Nearly fifty years have past since a man named Wilbert Coffin was wrongly convicted and hanged for “supposedly” killing one Pennsylvanian hunter in Gaspé, Québec. The murder occurred in the year 1953 during The Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen Club’s hunting trip. Eugene Lindsey’s remains were found on July 15th 1953 with an empty wallet and a rifle close by. Richard Lindsey’s remains were found with a bullet hole through his shirt and a missing wallet. Frederick Claar’s remains were also found on July 23rd 1953 and were found two hundred feet away from Richard’s remains.
Wilbert Coffin was convicted for murdering Richard Lindsey on August 2nd 1954 based on circumstantial evidence. He was sentenced to death when the jury reached a verdict of guilty after only a thirty minute discussion. On February 8th 1956 the Supreme Court upheld the conviction with a 5-2 decision and sentenced Wilbert Coffin to be hanged on February 10th 1956 at Bordeaux Jail.
Now almost half a century later, the Coffin family asks for justice since no reasonable evidence proves that Wilbert Coffin was ever guilty.
The law involved with the Coffin case is section 696(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada which states that "An application for ministerial review on the grounds of miscarriage of justice may be made to the Minister of Justice by or on behalf of a person who has been convicted of an offence under an Act of Parliament or a regulation made under an Act of Parliament or has been found to be a dangerous offender or a long-term offender under Part XXIV and whose rights of judicial review or appeal with respect to the conviction or finding have been exhausted".
We are currently working with the AIDWYC organization to help get Mr. Coffin a pardon. Please sign the petition so that we can get Wilbert Coffin his justly deserved retribution.
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