Exoneration Record

Canada ยท Ontario

Guy Paul Morin: wrongly convicted, exonerated

Convicted of First degree murder of a nine year old neighbour who disappeared in October 1984.

Convicted30 July 1992
Years in prison1.5
Exonerated23 January 1995
How the conviction was overturnedDNA evidence, with the Crown apologising and joining the defence in asking the court to overturn the conviction and enter a not guilty verdict, Court of Appeal for Ontario, which set aside the conviction and entered an acquittal on a joint Crown and defence request1,2,3

What went wrong

From conviction to exoneration

  1. Arrested and denied bail.1
  2. Acquitted by a jury at his first trial.1,3
  3. The Supreme Court of Canada reversed the acquittal and ordered a retrial.1
  4. Convicted of first degree murder at his second trial.1,3
  5. Released on bail from Kingston Penitentiary pending appeal.1
  6. After DNA testing excluded him, the Crown apologised and joined the defence in asking that the conviction be overturned and a not guilty verdict entered.1,2,3
  7. Toronto police said genetic genealogy had linked a DNA sample to another man, who died in 2015.1,2

Compensation

1.25 million Canadian dollars and a public apology, according to Innocence Canada and The Canadian Encyclopedia, which says retired judge Alan Gold recommended the amount. CBC News rounds the payment to 1.2 million dollars.

Today

Acquitted in January 1995 and compensated by Ontario.

Sources

  1. The Canadian Encyclopedia, Guy Paul Morin Case
  2. CBC News, Sister of Guy Paul Morin ecstatic cold case solved, wishes her father was alive to hear (October 2020)
  3. Innocence Canada, Guy Paul Morin