United States had embarked upon a joint venture known as The St. Lawrence Seaway. This would open both countries to vast untold fortunes in both importing and exporting. As is hoped with any vast venture such as this project, both partners would hopefully emerge as winners, except it was Canada who gave up the most to achieve the goal. This was another reason that the USA would tread carefully in her quest to control. Canadian authorities must feel that the American administration was bowing to them.

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You may be wondering what all of this has to do with the Wilbert Coffin affair. That is a fair question. From this point forward, you are going to be introduced to a new cast of characters with reference to the Wilbert Coffin affair. You will see how the above ties in directly with Regina Vs Coffin. It will appear to be a tangled web of deceit, manipulation, and corruption. Trust me, it is all of those. I also caution you. There will be parts of this that will require an indepth reading and discovery by yourselves, but if you take the time, you will see the true picture emerge. If you are not prepared to do this, then you may be wasting your time. You must remember, this was not put together fifty plus years ago in such a way that generations down the road could easily figure it out. Clearly, it was meant to deceive.

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Here is my documented report, although a nastier more cynical person than myself might have titled the proceeding "The United States Of America and Regina Vs Coffin" instead of simply Regina Vs Coffin. It is now necessary that we go back into time and work forward.

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Having failed to gain a new trial for Wilbert Coffin, his defense lawyers, Francois Gravel, and Arthur Maloney had made the decision to petition the federal cabinet to review the case and render a decision based on that review. The date was September, 1955. Other than a motion to approve a pay raise for themselves, politicians are not known to be expedient. The Coffin affair would be no exception. They did not know a lot about it, and anyway, it was something that had taken place down in eastern Quebec in Duplessis country. True, they wanted to look good to the people, but no matter which way they leaned, there would be a force against them. They would avoid the wrath of Duplessis if at all possible, as otherwise, they would be in a double jeopardy situation, and not a nice position to be in.

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This is where it begins to get a bit complicated. Up until now most Canadians familiar with the Wilbert Coffin case had heard of the displeasure expressed by the United States of America for three of its citizens being murdered in Quebec. True, they were upset, and of course had good reason to be. The United States Ambassador to Canada, the Honourable John Foster Dulles had touted the theory to Duplessis and to St. Laurent that the affair would have grave consequences on the tourist business, especially, from the Federation of American Sportsmen. It would have that effect to be certain, however, it went much deeper. It went much deeper with St. Laurent and the cabinet, however, Duplessis would not be made aware of the hidden implications. He was left right where all wanted him to be, thinking that the Americans were putting pressure on him with reference to the tourist trade.

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The following is the first thread of the web. It involves legal wranglings between Canada and the United States over the extradition of two individuals, W. H. Link and H. M. Green to face charges in the United States on securities fraud. The problem stemmed from December 1954 when Chief Justice W. B. Scott of the Quebec Superior Court refused to extradite these individuals to face justice in the USA. The United States administration replied by making application to the Supreme Court Of Canada to appeal this decision. The Supreme Court refused the appeal on the grounds that it had no jurisdiction in extradiction matters. The following exerpts from a confidential memo are self explanatory in this matter.

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The following is a memorandum from Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs to Secretary of State for External Affairs.

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CONFIDENTIAL
.Ottawa, October 24th, 1955
.EXTRADITION, POLITICAL REASONS FOR SUBMITTING LINK AND GREEN
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REFERENCE TO THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA
.1. Scope of Memorandum
.The Minister of Justice is presenting to the Cabinet, at this week's Cabinet meeting, a draft submission to the Governor in Council, recommending that two questions be referred to the Supreme Court of Canada for hearing and consideration in regard to the Scott Judgment in the Link and Green extradition case. The Minister of Justice's draft submission to the Governor in Council will explain the legal position. The purpose of this memorandum is to set out the political reasons that make this action necessary.
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In December, 1954 Associate Chief Justice W.B. Scott of the Superior Court of Quebec, Montreal District, refused the application of the United States Government for the extradition of W.H. Link and H.M. Green on charges involving fraudulent dealings with securities under the Extradition Act, pursuant to the 1951 Supplementary Extradition Convention. The United States Government applied to the Supreme Court of Canada for leave to appeal the decision. The Supreme Court refused the application. The Court did not pass on the substance of the judgment, as it considered that it did not have jurisdiction to hear appeals in extradition cases.
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Views of the Minister of Justice
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The Minister of Justice is of the opinion that it is important to the administration of the Extradition Treaty between Canada and the United States that this reference should be made to the Supreme Court of Canada.
.Conclusions:By making this reference to the Supreme Court of Canada, the Canadian Government will be taking the measures open to it to meet the problem of fraudulent securities offerings across the border. Should the Canadian Government, on the other hand, decide not to make this reference to the Supreme Court of Canada, an awkward situation would be likely to develop. The United States Government would be frustrated in its efforts to solve the fraudulent securities problem and it would be in a position to place the blame on the Canadian Government. Such a situation clearly must be avoided if at all possible.
.For these reasons the Department of External Affairs supports the recommendation of the Minister of Justice that the Scott Judgment be referred to the Supreme Court of Canada.
.J. L[ÉGER
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It was necessary to show you this because it will form the basis of subsequent parts which will involve Regina Vs Coffin. The name above, J. Leger, refers to the under secretary of the Minister Of State for External Affairs. The Minister of External Affairs during this period was Lester B Pearson, who of course is no stranger to Canadian politics. He would go on to win a Nobel Peace prize, and become Prime Minister of Canada.
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As you can see, the Americans were mad at Ottawa. Justice Scott had muddied the waters when as a Quebec Superior Justice, he refused to extradite two fugitives whom Washington wanted, and then Ottawa snubbed the US Administration when the Supreme Court Of Canada refused to grant their appeal. The bottom line here of course is that Washington couldn't have cared less about Duplessis in Quebec, nor,about the Canadian federal government in Ottawa. It was a situation that needed to be straightened out, and it would require calm heads to do it. This is where the plot begins to thicken. . .
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From here it is necessary that we make a quick stop in Washington D C. The U S Attorney General of the United States, Mr. Brownell, is planning a trip to Canada. He is not going to Ottawa. He is going to Toronto to address The Canadian Club. He has been advised to maximize this trip to include business other than his speech to The Canadian Club. The following "Confidential" memo from the Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Mr. A. D. P. Heeney sums up the content of business to be conducted on the trip.
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Memorandum by Ambassador in United States
.CONFIDENTIAL
.[Washington], November 8th, 1955
.SECURITY FRAUDS; EXTRADITION; LINK AND GREENCASE136 CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE MINISTER OF JUSTICEAND THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL, AT TORONTO, NOVEMBER 7, 1955.
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.It had been arranged through the Embassy that advantage should be taken of the presence of the United States Attorney General in Toronto on November 7th, for a private and informal discussion of this subject with the Minister of Justice, who was to be there for Mr. Brownell's speech to the Canadian Club. It had also been agreed that the United States Ambassador and I should be present. This had first been suggested at the meeting on September [26th], in Ottawa, of the Canada-United States Committee on Economic Affairs, when the Secretary of State had referred to the United States Government's concern.137 .

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The conversation took place in Mr. Brownell's suite at the Royal York Hotel on the afternoon of November 7th. It was agreed by all present that it would be entirely informal and private - a frank exchange of information and views.

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The Minister, after referring to the suggestion that a "reference" be made to the Supreme Court of Canada on the points of law arising out of the judgement of Associate Chief Justice Scott of the Quebec Superior Court and describing briefly the law and procedure which govern such references, went on to explain to the Attorney General the position of a current reference to the Supreme Court in Regina v. Coffin.

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This (Coffin) reference raised difficult and delicate issues for the Federal Government in regard to the administration of justice in the Province of Quebec, since the Supreme Court would appear to be reviewing the verdict of a Quebec Court after the unanimous refusal of an appeal by the Provincial appellate court. The Government, nevertheless, had felt bound to proceed with this reference (for reasons which Mr. Garson had explained) and the hearing would take place in December.

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For the Government, the Minister went on, to make now a second reference to the Supreme Court which would reflect on the Quebec Courts (since it would at least indirectly impugn the finding of Chief Justice Scott in the Link and Green case) would exacerbate an already complicated and delicate situation. In the opinion of the Federal authorities the Scott judgement was bad law and had the effect of frustrating the purposes of the Extradition Treaty of 1952 between Canada and the United States. The Canadian authorities, like those of the United States, were anxious to rectify the position and restore the régime which the Treaty had intended. .

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In due course, Mr. Garson felt, it should be possible for a reference to be made which would achieve this purpose. The Government would wish to have this done just as soon as possible.

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The Minister said that Canadian authorities had read with interest a proposal put forward by the General Counsel for the United States Securities Exchange Commission that the Extradition Treaty should be amended to provide for an appellate procedure. The Canadian Department of Justice would be interested in exploring this possibility (which from the Government's point of view would provide, at least prima facie, a politically easier course than a reference to the Supreme Court), but before doing so wished to know whether the United States Department of Justice had considered fully the implications of such an innovation in extradition procedures. Having regard to the fact that it would seem to be politically impossible to provide an appeal for the state without similar provision for the accused, Mr. Garson was inclined to think that the delays in litigation caused by such appeals might make them unworkable.

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The Attorney General said that Mr. Timbers' proposal had not been examined fully by his Department and was not now being put forward as a suggestion to the Canadian Government. He personally was inclined to think that it would be a doubtful expedient; as Mr. Garson had observed, the delays involved would probably be intolerable.

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If, Mr. Brownell continued, the situation could be restored to the pre-Link and Green position by a reference to the Supreme Court of Canada, this would be preferable from the United States point of view, provided that the lapse of time before a judgement were obtained were not too great. United States authorities were already subject to very considerable pressures and these would build up seriously when Congress got under way in January. What length of time did the Minister foresee before the Canadian Government would be willing to refer the question to the Supreme Court?

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Mr. Garson replied that unfortunately it was not possible to be precise on the timing of a reference. If his colleagues agreed to a reference (and he was awaiting the return of the Secretary of State for External Affairs before taking the matter up in Cabinet) the timing would be affected by the course of the Coffin reference and hearing. The Canadian authorities were also anxious to clear up the present unsatisfactory situation with regard to extradition for security frauds, but had obviously to take account of the considerations which he had set forth.

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I suggested, in attempting to sum up, that the two Governments had the same objective, namely to establish as promptly as possible the régime contemplated when the Treaty was negotiated. The baleful effect of the Scott judgement should be got rid of as soon as could be. The problem was one of method and timing - not objective. To this all present agreed.

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The Canadian position, I continued, had been frankly explained to the Attorney General but he would be unable to make this explanation to those in Washington who were pressing him for action. It seemed to me important, before any statement were made by the United States authorities, that agreement should be reached on the form of such statement. To this, too, there was agreement.

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Mr. Brownell expressed his appreciation of the full and candid explanation which Mr. Garson had made and it was agreed that the Minister and the Attorney General would keep in close touch with one another, through me.

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It was agreed that, in the circumstances, no purpose would be served by further suggestions from Canadian Counsel for the United States Department of Justice or others, with regard to any references that might be made to the Supreme Court or other procedures in this matter.

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On the following day, returning to Washington, I mentioned to Mr. Brownell the importance, if any reference was to be made to the Supreme Court, of avoiding any impression that this procedure was being taken under pressure from United States authorities. He readily understood this and agreed to caution his officials. When the time came that something had to be said, the two Governments would agree on the form of statement.

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A.D.P. HEENEY
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Here is a note at the bottom of the Ambassador's letter. I find this troubling in a democratic society.
"The version of the memorandum reprinted here was amended in late November to take into account Garson's comments on Heeney's original draft which was removed from the files and destroyed."
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Just to make things clear, the name Garson refers to Canadian Minister Of Justice, The Honourable Stuart Sinclair Garson. I find it very troubling to see a federal Minister Of Justice having files removed and destroyed.
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As you read this, you can perhaps see how Canada had dug a hole for herself in her relations with the United States. This all stemmed from the court decision in Quebec Superior Court by Chief Justice Scott in his refusal to order extradition proceedings against Link and Green. Equally stupid though was the refusal of The Supreme Court of Canada to hear an appeal of the process. Throughout it all, Wilbert Coffin was being used as a pawn. He was the sacrificial lamb in all these proceedings.
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In their quest to crawl back into the fold with the United States, the federal cabinet in Ottawa pulled out all the stops. There was more butt kissing at the diplomatic level in Ottawa in the final three months of 1955 than there had been in the decade since the war concluded. It is prudent to show you an example of that fact before we move on. Here is an exerpt from a memo sent by The Honourable Lester Pearson to the American Ambassador, John Foster Dulles, at a joint meeting between the two countries. You will note that the minutes of this meeting are designated as "Secret."
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Summary Record of Meeting of Joint Canada-United States Committee
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SECRET
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Ottawa, September 26, 1955
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Mr. Pearson as Chairman expressed the sympathy of the Canadian side with President Eisenhower in his illness.127 It was to be hoped that he would soon be restored to his full health and vigour. Not only the Canadian members but all of Canada appreciated the President's attitude towards trade matters and the efforts which he was making to improve international relations generally. As the leader of the Allied Forces during the war and during the early period of NATO's history, President Eisenhower had come to belong to Canada and the other North Atlantic countries as well as to the United States.
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As you can see, The United States could do no wrong. You will note the highest praise extended to then President Eisenhower. One would think that he single handedly won the war, even though the war in Europe was practically concluded when the United States decided to enter it. Pearson obviously forgot about the thousands of Canadians who paid the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefields by his praise of the American president. The bottom line here is simply that the federal government was willing to go to the outer limits to make the United States happy during this period.
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Here are some exerpts from a letter written by Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Heeney. It is written to The Honourable Lester Pearson. If you really digest the contents of this letter, it says it all.
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Ambassador in United States to Secretary of State for External Affairs
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CONFIDENTIAL
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Dear Mr. Pearson,
.On November 9th I wrote you a personal letter? reporting upon the conversation in Toronto between your colleague, the Minister of Justice, and the United States Attorney General concerning extradition in relation to security frauds.
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In speaking to me yesterday, Mr. Garson said that he would expect you to bring up this subject in Cabinet shortly. When you did so he would be willing to agree to a reference to the Supreme Court of Canada which would rectify the present unsatisfactory situation. In this connection he mentioned again the desirability of having the question put to the Supreme Court in such a way as to avoid explicit reference to the judgement of Associate Chief Justice Scott, whence our difficulties arise. On the timing of the reference to the Court, Mr. Garson would be guided largely by the views of your Quebec colleagues, but he himself would have no objection to the reference being made reasonably soon.
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In raising the matter in Cabinet as one involving our relations with the United States, you would certainly be justified in saying to your colleagues that the present situation is one which has caused, and continues to cause, difficulties between us. Furthermore, the pressure upon the Administration to take action of some kind within the competence of the United States executive and legislature may be expected to increase sharply once Congress reassembles after Christmas.
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As you will note from my memorandum of November 8th, Mr. Brownell has agreed to consult us when he feels it necessary to make some public statement on this subject. I would hope that by that time we will be in a position to announce the reference to the Supreme Court along the lines now favoured by your colleague, the Minister of Justice.
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One final consideration - from the point of view of External Affairs, the sooner the reference is made and announced the better; from the point of view of the Government in Ottawa too I should think it is highly desirable that the reference should be made before the clamour in this country increases and the Government are put in the position of acting in response to public pressure from the United States.
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Yours sincerely,
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A.D.P. HEENEY
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.As the wheels turn, the federal government is becoming mired deeper and deeper. They are faced with straightening out some bad law from Quebec. If they don't fix the decision by Chief Justice Scott from the Quebec Superior Court, the Americans will be all over them for evermore. Canada could also become a haven for criminals from the American side of the border, as the court decision did not force them to be extradited. Maurice Duplessis will be furious.
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On the other hand the federal cabinet has been asked to review the Wilbert Coffin affair. The appeal had been rejected by the Supreme Court of Canada, so any meddling on this case would again upset Duplessis. The decision now necessary for cabinet to decide was, did they really want to review The Coffin affair and get the government of Duplessis mad again? Wilbert Coffin through his lawyers was asking for a full review and an order for a new trial, based on the fact that he did not receive a fair trial and process from the beginning.
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In a following memo to the Attorney General of the United States through Ambassador Heeney, Canadian Minister of Justice, the Honourable Stuart Garson would announce that a solution had been found that should bring the matter to conclusion. As a result, the decision by Chief Justice Scott would be reversed. As well, the federal government would be free and clear of a ruling on the Regina Vs Coffin affair. Ottawa would come out not looking like they had bent to pressure from the American administration. The following extract designated "Top Secret" is from cabinet conclusions pertaining to the decision affecting the Coffin affair.
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Extract from Cabinet Conclusions
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"Top Secret"
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Circumstances had made it appear desirable to make a rather unusual reference to the Supreme Court in the recent Coffin murder case.135r It would seem undesirable to take unorthodox action with regard to this extradition difficulty so soon after the Coffin incident. It might, perhaps, be preferable to wait until such time as another judgment similar to the Scott judgment of December 17th, 1954, was rendered before taking any such action
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On the other hand, unless some action were taken, the government of Canada would likely be blamed for doing nothing to prevent the fraudulent use of the mails by unscrupulous brokers
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The Cabinet noted the report of the Minister of Justice and deferred decision on a proposed reference to the Supreme Court with regard to difficulties which had recently been encountered in the administration of the Extradition Treaty between Canada and the United States, pending further consideration at a subsequent meeting when the Secretary of State for External Affairs could be present
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On October 14, 1955 Cabinet asked the Supreme Court of Canada to review the conviction in Quebec courts of Wilbert Coffin for the 1953 murder of Richard Lindsay after suggestions were made that Coffin had not received a fair trial. Cabinet asked the court to answer the following question: "If the application made by Wilbert Coffin for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada had been granted on any of the grounds alleged on the said application, what disposition of the appeal would now be made by the court?"
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It is the last paragraph above that tossed Wilbert Coffin into the wind. His lawyers had asked the federal cabinet to review the case. This would have taken it from day one. It would have reviewed the inquest jury process, it would have reviewed the jury selection process, it would have reviewed suppressed evidence, and it would have reviewed the judges charge to the jury. None of this was ever done of course. The cabinet simply sent the case back to the Supreme Court with the above question. In reality the cabinet knew what the decision of the Supreme Court would be. They were the ones who had made the decision in the first place. In a round about way the government was asking the Supreme Court to re-rule and make a decision on their original ruling. One does not have to be smart to figure that a Supreme Court of Canada Justice is not about to rule against his own ruling.
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Unfortunately the government of Canada was willing to throw out and sacrifice one man's last chance for justice in this country. It could have easily been avoided. It required nothing more than an order in council to further delay the hanging of Wilbert Coffin until such time that a full and proper conclusion be reached with respect to the capital punishment being carried out.
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Fifty-one years later the federal government is once again being asked to investigate this case as a miscarriage of justice. It is a miscarriage of justice because the government allowed it to be that way.
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I am firmly of the opinion that a complete review of this case should take place. Simply asking that a review be done based on the same criteria that was done over fifty years ago is not enough. A complete review must include the admission of new evidence, meaning both evidence that was suppressed and omitted, and evidence that has surfaced since the original proceeding. There are witnesses still alive who gave statements prior to the original trial. It is imperative that these people be heard because it was their intention to give evidence. There was evidence concerning Jeeps and vehicles that was never brought forward. Again, this evidence must be presented, because originally it was intended to be part of the process.
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It is important to note that I have raised very serious concerns with reference to autopsy reports on the crime victims. A murder weapon was never found, no spent cartridges cases or bullets, no broken bones and yet the victims were declared to have died of gunshot wounds. Perforations in clothing clearly indicate they are much too large for any calibre of bullet available. There were marks on one bone, and the medical examiner stated in court the marks could have been made by a forest animal.
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In order that a full and impartial review be made of this case, it is necessary that all these things must be looked at and considered. Several of these elements made up the scope of what the federal government was being asked to do in 1955. Sadly, they chose to not do that. If they had done what was asked of them, Wilbert Coffin would not have hanged on February 10, 1956. By displaying themselves as a spineless bunch of creatures, they were able to uphold themselves as weak and inept and afraid of Duplessis, and at the same time, display their loyalty to the United States Of America as puppets on a string.
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.Lew Stoddard

The above report is protected by copyright. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, by whatever means and for whatever reason is not permitted without the express written permission of Lew Stoddard.

THE WILBERT COFFIN CASE.

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Hi everyone! Just so you know that I did not fall over a cliff, I felt it pertinent to let you know what has been happening.
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Due to health concerns and doing "hard time" in the hospital, I was unable to post to my site for the past few weeks. I am pleased to now announce that I am up and running full steam ahead.

Firstly, I want to take the opportunity to extend a huge thank-you to all of you who took the time to send me an e-mail of support and to those who tracked me down by phone as well. It was gratifying in a big way when I answered my door a few days ago to accept a bouquet of flowers. That was very touching.
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For anyone who has an interest in this case, and I know there are many, I encourage you to sit up and pay attention over the next few days. I shall be reviewing some material that I have touched upon in the past, but the best part is, I have new material that you have not seen, and yes, as usual for this site, it is documented material, not from newspaper accounts and hearsay material, you know the stuff that has flooded society for the past fifty years. Some of this new material strongly enhances and buttresses already published material from the past.
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Once again, thank-you so much for being patient. I will publish to the site in one or two days. God Bless you one and all.
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Lew Stoddard

WILBERT COFFIN CASE UPDATE.

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Even though further information with reference to the Wilbert Coffin case has been slow in coming, please do not assume that my investigation has ground to a halt. Actually it has been in high gear behind the scenes. There is always one more rock to turn over, and I am pleased to tell you that over the past few weeks I have been fortunate in being able to turn over a fair sized pile of stones. I will also tell you that this particular part of the search produced much in my belief that a wrongful conviction took place with the hanging of Wilbert Coffin, and I do not plan to let go until I prove that.
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As most of you will know, immediately following the execution of Wilbert Coffin there existed much public outcry as to the handling of this case. An appeal to the Quebec appeal court was turned down, and as well, subsequent to the provincial appeal being turned down, a likewise appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada was denied as well. Further to the denial of the appeal by the Supreme Court Of Canada, an application was made to the federal cabinet of Canada with a request that they consider the case.
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It can now be proven that the federal cabinet did not serve Wilbert Coffin well. They knew this as well. Clearly, the actions of cabinet did not reflect a particularly caring attitude toward Mr. Coffin. Their actions were carried out in such a way that an unsuspecting public would not recognize.
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If the application placed before the cabinet had been placed at any other time, I am certain that the results would have been much different. The federal cabinet was caught in the middle of a dispute concerning the United States of America and the province of Quebec, with premier Maurice Duplessis at the helm. In it's simplest form the federal cabinet chose the path of least reistance, this way they avoided the wrath of Duplessis, and further pressure from the American administration. The fact that Wilbert Coffin would surely hang by going this route seemed to matter not.
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It is ok to ask me here if I know all the details of what I am suggesting? The answer is Yes I do. It sickens me, but I know about all the dirty laundry that made it possible. To make matters worse, some of the people involved were our upstanding politicians of the day. A lot of this stuff I have known about for some time, and I have written about it. I can see a much clearer picture of the chain of events now. This has been made possible as a result of constant digging and searching for the past three years.
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I can further state that none of this information was garnered from a mile deep pile of newspapers that has permeated society for the past half century. As I have said many times, this stuff, along with most of the documentaries as a means of displaying sensationalism was the direct opposite of the mandate that occupied my time for the past three years. I was intrested in one avenue only, to discover the truth, and make it known to Canadians. That is why I steered a course in the opposite direction from all the junk that floated around.
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As you continue reading this posting, you will note that I have also managed to acquire some other interesting reading. Again this was not acquired from newspapers or books on the Coffin affair. It came from digging and making a general nuisance of myself. It is interesting though because I know that it is authentic. Some of it is in both English and French. I also know that the translation is official because it would have been transcribed in both official languages at the source by the government.
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This information is not only interesting, but it is important as well to this case. It contains the written decisions from every judge and the reasons why some of them dismissed the appeals and the reasons as to why some of them would have allowed the appeals. It is also abundantly clear as to which judges actually read the case in detail that was presented before them. You will see where erroneaus information that was accepted as evidence at the trial by the original trial judge made it's way through the system all the way to the supreme court. This is stuff that I shall be going into in great depth.
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You have read in the past where I have made reference to the amount of money that Eugene Lindsey had on him when he was murdered. As I have said many times, it was merely supposition, but here you have a judge quoting exact amounts, when the police themselves stated that they could not determine how much money that Mr. Lindsey came to Canada with. I have a letter from one officer to his boss where he stated it was unknown.
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That little five letter word called "truth" is a powerful little word. For the most part it can be boring and it often gets covered up with the muck of life, but the beautiful part of it all, if you stir the mixture long enough, the batter rights itself and the truth floats to the surface.
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Ladies and gentlemen, as usual I thank you for your support. I ask you to hang in there just a bit longer until I get all this put together. I am presenting it all in a finished state to the Criminal Conviction Review Group (CCRG). I have given it my best shot, but my fingers are still crossed. God bless you one and all.
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Lew Stoddard

REGINA VS. COFFIN.

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QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.

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Rather than answer your questions individually on the comment page, I made the decision to create a posting involving your comments and concerns. I did this chiefly because some of your comments and questions will involve a detailed answer, and as well, some of them tie together.

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It pleases me to see that some of you take the time to write a comment or ask a question. As I have said many times, all are welcome. As usual, I must insist that your comments and questions bear a name in order to be published on this site. A comment signed as anonymous will not be accepted for publication. As well, profanity and maligning of other commenters is not allowed. These rules are quite basic, very similar to writing a letter to the editor in your local newspaper.

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Today, I am starting off with one the last comments received on my last posting dealing with the autopsy reports. Mr. S. Dewitt of Halifax asks a very good question, that I have pondered many times. He wants to know" how long the Lindsey truck was stationery in the spot where it was found."

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From my digging and researching Sir there is no available direct answer to your question. We can assume, and I do hate the word assume, that the truck was parked there and abandoned for the duration. I believe that it was, although admittedly, that cannot be proven. It was abandoned on a reasonably well travelled road leading into the logging camp areas of the forest. I simply do not believe that the truck could have set there all that time without someone asking questions about it. It is also reasonable to believe that if it was there for that extended period, then the truck and it's contents would have also been vulnerable, and yet there were still items found in the truck including a rifle. This is one area where I have always felt that someone knows something but has chosen for some reason to remain quiet.

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One thing is for certain, anyone who would have seen this truck parked there for an extended period would also have known that the Lindsey party was in the woods as the truck contained plates from the state of Pennsylvania. and further to that, Mr. Lindsey was apparently assumed to have been carrying valuables, thus if he could be located in the forest, he would be easy prey.

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Lloyd Mason of Toronto asks an interesting question pertaining to finger print evidence. Very definitely finger print evidence was used in the fifties. It was not used in this case nor was it attempted because the police felt that it would reveal nothing. They made this decision without making an attempt to determine if it would be successful, and it is here that I reiterate what I have said many times. Raymond Maher, the defense lawyer was nothing but a dud. Otherwise he would have challenged this decision during the trial. He could have made the prosecution look real bad because of that decision.

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The next comment that I shall reply to is from S. McGuire in Saint John. Mr. McGuire asks "if we know the exact date that the hunters were killed in relation to when Wilbert Coffin came out of the forest?" The quick answer to your question is no, we do not know the answer. I sincerely wish that I did, and that I could prove it. The answer to that question would have been instrumental in proving Wilbert Coffin's innocence. I have it well documented as to the date that Wilbert Coffin came out of the forest, and of course there are those who say that was the date the hunters met their death. I will go on record as saying that any who say that was the day that the hunters were killed, they are merely guessing and making up stories. I further state there was absolutely no evidence that would link the death of these three individuals to any given day. It simply was never established.

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As a matter of fact, during the trial at Perce' the crown steered around the possible date that the hunters may have been killed. There was a reason for this, and the reason being that there was a possibility that they could get caught in a trap by making a statement as to the date of death and not being able to prove it.

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Dean Simmons from Niagara Falls wrote "how far apart were the remains of these hunters found?" Good question Dean, and for the answer to that I will refer directly to a police report from Captain Alphonse Matte. Here is an excerpt from a letter that he wrote to his boss on the matter.

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"In place, accompanied by Capt. Sirois, Sgt. Doyon, Gend, Romuald Poirier and others, we put in some boxes the remains found about 75 ft. from the camp known as no. 26 of Canton Holland and that the complete skull, the jawbones, the bones, such as parts of shoulder blades, collarbones, thighbones, tibias, fibulas,"

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He continues on now in the same report with the finding of the second remains, "The same day, being 23-7-53, in proximity to the first skeleton some remains belonging definitively to a second skeleton, were found about 115 feet from the first, on the other side of the St Jean river in a flank of a mountain bordering camp no. 26; a pelvis with part of a spinal column, traces of four sides, 2 femurs and some other small bones. That which allowed us to make identification of this second skeleton was the inferior jaw bone and a denture, the two fit perfectly together.;1 pair overalls "Jeans" blue, where the pockets were inside out, were furthermore found, 1 red t-shirt, size "large of Penney’s " 1 ankle boot, left foot, in brown leather laced with eyelets, sole of a black galosh, being probably size 11 or 12.

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These two sets of remains were those identified as those of Richard Lindsey and Frederick Claar. The remains identified as the father, Eugene Lindsey, were found approximately one week prior approximately two miles from the young men in an area known as Camp 24.

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This is a good time for me to reply to those who suggested that I was too critical of the medical officers report and the search in general for the bodies and the subsequent discovery. Critical? Yes I was. I am guilty as charged. However, I do not believe that my level of criticism which I levied was strong enough to adequately address the gravity of the situation. Look at it this way. Here you have the discovery of two skeletons in close proximity that probably account for the two, yet unaccounted for missing hunters.

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You just read in the police report above that these bones were disturbed and tossed into cardboard boxes. You also read Captain Alphonse Mattes report that he was able to positively identify the upper and lower jaw portions as belonging to the same body because of an inferior jaw bone as they seemed to fit perfectly together.

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This guy and his crew did not collectively form the brightest star in the sky in terms of smart police officers and here you have them making scientific evaluations on skeletons in a triple homicide. It was one of these same dimwits that pulled out his service revolver and fired some lead into an already dead bears carcass thereby destroying it as potential evidence instead of having an autopsy done on the bear to determine it's stomach contents.

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The bottom line with respect to the medical officers report and the handling of the crime scene was appalling. Society was deserving of more and the defendant was deserving of more. I can deal with ignorance, but I have a real tough time with stupidity. To sum up my findings, I am of the opinion that stupidity reigned supreme in this case with the actions of the judiciary of Quebec. This case was truly beyond comprehension and someone should be held accountable.

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The comment posted from D. Landry of Moncton speaks volumes when comparing my investigation to the stuff that has been written repeatedly over the years. From the beginning it was my personal mandate to investigate and explore every known avenue of this case without reading all the junk that has been written in newspapers over the years. This stuff was written based on sensationalism, not on investigation. I had no interest whatsoever in retelling a story that had been beaten into submission by newspapers and periodicals in a quest to garner a fast buck.

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Again I thank you for your comments. I read each and every one of them. They are important to me. It gauges the depth of the impact that my investigation of this case has made on Canadians, and thanks to all you good folks, the impact has been positive and rewarding.

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Lani Mitchell and myself have come a long way with this affair but it is not totally over yet. I know there are some who make comments which displays the fact that they really know nothing of the case and I guess their reward is their fifteen seconds of fame in reading their own comments on the comment page. As someone once said, "it is difficult to soar with the eagles when first you have to deal with the turkeys."

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I will talk to you again in a few days. In the meantime, write, sign, and send your comments. I have some good material to show you that will explain how a few things came to pass. God Bless You one and all.

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Lew Stoddard

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REGINA VS COFFIN

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AUTOPSY REPORT UPDATE

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Before I get into today's posting, it is important that you understand the difference between an autopsy and an inquest. In their proper context, both can be considered as vital components in both identifying a deceased body and establishing a cause and time of death as is the case with an autopsy. Though autopsies are routinely performed nearly every day in large hospitals in the interests of medecine with the permission of a deceased next of kin, they are mandatory where there is a suggestion of death due to foul play.
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The inquest on the other hand is used to study and make the determination as to whether there is sufficient evidence to consider criminal proceedings as in the case of a cessation of life at the hands of another human being. It is important to understand that an inquest can proceed with or without a formal autopsy depending on the circumstances, and conversely, an autopsy most definitely can be carried out without an inquest.
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This posting will focus not only on the autopsies of Eugene Lindsey, Richard Lindsey, and Frederick Claar, all found deceased in the Gaspe' woods in 1953, but will also cover the chain of events leading up to the autopsies, namely the initial search for the remains. It was necessary that I carry out exhaustive research and investigation with reference to these three discoveries. Simply and clearly, I was never satisfied that what was conveyed to the public subsequent to these crimes was a true and accurate accounting.
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It has taken over two years to reach my conclusions. I am now ready to proceed with my findings and share them with you. You will no doubt recognize some of which I have stated previously. However, as a result of further investigation, I am able to enhance certain aspects based on information previously unknown to me.
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In this whole affair the autopsy reports as put forth by the government of Quebec conducted on the remains of Eugene Lindsey, Richard Lindsey, and Frederick Claar could best be described as shameful. I am convinced that the shameful acts did not begin with the autopsies themselves, but rather with the complete process beginning with the search for the bodies, and the subsequent discovery of the remains by searchers.
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As you will see and hopefully understand, the quality and control of the investigation and search would deterioate greatly as soon as the judiciary from Quebec City, under direction from Captain Alphonse Matte seized control from the local detachment of the Quebec Provincial Police at Gaspe' headed up by Sergeant Henri Doyon. This will become abundantly clear as you read and consume this phase of my investigation.
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Firstly, with reference to the search, one has to convey the greatest respect to the search team members. True, they were not professional searchers and I am certain they were all taking part for genuine reasons but I have to be fair here. I say that because not all the searchers came from a particular group, and thus, many would not have personally known others taking part. My reasoning for this will become clearer as you read on.

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From this point onward I shall give you warning now. Some of the scenes that I shall be describing do not depict pretty scenes. If you find the thoughts of what you might read here troubling, then perhaps you should not read it. However, it is necessary that I describe the scenes to you in order to fully illustrate the sloppy and unprofessional route that the Quebec Provincial Police allowed this case to take, and further become part of the official investigation that would send a man to the gallows.

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The date was July 15, 1953. The remains as identified as that of Eugene Lindsey was located on this date. His skeleton was anything but intact. The head was completely missing as was a large part of the thorax region of the upper body. As a result of marrauding hungry black bears in the area, very little flesh remained on the bones. Approximately one week later the skeletal remains identified as those of Richard Lindsey and Frederick Claar were found a short distance away.

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The following represents the autopsy reports as performed and compiled by Doctor J. M. Roussel. At the end of the reports you can read of my conversation with a pathologist with whom I presented Dr. Roussel's reports.

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LABORATORY OF LEGAL MEDICINE AND POLICE TECHNIQUE
443 St. Vincent Street
MONTREAL

EXPERT REPORT

Re. The disappearance of three hunters at Gaspé- June-July 1953-bones of Camp 24

Last July 15, at the request of M.Charland, directeur-adjoint suppléant of the Surety Provincial of Quebec, I went to Gaspé, so as to examine the bones that were discovered in the woods, about 60 miles from Gaspé.During the day of July 17, accompanied by Sergeant Doyon, of the local station, of the Surety Provincial Police, I transported myself to the same spot, designated by the name "Camp 24."At this place, near a little river, an incomplete skeleton was found, and partly dislocated, to which adhered some malodorous scraps of skin.The preliminary examination shows that it was only the bones of a single person, contrary to that which was believed at first; the bones were placed in a box and taken to Gaspé for a more detailed examination.

RESULTS OF THE EXAMINATION

Description of the Bones: - The bones are completely stripped of the muscles that were attached and are more or less disjoined; the head and the sides are missing.The extremities of the upper limbs are relatively intact; the skin of the hands is of a blackish brown color, of a wrinkled consistency and in appearance somewhat mummified; the nails are long and rough.

The following bones then form the incomplete skeleton:part of the spinal columnthe two scapulasthe left claviclethe bones of the complete upper limbs: humerus, cubitus, radius, wrists and handsthe pelvis comprising of the bones of the iliac and the sacrum, but without the coccyxthe bones of the complete lower limbs.

Determination of Sex: - The size even of the bones, the marked relief of muscular insertions, the dimension of the pelvis and the force of the obturate holes are those that leave no doubt on the masculine sex of the bones.

Determination of the Size: The measurements of the bones of the members gave the following values:- left femur 181/4" or 46, 35 cms-right femur idem; (?)-right tibia 14-5/8" or 37 cms-right humerus 13-3/8" or 34 cms

When referring to the anthropomorphic table establishing the length of bones following the sizes, we obtain the following correspondences:-left femur 463,5 mm – size 170,6 cms-tibia 370,0 mm – " 168,5 cms-humerus 340,0 mm - " 173,0cmsThe means of the size corresponding to these three long bones is 170,7 cms, being 5 feet 71/2 inches.

The method of the coefficients gives us similar results:-femur 483,5 mm x 3,66 = size: 169,64 cms-tibia 370,0 mm x 4,53 = " 166,71 cms- humerus 340,0 mm x 5,06 = " 172,04 cms

Average of the size: 170,1 cms, being about 5 feet, 7 inches.

Determination of Age: With the absence of the cranium, the only means to appreciate the age of the person who had the bones consists in the research of the degree of ossification of different parts of the skeleton.Radiography demonstrates a complete welding of the epiphyses ( extremities) of the long bones of the members, a welding likewise supplements the iliac peak with the pelvic bone and as well a welding of the crown vertebrae, the ones with the others.And also, the presence of small osteophytes on the level of certain bones and evident signs of arthritis in the articulations of the thumb of the right hand, indicating that this isn’t the bones of a young man or adolescent and that we are in the presence of the skeleton of an adult of middle age.

Determination of Cause of Death: Except for the ( grugement)? spongy end of certain bones of the skeleton, the exam didn’t reveal any trace of significant violence, on the bones at our disposition; it is then impossible, in the circumstances, to confirm the existence of violence of vital origin.

The complete disappearance of the internal organs and other soft parts of the skeleton prevents us from establishing the cause of death.

Summary:The bones found at Camp "24" are those of a man of middle age, measuring about 5 foot 7 inches tall.

The skeletal remains were identified as those of Eugene Hunter Lindsey of Pennsylvania.

The desiccation and the parchment of the skin and the soft tissue of the two hands indicate that death occurred at the minimum of one month ago.

WHITE T-SHIRT:Perforation at the edge shredded with the upper left region of the thorax ( or..could read…" shredded perforation at the edge of the upper left region of the thorax?) at 5 ½" of the center line and 4" below the seam of the shoulder surrounded by a zone of reddish color apparently ( tituée?) caused? by blood – No corresponding perforation in the back.NOTE:The three clothing carry to the dorsal area dte? near the middle about 4" in the lower part of the lower seam of the sleeve, a circular perforation not found on the anterior front.

J.M. Roussel, M.D.

Medical Examiner

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NOTE ON THE PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS MADE BY DR. J. MARIE ROUSSEL, MEDICAL EXAMINER: 25-7-53SKELETON "A"Skeleton found 75’ from camp 26. (It was in a wood box (Dynamex) and included the bones of the cranium.)Lower maxilla,All the vertebrae except one,18 sides,2 scapulas,2 clavicles,2 humerus, cabitus, and right radius,2 bones of the pelvis,2 femurs,Tibias and right fibulas,Tibias and left fibulas

NOTE: The bones of the lower maxillas are partially corroded and it is impossible to make a precise measurement.

Measurements: Left humerus: 33.5 cms or 13 3/16,"Left cubitus: 26.5 cms or 10 3/8",Right humerus: 22.5 cms or 12 ¾",Or 33.5 or 13 3/16" without measured angle,Right cubitus: 26.5 cms or 10 3/8,Right radius: 24.5 cms or 9 5/8",

CRANIUM:Jagged (indented?) sutures (joinings?) evident everywhere past traces of ossification.

TEETH: Lower maxillas healthy natural teeth with no obvious decay, except in the line space of the right interior incisor medians. First lower left molars missing.Upper maxillas: bad establishment of the right incisor (retreating). The first large left molar missing as well as the right.

BONE OF THE PELVIS: The iliac ridge is not definitely welded. With the tip of the pelvis that which indicates an age lower than twenty years.

CLOTHES:A pair of black leather boots with the soles sewn with two rows of thread and two rows of copper rivets under the boots, and also a strap with buckles around the hoses, size about 8.Trousers probably brown with a tinted red leather belt with a series of oblique marks and a buckle with the initial "R"
A handkerchief with brown and green edges and the second with finer stripes,
A white sweatshirt with the name " Hollidaysburg Tigers " on top of the figure of a tiger.
A sport shirt tinted green marked Sportop washable, size "S-14-14 ½" with two pockets in the front on the right and the left
.A windbreaker or red and black checked shirt marked " Woolrich ", size 15 zipper and two pockets in the front.

This skeletal remains was identified as that belonging to Richard Lindsey of Pennsylvania

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SKELETON "B"

Pelvis with lumbar column and last cervical vertebras and 7 dorsal, vestiges of four sides, I free side with diaphise part of two femurs whose extremities are notched, diaphise tibia dr. notched.

CLOTHING:

1 plaid waistcoat red and black checked marked Woolrich with two sleeves turned out,1 pair of blue jeans, two pockets turned out,1 undershirt marked "Croftman" size No. 42,1 T-shirt red, large, Penney’s,

1 left boot brown leather laced with eyelets, soles of black rubber neoprene, oil resisting, size 11.

This skeletal remains identified as that of Frederick Claar of Pennsylvania

25-7-53

Gaspé/jvc

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NOTES of DR. ROUSSELL

(27-7-53)

CLOTHING:Red waistcoat property of T-shirt marked Penny’s, 2 circular perforations measuring 7/16" to 1/2 " in diameter distance of 2 " located at the left anterior face of the thorax, a little on the left and in the lower part of the left center.

Circular perforations similar to the preceding ones located right face anterior of thorax 1" in inside of the seam of the sleeve at the level of the right pectoral area.

Large ovalaire (oval shaped?) perforation measuring about 1" long by 5 lines high situated with the anterior face of the thorax at the same level as the former at 1" to the right of the center line.

4 or 5 perforations or tears on the posterior right side of the sweater in the line of the armpit.

CHECKED JACKET

Checked jacket red and black Woolrich with chamois sleeves. One notes 2 perforations through the anterior pocket and the left side of the windbreaker.

Perforations or tears in the seam or junction between the right sleeve and the jacket (corresponding to the perforations like on the T-shirt.)

Tear close to the neck (collar) of the jacket at about 2 ½" with the top of the upper snap button corresponding to the ( ovalaire?) oval? tear noted on the T-shirt.

CLOTHING "

A"Red and black checked jacket with zipper- perforation in the upper left region at 3 ¼" from the 3" in the line of the center and 4" with the top of the higher edge of the upper anterior pocket and to 5" to the lower part of the seam of the shoulder

GREEN SHIRT:

Circular perforation at 3 ½" to the left of the centerline 5" of the lower part of the seam of the shoulder.

WHITE T-SHIRT:

Perforation at the edge shredded with the upper left region of the thorax ( or..could read…" shredded perforation at the edge of the upper left region of the thorax?) at 5 ½" of the center line and 4" below the seam of the shoulder surrounded by a zone of reddish color apparently ( tituée?) caused? by blood – No corresponding perforation in the back.

NOTE:

The three clothing carry to the dorsal area dte? near the middle about 4" in the lower part of the lower seam of the sleeve, a circular perforation not found on the anterior front.

I seized upon the opportunity to discuss the above autopsy reports with a pathologist at a large modern hospital. This particular pathologist has performed many autopsies, not only as a result of his routine work in hospitals, but also doing and working on autopsies as a result of trauma deaths. His first question to me was where is the autopsy report. He snickered and shook his head when I said, "what you see is what there was."

The good doctor pointed out to me that a first year medical student would be expected to turn out a report far superior than what I was showing him. He simply could not believe those reports as stated could help form the basis for the scientific evidence in a multiple murder investigation.

He went on to say that Dr. Roussel's report is little more than an inventory of the clothing worn by the deceased. It could also be a display by the examiner of his knowledge of bones and their names, something that any medical doctor is required to know. It lacked the key ingredients, namely declaring the trauma if any on the skeletons.

The doctor asked me if I knew how these persons supposedly died, to which I declared that officially two of them were listed as dying from gunshot wounds. He then asked where were the bullets or bullet fragments, to which I declared none were ever found. He asked about spent cartridge cases, again the same answer, none were ever found. He then asked about a weapon. The same answer applied, none was ever located.

I suggested to the doctor that one of the younger victims had been reported to have been shot multiple times, and further, that in the case of the younger victims, both were reported to have been shot in the abdominal and chest area. His reply there was the same as I have said many times, that it is difficult to comprehend a human body being felled by firearm multiple times or even a single time in those areas without breaking bones. I explained to the doctor that the provincial chemist had found a mark on one rib, but had also said that it could have been made by a forest animal.

The doctor went on to say that he assumed that a defense lawyer would have been quick to do an "autopsy on the autopsy report" in the courtroom. He cringed when I informed him that was not the case as there was no cross examination on this by the defense.

The doctor also asked me as to how and why they settled on the cause of death as firearm related. I explained that because they had discovered some holes in the clothing they were assuming they were bullet holes. I showed him in the report where the size diameter of the holes to be 7/16" and 1/2" to which he replied as not consistent with small arms to which I readily agreed.

I asked him about the possibility of a stabbing with a round tapered object, to which he agreed was an excellent thought.

I also explained to the doctor that Richard Lindsey's rifle was found with the barrel muzzle filled with mud and debris. I explained to him that a favorite stance of hunters is to walk and stand with the barrel resting in the crook of the opposite arm pointing out to the side. I suggested to him that if someone were walking or standing like that and they were stabbed from behind that they would probably drop and the muzzle of the rifle would be driven into the ground. He suggested to me that my thoughts on that were very reasonable.

He wanted to know if the police considered these avenues. Again I could only speculate that if they did, they kept it to themselves.

When all was said and done the doctor did say to me that even though Dr. Roussel states on each autopsy report that each set of bones were identified as belonging to each named individual, there was absolutely nothing in his examination that would have told him that without outside help.

In the case of Eugene Lindsey, Mr. Clarence Claar had stated that Mr. Lindsey had long finger nails, and you will note in the autopsy report on Mr. Lindsey, Dr. Roussel points out that the skeleton had long finger nails. He pointed that out simply because it had been conveyed to him already.

My conclusions with respect to Dr. Roussel's reports are as follows. These conclusions are not based on my personal opinion. These conclusions are representative of evidence that was put forth by the judiciary of Quebec. As I have stated numerous times, the purpose of this three year investigation was not to offer my personal opinions, but to display to the public as accurately as I can, the events as they unfolded and became part of the overall investigation leading to the execution of Wilbert Coffin.

1) He did not establish a cause of death

2) He did not establish a time of death

3) He found no markings on the skeletal remains to suggest firearm trauma

4) He left no known instructions to the police to convey to the searchers with respect to the handling of the other two bodies should they be found, and as a result bones were simply tossed into cardboard boxes and transported to Gaspe'. There is no way that searchers would have known which bones belonged to either of the two remains.

5) He gave no consideration to the fact that the area should have been cordoned off as soon as the first sighting of human remains became apparent. As a result searchers were going in every direction, picking up remains and items.

6) The police have to shoulder some responsibility here. With the number of people concentrated in the search area, how would the police know if one of them decided to not turn in found items. Afterall, it was the police who touted the story that Mr. Lindsey's money was stolen.

7) The police allowed the area to become a media frenzy upon discovery of the remains. Searchers were taking turns posing for pictures holding up boxes containing human bones, and in some of the pictures that I have acquired, the police officers are in the photos as well.

8) One of the lead police officers in the search in his hair brained wisdom saw fit to pull out his service revolver and fill the carcass of a dead bear with lead instead of doing an autopsy on the bear to find out what it's stomach contents were.

In any homicide investigation the crime scene is where it all begins. It has to be that way. Otherwise it becomes a complete sham, which is exactly what happened in the Gaspe' woods after these murders. It is little wonder that my doctor friend stood shaking his head as I related the chain of events to him.

Before I conclude for today I want to make you aware of another interview that I conducted yesterday with respect to the Wilbert Coffin case. It was with a lady named Evelyn Dodson. Evelyn lost very heavily in the Gaspe' woods as well, when these murders were committed. Evelyn lost her brother. Evelyn was the former Evelyn Claar and it was her brother Fred Claar who was murdered. In the next posting, I shall outline some of the material from my interview. It is interesting because Evelyn, who was seventeen at the time, attended the trial at Perce' with the rest of her family.

This has been a rather long posting but I felt it pertinent for the public to be exposed to the shoddy piece of workmanship that went into the pathology end of this affair.

Lew Stoddard

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THIS LAND CALLED CANADA

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Happy Canada Day.

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Projected as a huge book shelf with British Columbia and Newfoundland serving as the bookends this land called Canada stretches for some eight thousand kilometres from the Atlantic to the Pacific representing the largest land mass of any country on the planet.

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There may be some living in this country but hopefully not, who would be inclined to say "So What?" Well, you see it is like this. Canada spans the spectrum with our broad range of diversities. Consider for a moment that Canada is made up of little villages and big villages, little towns and big towns, little cities and big cities, combined with rural areas that stretch farther than the eye can see.

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Lets talk about climate for a moment. Measuring 8,000 km. by nearly 4,000 km. Canada represents a vast and varied climate ranging from temperate and very hot to harsh and inhospitable in the far northern reaches. In other words, there is something for everyone.

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Canada's people represent nearly 34,000,000 of the planet's inhabitants. We can boast of farmers and fishermen, factory workers, office workers and a whole host of other professions found in other lands. Canada's business representations range from Ma and Pa operations all the way to multi national corporations employing thousands of our citizens.

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Canada's institutes of higher learning rank right at the top by world standards. This is evidenced by the volume of off shore students acquiring their education in Canada. I could go on and on. However, it is the week of Canada's birthday, so I shall sum up in this way.

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Firstly, I was born a Canadian, I am a Canadian today, and I shall be a Canadian tomorrow. I am proud of that. Being born a Canadian did not come without cost. In two great wars in Europe, my ancestors and many others spilled their blood on the battlefields to preserve the freedoms and ideals that we as Canadians enjoy. I do not take this lightly. This is serious business. Any deviation from the memories of the sacrifices by these people would be nothing short of thumbing our noses at those who died.

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I am not against immigration. We need it. I support it all the way. As I have said previously, I am against an open door policy whereby we admit people to this country to create a haven to further their own personal agenda. I believe this is wrong. It is also wrong I believe, for new citizens to expect us to change our constitution each time someone has a new religious belief or a cultural difference. We have the vehicle in motion in Canada in the form of our constitution, to allow for expression of personal beliefs, whether it be religious or cultural. I take a dim view when I am expected to alter my beliefs and morals, to accommodate those that think they can just change the constitution to reflect their beliefs at will.

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Over the years I have acquired many friends and acquaintances of diverse ethnic backgrounds. It matters not to me if a person is red, yellow, green, black, or white. My personal views and opinions on what I think makes for a strong and unified Canada has absolutely nothing to do with one's ethnic background. I am tired of the moaning and groaning of the special interest groups, who really care nothing about our country, other than using it as a stepping stone for their own hidden agenda.

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Pure and simple, in my view, "Canada is not for sale." Only a blundering idiot would consider compromising the greatest country on the planet. My final comment to-day, "we may not come up perfect in this country, but I believe that on our very worst day, our light shines brighter in this land called Canada than it does in many other countries of the planet on their best day."

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I want to take this opportunity to personally thank the members of Canada's armed forces currently on deployment in the Middle East. I want you to know that we are thinking of you back in Canada. God Bless you one and all. I do know that my web site is read by a couple of our soldiers who are currently on duty based in Kandahar in Afghanistan.

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I shall be back in a couple of days with some interesting revelations on the Wilbert Coffin case.

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Lew Stoddard

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Taking Out The Garbage.

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Occasionally I get asked a question by someone as to why I say this or that on this site. As most of you know I am a man of few words, and when I write on this site it is because I have done my homework, thus I can state it as fact. As I have said many times, if it cannot be buttresed by an interview and/or sworn testimonial it is on it's way to the garbage can. I shall never compromise that stand. Otherwise, what credibility would be contained in my work?

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I am making specific reference here with respect to my comments from time to time regarding the police and judiciary. Again I stand by my comments. Occasionally I am referred to as one who is down on the police. Allow me to again clarify. I have the greatest respect for any man or woman who makes the decision to become law enforcement officers. True, it is a voluntary decision to become an officer of the law, and true, it is not within the officers jurisdiction to tailor the rules to support their personal goals at someone else's expense.

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I shall conclude this part by simply saying, "On one hand I have the greatest admiration for hard working, honest, and fair minded police officers." On the other hand, "I have absolutely no respect for a bunch of lying, cheating, manipulating Dirty Cops."

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In spite of what is being preached by this Mr. Fortin's web site, it is easily proven that the enforcement officers in charge of the Coffin affair fell into the "Dirty Cop" category. Mr. Fortin does not see or understand this because he takes all his information from this Brossard Enquiry.

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The steering committee for that enquiry were the same officers who conducted the investigation in the first place. There was nothing presented as evidence that the police had not already approved of. There was no presentation of evidence that should have been presented at the original trial but was suppressed. Suppressed by the same bunch of thugs who were now conducting an investigation into their own behaviour.

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One would have to be a complete dunderhead to assume that these cops would come out critical of their own investigation, especially when they had already hanged a man. You must accept the fact that the Brossard enquiry was allowed to proceed purely for political reasons. Do you really think they cared about the fate of Wilbert Coffin? I can assure you, they did not. That enquiry went ahead under the banner of Jean Lesage and the Liberal party in Quebec, purely as a means of attempting to strengthen political suppoprt.

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Think about it, Jean Lesage's Liberals would look good no matter how the enquiry turned out. If the enquiry had gone against the government of Quebec, Lesage was in a position to blame Duplessis and the Union Nationalle and he could say a bad era had come to an end. On the other hand if the enquiry come out in favour of the Quebec judiciary, Lesage would simply maintain that as a new premier he felt he owed it to the people to bring it out in the open.

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As I state in my mission statement, "Do not accept anything in life at face value, ask questions." This is where I implore you to "look beyond the box." Just because someone has a stripe down the leg of their pants or wears a pretty uniform, do not assume that fair, honest, and unbiased opinions and actions shall prevail. The same rule should have applied in 1953, and leading up to the Coffin trial in 1954. This was not an isolated case pertaining to a provincial judiciary back then because it is still running rampant in modern day. Read on and I shall cite you a few examples.

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Nearly two years ago a Polish gentleman arrived at Vancouver International Airport. He spoke no English, had trouble communicating, became distraught, and ended up dying at the hands of four burly Royal canadian Mounted Police Officers and a security guard. The original story from the RCMP was that he had been tasered once. Thanks to a member of the travelling public with a digital video camera the true story would come out. He was not tasered once, not twice, not three times, not four times, but five times in total. The police immediately seized the camera, however they had to return it, and that camera was instrumental in those officers being presented in the true fashion of their actions, nothing short of a bunch of thugs. It did and should bring a lot of disgrace to the RCMP.

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I have studied and researched the Stephen Truscott case in detail. That was a chilling tale as well. Through lies and manipulation the police and judiciary were able to garner a first degree murder verdict against a fourteen year old boy who has been proven not guilty. It is proven that the police chief lied, and they held this boy against his will without ever informing his parents that he was in custody. As in the Coffin case they botched evidence, suppressed evidence, and pushed for a quick conviction. Fortunately because of his age he did not get executed. He was spared the gallows yes, and it could be said that it was a poitical decision because John Diefenbaker's Conservative government would have looked bad hanging a teen-ager. I do not for a moment believe that his sentence was commuted for any other reason.

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In modern day Ontario pay attention to the number of cases where people have been given life sentences based on the evidence given by the provincial medical examiner. These cases are being overturned left and right. The big question that begs an answer is, "If we still had capital punishment in this country, how many of these innocent people would have gone to the gallows by now?

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I could go on and on here, but I think that should be enough examples to cause you to sit back and think, and reflect for a moment on just how you would re-act if the accused in one of these cases was a member of your family.

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Someone pointed out to me that Mr. Fortin and '"Anonymous Andre" who writes comments on his site as if they have been written by members of the public at large have been very protective of Inspector Matte, VanHoutte, and Sirois and others. That is because the only reading and research that has been done by Mr. Fortin is reading this Brossard Report, and never conducting an exhaustive, critical, and independent investigation of the case.

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It is particularly evident that Mr. Fortin has done no research beyond this Brossard Report, because his site excels at unwarranted and unsubstantiated remarks against individuals who are no longer here to defend themselves. A good example of that was Jacques Hebert. As soon as Mr. Hebert passed on, the writings on his site were cruel and undeserving. The references that he makes to the Baker families, the Sinnett families, and the Doyon families are cruel, cruel because he has nothing to back up his claims. In my view one is severely lacking in intestinal fortitude to level such verbal attacks on a deceased individual, but then again, dead people do not fight back. It is because of this stuff that I pay little attention to his site, other than when someone asks me to comment on a particular incident.

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Over the years I have arrived at the conclusion that lawyers tend to be a bit lacking when it comes to investigative skills, particularly in the criminal investigation field. I am of the view that they tend to lean heavily in the direction of what is put in front of them on a piece of paper rather than explore beyond the box. This is why most members of the profession tend to fill the ranks of legalized litigation clerks. Very quickly one is aware of this comparison if the time is taken to attend a criminal trial staffed by high profile criminal lawyers. At that level, watching these professionals perform is truly poetry in motion.

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With the deck stacked against him, Wilbert Coffin was doomed. As we know, the crown had suppressed evidence that should have been presented. They were able to manipulate the process all the way from the inquest to the trial, with little or no opposition from the lead defense lawyer, Raymond Maher. Wilbert Coffin's fate was sealed with Maher at the controls. It would be like trying to win the Stanley Cup with a community Junior B hockey team.

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I will be back in a couple of days with some new reading for you. I think you will find it interesting.

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Lew Stoddard