David Milgaard, victim of one of the most serious miscarriages of justice in Canadian history, died at the age of 69 following a short illness.
Posted at 5:18 p.m.
News of the death was confirmed by Toronto lawyer James Lockyer, who had worked closely on the case. He said he learned it from Mr. Milgaard’s sister on Sunday.
The news upset the family, he added.
Mr Milgaard was only 16 when he was charged with the murder of Saskatoon nurse Gail Miller on January 31, 1969.
Unjustly sentenced, he remained imprisoned for 23 years before being released in 1992.
In the latter part of his life, he helped raise awareness about unjust convictions. He called for changes to the way Canadian courts review guilty verdicts.
“It is important for everyone to know, not just lawyers, that there are unjust convictions. People are imprisoned and trying to get out, Milgaard said in 2015. The policies that keep them in prison need to be changed. The wrongful conviction review process is doing us a terrible disservice. »
Federal Justice Minister David Lemetti expressed his grief on social media.
“David Milgaard was a tireless defender of those who were wrongfully convicted, he who wanted a new system after being convicted himself. I am saddened that he is no longer here to see the results of his efforts, but we continue them in his memory,” he commented.
Mr. Milgaard and two of his friends were staying in Saskatoon when Mrs.me Miller was murdered.
A year later, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
One of his companions in misfortune, a 17-year-old boy, was raped and attempted suicide. Mr. Milgaard was hit by a bullet during an escape attempt.
“It was a nightmare!, he said in 2014. People are not entitled to much love and care inside these walls. »
In 1992, he was released thanks to the tenacity of his mother who wanted to clear him. She convinced the Supreme Court to review the case. The nation’s highest court threw out the guilty verdict before exonerating him in July 1997 after DNA tests proved semen taken from the crime scene did not match his.
An individual named Larry Fisher was convicted of first degree murder in December 1999 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Government of Saskatchewan has issued a formal apology to Mr. Milgaard who obtained 10 million in compensation.
The province has also launched a public inquiry into the miscarriage of justice.
In 2008, the commission presented its final report with 13 recommendations, including the establishment of an independent federal conviction review body to replace the ministerial review.