CANADA Canada - Cheryl 'Lynne' Harper, 12, Clinton, Ont, 9 June 1959

Gina_M

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Cheryl Lynne Harper (August 31, 1946 – June 9, 1959) was a schoolgirl who was raped and murdered near Clinton, Ontario, on June 9 or 10, 1959. A 14-year-old classmate, Steven Truscott, was convicted of the crime and sentenced to death; his sentence was commuted and he served approximately 10 years in prison. Continuing to maintain his innocence, he won an acquittal in the Ontario Court of Appeal on August 28, 2007.

above summary from Wikipedia



Timeline of the case:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/truscott/timeline.html

Ontario Court of Appeal throws out Truscott's conviction in murder of Lynne Harper:
http://www.nowpublic.com/ontario-court-appeal-throws-out-truscotts-conviction-murder-lynne-harper


Truscott's supporters have long contended the real killer may have been a military man. Clinton, Ontario was home to a Canadian air force base in the late 50s, leading to speculation that someone who toiled or lived on that property could have committed the crime and easily gotten away with it.
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_14158.aspx
 
Thanks for posting that one, Gina.
Yes, now that Steven Truscott is finally acquitted, it is time to see if we can solve the Lynne Harper murder. Like we finally bestowed Justice on Steven, we should also try to do justice to Lynne.

Many cold cases have been solved but it takes more than the input of a few...the whole community must combine their talents. By this I mean the ones who worked to have Steven convicted, as well as those who worked so hard to have him acquitted, should all get together. After 48 years, every one is needed to serve justice on Lynne.

Persons of interest must be checked again.

Forensic people should re-visit the evidence to see if anything can be gleaned from it with modern technology.

Crime profilers should be called upon to do an analysis of the crime scene and the crime itself.

Simple cross checks should be done by the police. One example would be the abduction of Marianne Schuett, from Kilbride. She was seen getting into a car in 1967, just eight years after Lynne was last seen getting into a car.
The town of Clinton, where Lynne was from, is only an hour and a half drive from Kilbride, an easy commute for a person with a car.

I feel it is important that cases like these be re-checked. At the time, Truscott was still considered guilty by the police, now that this has proven to be a wrongful conviction, police must re-trace their steps.

Criminals in the Clinton area should also be re-checked. There is so much that could and should be done, that isn't done. Now is the time IMHO.
 
June 28, 2006: Sandra Stolzman testifies Jocelyn Gaudet, a key child witness in Truscott's 1959 murder trial, admitted she lied under oath to her and a group of fellow resident nurses in Montreal in 1966. Stolzmann also testifies that Gaudet suggested that a man who was spotted driving a yellow car in the area should have been considered a prime suspect. Another nursing co-worker, Elizabeth Hulbert, seconds Stolzmann's account.
(from the timeline link above)

I'd like to know more about this Jocelyn Gaudet and why she lied under oath. Was she protecting someone?

We have a thread on Marianne Schuett here:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49254
I wonder if LE has taken a look at this possible connection. Unfortunately, the suspect in Marianne's case committed suicide, so he can't provide LE with any more information or be prosecuted for his crime.
 
Gina, You should be able to find answers to all your questions here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/truscott/documents.html
The reasons why Jocelyne allegedly lied is really too much to go into here.

Briefly, though, might it not have been a lie at all? Could it have been a matter of the cops bearing down on a child witness to make her tell in court what THEY wanted to hear?

That said, there was some eye witness accounts that Lynne was seen in the vicinity of Jocelyne's house shortly after Lynne left home.

As to the accounts of Stoltzman/Hulbert, these 2 women sounded very credible in court. It was very apparent that they wanted to tell the truth, but I felt that their credibility was somewhat doubted by the judges due to the passage of time which is understandable.
 
http://www.goderichsignalstar.com/2015/01/04/the-search-for-lynne-harper

Lynne Harper was raped and murdered. Her lifeless body was found in Lawson’s Bush on June 11, 1959. The subsequent autopsy determined that she had been strangled with her own blouse. These are the only undisputed facts in what history calls the Truscott case...

The most enduring tragedy of the case is that there will be no closure for the Harper family. There are no websites or organizations demanding justice for Lynne Harper. There is no monetary settlement for the Harper family to compensate for their half-century of suffering. That, in the end, is the ultimate tragedy.
 
Followers of the Lynne Harper murder case may be interested in a book recently published by retired OPP officer Barry Ruhl. He is reasonably sure he knows who Lynne's killer was (though for legal reasons, he doesn't name this person); it was a repeat offender with whom he had a personal encounter of the criminal kind.

I've hear Barry tell his story in person and share insights into the case. The book is a gripping read . Here's more about it:

http://www.therecord.com/news-story...hat-saw-steven-truscott-wrongfully-convicted/

http://www.friesenpress.com/bookstore/title/119734000014412624/Barry-Ruhl-A-Viable-Suspect


Buy from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.ca/A-Viable-Suspect-Barry-Ruhl/dp/1460247450

I thought it well worth the price, but if you're watching your wallet you might suggest your public library buy it for its readers. It's certainly of general interest to many Ontarians.

It's also available as an e-book.

Here's Barry's website:

http://www.goldenruhler.com/
 
Bumping case up.

Although considered a closed case with the conviction of Steven Truscott, the case became open and unsolved with the reversal of his conviction in 2007.
 
Bumping case up.

Although considered a closed case with the conviction of Steven Truscott, the case became open and unsolved with the reversal of his conviction in 2007.

For me the case has always been open and unsolved. But you are right, Richard. It did technically become an unsolved open case in 2007. Too much time has passed to re-open this extremely cold case. Too many witnesses have died and memories are shaky at best. I feel the best that can be done for Lynne at this point is for people like you and I to "stir the pot" once in a while. There might still be someone out there who knows something.
Barry Ruhl is to be commended for his latest effort with his book: A Viable Suspect. Although the book doesn't contribute much for people like us to base any new research on, his effort is still commendable in that he did stir things up.
I believe the only chance that is left to do justice for Lynne is for us all, including Barry, to meet with total openness and contribute all our research material.
Thanks for stirring the pot, Richard.
 
Some do still think that Truscott did it.

Mark Mcclish does an interesting statement analysis: http://www.statementanalysis.com/truscott/

I seem to remember at least one more prominent person on the guilty side, but I can't recall who at the moment.

RBBM.

Indeed they do. I'm a girl in the Canadian Army (and a military brat) and this case has always bothered me because of the fact that Truscott was almost hung for this crime; he was a mere 14 years old. Lynne was also a military brat and lived on base at RCAF Station Clinton when this happened, but she was born at the RCAF base in Chatham, New Brunswick (now called Miramichi, NB - also my home town). The case also had a lot of play in the reason that Canada abolished the death penalty.

This is one of those horrific cases in Canadian history that I just feel connected to even all these many decades later. It's one of those cases I'd also liked to see solved. Although the perpetrator is probably long dead, Steven Truscott is not and I'd love to see him vindicated and cleared much as Guy Paul Morin has been this week with the developments in the Christine Jessop case.

Maybe one @othram can consider.
 
Does anyone know the agency in charge of the case? First step is probably to determine if there is remaining evidence.
 
Does anyone know the agency in charge of the case? First step is probably to determine if there is remaining evidence.

I believe the agency would be the OPP.

Who killed Lynne Harper? Retired OPP sergeant says travelling salesman a suspect in string of unsolved murders | National Post

Case not closed: The enduring tragedy of the Harper – Truscott murder case – Canadian Military History
“The most enduring tragedy of the Harper-Truscott case is that there will be no closure for the Harper family. There are no websites or organizations demanding justice for Lynne Harper. There is no monetary settlement for the Harper family to compensate for their half century of suffering. That, in the end, is the ultimate tragedy.”

https://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/4...tate/steven-truscott-his-word-against-history

www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/last-chance-for-justice/article764574/

https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/truscott/pdf/2007ONCA0575.pdf

Sadly, Lynne is not even listed in their unsolved index. I fear the article quote above was correct. She needs justice.

There is contact details online for the Clinton (Huron) Detachment of the OPP:
Ontario Provincial Police
Huron
Phone Number: 519 482-1677
More information
 
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