Guy Paul Morin

Dates

Crime

October 3, 1984

Christine Jessop was reported missing

December 31, 1984

Christine’s body was found over 50km from her home

Police Suspicion

February 14, 1985

Janet Jessop mentioned to police her neighbor, Guy Paul Morin, was a “weird-type guy”

February 19, 1985

Police had set up surveillance on Morin's home.

February 22, 1985

Morin was interviewed by two police officers.

Arrest

April 22, 1985

Morin was arrested

1st Trial

January 7, 1986

First Trial began

February 7, 1986

Acquitted

Retrial

March 4, 1986

the Attorney General of Ontario created an appeal for Guy’s acquittal

June 5, 1987

The Court of Appeal ordered a new trial

November 17, 1988

The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed Morin's appeal to the decision of a new trial

May 28, 1990

Second Trial began

July 30, 1992

Morin was found guilty of first degree murder

Exoneration

February 9, 1993

Morin was granted bail, despite his murder conviction,while he waited for the appeal to be decided

January 23, 1995

Morin was acquitted due to new evidence

June 26, 1996

Lieutenant Governor ordered a public inquiry about the causes of Morin’s wrongful conviction

The inquiry was released in April 1998

Time

Disapearance

Mid-day

Christine Jessop, disappeared sometime after being dropped off at home by her school bus

Early Evening

Christine's parents realized that something was wrong and her mother, Janet Jessop, called the police.

Several Days Following

The search for Christine had lasted multiple days, however unfortunately she was nowhere to be found.

Place

Abduction

Queensville, Ontario, north of Toronto

Site of Body

A wooded area in Sunderland, Ontario, 56 kilometres from her home

Involved Parties

Victim

Christine Jessop, nine-years old

Victim's Family

Janet Jessop, Mother

Robert Jessop, Father

Wrongly Accused

Guy Paul Morin, accused offender

Wrongly Accused's Family

Witnesses

Mr. May, cellmate

"Mr. X", cellmate

Various unnamed witnesses

Police constable

Member of Morin's family

Christine's best friend

Paddy Hester, neighbor

Justice for Guy Paul Morin Committee

Later reconstituted as the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted

Arrest Location

Morin was arrested on his way home.

Crime

Murder

Police concluded Christine's body had been stabbed to death

Rape

Investigators had discovered semen stains on her underwear

Criminal Code Section

Section 271; Everyone who commits a sexual assault is guilty of

(a) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years and, if the complainant is under the age of 16 years, to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of one year; or

(b) an offence punishable on summary conviction and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 18 months and, if the complainant is under the age of 16 years, to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of 90 days.

Section 279; Every person commits an offence who kidnaps a person with intent

if the person is under 16 years of age, to imprisonment for life and, unless the person who commits the offence is a parent, guardian or person having the lawful care or charge of the person referred to in that paragraph, to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of five years; and
in any other case, to imprisonment for life.

Morin's Charge

Morin was charged with first degree murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment

Murder is first degree murder when it is planned and deliberate

Elements of offence

Actus Reus

Kidnapping, rape, and murder

Mens Rea

The intent of harming the young girl

Investigators had obtained Morin’s time card from work

which showed that it would have been nearly impossible for Morin to return from his job and kidnap Christine before her parents’ returned home

Morin voluntarily provided DNA samples to police upon his first arrest.

Morin's lawyers own experts disagreed with the Crown's experts analysis' of the hair and 'fibre' evidence provided in the first trial

No previous criminal offences

Living with retired parents, 25 years old

Several experts had testified that a number of 'fibres' found on Christine’s clothing and recorder case could have come from Guy’s home/car.

Witness Statements

Mr. May and "Mr. Ex"

Claims to have heard a confession from Morin during his incarceration

Police Constable

Claims Morin did not appear concerned with Christine's appearance when consulted

Paddy Hester

Chased away from potential evidence by Morin

Christine's Best Friend

Claims to have had scary encounters with Morin before

Police Report

Interview with Police (Before Arrest)

Guy revealed nothing that could be taken as a confession, he also did not give any indication that he was the one responsible for Christine’s murder

Crime Scene

Body was found and believed to be raped and stabbed to death.

Investigators discovered semen stains on her underwear

Haphazard knife wounds were found on her torso

Said to have been unorganized and sloppy

Interrogation

Morin only repeatedly stated that he was innocent during his six hour interrogation

Facts

Later in the evening on the day of his arrest, the police searched the Morin household and took samples of his hair, blood, and saliva

First Trial

DNA

A hair stuck in Christine’s necklace supposedly matched the hair sample Morin provided

as well as three hairs that were found in Morin’s car that also similarly matched Christine’s

Several experts also testified that a number of 'fibres' found on Christine’s clothing and recorder case could have originated from Morin's home/car

Morin’s lawyers argued that the hair and 'fibre' evidence did not infact really prove anything

Morin's lawyers then called upon their own experts who disagreed with the Crown's experts analysis'

Witnesses

Janet Jossep

Mentioned to the police that their neighbor was a “weird-type guy” (Guy Paul Morin)

Mr. May and "Mr. X"

Both claim that Morin had confessed to murdering Christine while he was being incarcerated before his trial.

Morin had never confessed anything in prison.

Morin's lawyers made it evident to the court that the hour indicated on his time card from work made it impossible for him to have been able to have enough time to have committed the crime

Second Trial

New Witness Statements

Police constable

Claimed to have visited the Morin household the night of Christine's disappearance

Stated that he consulted with Morin, who did not appear concerned that the little girl who lived next door had disappeared

A member of Morin's family

Claims Morin seemed very dismissive and uncaring towards the murder, which was unsettling to her

Christine’s best friend

Stated that her and Christine had had multiple conversations with Morin

Also claims that during their encounters with Morin, he would keep a grip so tight on his hedge clippers that his knuckles would turn white.

Paddy Hester

Stated that Morin had attempted to chase her away from his car, where the apparent hair and 'fiber' evidence was discovered.

Exoneration

New DNA Test Results

More advanced technology had now been created which could now conduct a more credible result.

This test proved that the DNA in question could not belong to Morin

Compensation

awarded $1.2 million

Judge's Sentence

First Trial

Morin was found not guilty and was acquitted

Second Trial

Morin was found guilty of first degree murder, sentenced to Life imprisonment

Spent 18 months in jail

Claims of abuse and rape by other inmates

Exoneration

Ontario Court of Appeal removed Morin’s conviction and finally acquitted him instead

Jury's Verdict

First Trial

Reached a verdict of not guilty

Second Trial

Reached a verdict of guilty

Appeals

The Crown made accusations that the judge had made a mistake in explaining to the jury what the meaning of “reasonable doubt” is

The Attorney General of Ontario inquired an appeal of Morin’s first acquittal

Morin appealed this decision to the Supreme Court of Canada

The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed Morin's appeal

Public's Reaction

Upset

Outraged with Morin's first acquittal, believed he was guilty

Uncertain

Many were still uncertain with the decision of Morin's exoneration