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(ominous music)
- A young woman
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in a northern
Manitoba small town
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decides to walk
home alone at night.
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And in the morning, a young
man makes a terrible discovery.
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- The viciousness of it,
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I don't think you ever really
prepare for that kinda stuff.
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- [Narrator] Despite
evidence and lots of rumors,
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there's a town that's
unwilling to talk.
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- Because at the end of the day,
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it's not just a family
who wants justice,
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it's the entire community.
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- I think it's really
important to remember her story
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because of the symbol of
what she ultimately became.
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She could have
been any one of us.
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(soft suspenseful music)
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- The unsolved ones,
we have to stand up.
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- And approach these cases
in a way outside the box.
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- Let the world know
there's those out there
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that did commit a murder
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and there are people that
are coming after you.
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- There's just a
lotta good people
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trying to do the right thing.
(faint police radio chatter)
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- Because it's something
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that you have to be
passionate about.
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- Solve this, bring some
peace to the family at least.
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Just doing my job.
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(gavel pounding)
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(marker scribbling)
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(gentle music)
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- [Narrator] The Pas, a large
town in northern Manitoba
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known as the Gateway
to the North,
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built initially on a fur trade.
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The Cree First Nations people
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call it Opasquia or
Highwood Narrows.
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English settlers would
then shorten that name
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to simply The Pas.
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- By the late-'60s, driven by
the pulp and paper industry,
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The Pas was quite a boom town.
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A good place to get a job,
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it's great if you
like the outdoors,
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it's a good tourist destination.
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- [Narrator] But like
any other boom town,
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there are negatives that
come with economic prosperity
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and a transient workforce.
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- Had a kind of a Wild
West feel to it as well.
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Substance abuse, violence,
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and even prostitution
was not uncommon.
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- [Narrator] The
Pas is also unique
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in that bordering the town
are two Indigenous reserves
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and one Metis settlement.
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Tensions and racist attitudes
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between the
predominantly white town
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and its neighbors
were not uncommon.
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- When I got to The Pas,
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I got off the train
and went to barracks,
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I lived in barracks
at the detachment,
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one of the chaps at coffee said,
"Well, get ready to fight."
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And I said, "What do you mean?
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He said, "Well, you're
the new kid in town.
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"They'll wanna see
how tough you are."
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Saturday at noon, I
had my first fight.
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That's the kind of town
it was, and he was right.
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They wanted to see how tough
you are, and so they try you.
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- [Narrator] While The
Pas had its rough edges,
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no one would be prepared
for what was about to happen
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when on a chilly
November morning in 1971,
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a young man would make
a discovery in the woods
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20 miles northeast of The Pas.
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(uneasy music)
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A father and son are off
on a fishing expedition
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on a cold miserable
morning at Clearwater Lake.
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The boy is just 14.
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The wind coming off the
water is damp and biting,
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so he goes for a wander,
looking for rabbit tracks.
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- The young man
followed the trail
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and found something
clearly wrong.
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(eerie music)
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- [Narrator] The father and
son drive to the nearest phone
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and call the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police
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as constables Tom
Boyle and Don Knight,
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both in their early-20s,
are dispatched.
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- Had just sat down to
watch the TV and got a call.
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"There's been a body found."
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- And all she was wearing
were thick rubber boots.
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At the time, they didn't
have the availability
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of ready-made evidence kits,
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so they actually had
to stop at the store
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and buy paper bags and tape
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in order to be able to
collect the evidence.
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- I don't think you
ever really prepare
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for that kinda stuff.
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I mean, through your training
and of course your experience,
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you learn there's a
routine to go through.
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You have to do certain things.
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- And I was the exhibit guy;
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in other words, gathering
all the exhibits
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and making notes of the
scene and that kind of thing,
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- [Don] And things were
totally different then.
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- This is prior to the use of
using DNA for identification.
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So, they relied heavily at
that time on fingerprints,
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shoe prints, blood, and anything
else at the crime scene.
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- [Narrator] There
are many tracks,
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suggesting that there was
more than one person involved,
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at least in bringing the
body to this location.
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- You can see that she
was dragged into the bush,
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person on each side of her
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where she was dragged
to and dropped,
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and then there's two
sets of tracks going out.
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So, that meant two of them
were involved, at least.
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- They can't do
plaster casts even.
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The shoe prints or footprints
that have been left
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are already filling
up with snow.
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- So, they take
photographs instead.
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And again, it's the '70s.
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Even photographs aren't
the same as they are today.
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- I was involved in
other murder cases,
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but this one here is, it was
like they were in a frenzy.
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I mean, the number of
stab wounds on her,
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the viciousness of it...
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They put the boots to her.
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(somber music)
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- [Narrator] The autopsy
would later be in Winnipeg.
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But for now, the victim's body
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is taken to a local
hospital for identification,
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the task made
problematic by the fact
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that the face had been
crushed or stomped in
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and had many puncture wounds.
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- It was going to be
very hard to identify her
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and identify what killed her.
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- It's kinda hard to
talk about, really,
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because those kinds of things
you don't really forget.
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That somebody could actually
do that to a human being
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is just unbelievable.
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- [Narrator] The first clue
to the victim's identity
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are when the boots are removed,
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revealing a tattoo on her leg.
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"Cornelius Bighetty, I truly
love you, no matter what."
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This would combine
with a very recent
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missing person's report
and give the victim a name:
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Helen Betty Osborne.
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- Where she had been staying,
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the lady said she
hadn't come home
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and put in kind of a
missing person's complaint.
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And so, all of a sudden
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you put two and two
together real quick.
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The lady said she
couldn't do it,
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but the husband came
down and basically said,
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yeah, that was her.
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And of course, they
identified her clothes too.
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- [Narrator] Not
far from the body,
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the police would also
discover the victim's clothes
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bundled up and discarded.
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- On any murder investigation,
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from the moment the crime
scene is discovered,
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from the moment the
officers get there
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and have to enter that
scene for the first time,
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the clock starts
ticking for them.
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They know that the
longer it takes,
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the more the evidence
becomes degraded.
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- Who was she with at the time
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and who was the last
person that saw her?
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That's where you
start, you know?
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- Statistically,
homicides are committed
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by people who are
known to the victim;
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not always, but in the
vast majority of cases.
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- [Narrator] Now, the police
have their first suspect.
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They pick up Cornelius Bighetty
from the Pukatawagan reserve
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and learn that he had been
dating Helen Betty Osborne.
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Bighetty also had been with
her the night of her murder.
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- On the night she disappeared,
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there'd been some drinking,
some alcohol involved.
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There was an
argument over a girl.
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So, essentially, the
last time he saw her,
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she was walking home alone.
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- [Narrator] Bighetty is
interrogated for hours,
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but remains aloof,
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which leads the RCMP to
believe he's hiding something,
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(eerie music)
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so they show him some photos
from the murder scene.
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- When he sees the photos,
Cornelius passes out
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and then the police decide
to put him in a jail cell
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for a few hours.
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- [Narrator] The RCMP
then turn to a polygraph,
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or lie detector test,
to get the truth.
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- In the 1970s, the
polygraph is an instrument
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that's used all over the
world by police agencies
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to try to determine
the truthfulness
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of somebody's statement.
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That measures their
body's reaction
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while they're put under stress.
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Cornelius agrees to
take a polygraph test
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and the results of that test
make it clear to the detectives
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that he's not a
suspect in this matter.
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- [Narrator] But
the interrogation
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would render a crucial clue.
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The night before
Betty's body was found
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near Clearwater Lake,
the investigators
now could place her
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walking to the home where
she was staying in The Pas.
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(uneasy music)
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- She was a high school student
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and she was billeting at a home
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that was near the school
she was attending.
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The RCMP at the time
went to her room
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and they found one of
her school notebooks
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and they were able to obtain
a fingerprint from it.
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And from that fingerprint,
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they were able to
positively identify
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the body of Helen Betty Osborne.
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(somber music)
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- [Narrator] Helen Betty Osborne
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is born a First
Nation Cree in 1952
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in Norway House, a reserve
in northern Manitoba.
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- She was the first born
of Justine and Joe Osborne,
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a fur trapper,
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00:10:06,439 --> 00:10:09,609
one of eight siblings who
all lived in a log cabin.
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- [Narrator] By
the summer of 1969,
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she outgrows the
education program
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and must either settle
for grade-eight education
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or leave home to study further.
220
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Betty is known by her
friends as bright and funny.
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- She had an interest
in mathematics
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and participated in a program
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that helped integrate
Indigenous students
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with white students in The Pas
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at Margaret Barbour Collegiate.
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- She went away to The Pas
out of the safety and comfort
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of her community and her family
228
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so that she can get an education
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so she can go back
to her community
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and better her community.
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- In The Pas on the weekends,
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she sometimes goes to movies
with Cornelius and her friends.
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00:10:56,447 --> 00:11:00,868
- And in 1971, where the
movie theater was segregated
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00:11:00,868 --> 00:11:04,664
in the community of The Pas at
that time, they get spat on,
235
00:11:04,664 --> 00:11:08,167
they get called racial
slurs anywhere they go.
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I'm sure if they
went into a store,
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they were followed around
and viewed with suspicion.
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Those were the attitudes
and the prevailing attitudes
239
00:11:15,256 --> 00:11:18,761
of people who lived
in the community.
240
00:11:18,761 --> 00:11:21,429
(uneasy music)
241
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- To start with, we
were knocking on doors.
242
00:11:31,190 --> 00:11:32,650
And once we found
out who she was,
243
00:11:32,650 --> 00:11:35,778
where was she doing that
night, and you go from there
244
00:11:35,778 --> 00:11:38,572
and you start talking to
everybody that was at the bar
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that you knew at least or
could find out who was there.
246
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You start talking to people in
town, if they heard anything.
247
00:11:46,831 --> 00:11:49,708
All it takes is one person
if you get the right one.
248
00:11:51,627 --> 00:11:55,256
- Within Days of Helen Betty
Osborne's body being found,
249
00:11:55,256 --> 00:11:56,256
the community starts to realize
250
00:11:56,256 --> 00:11:58,426
that something
horrible has happened.
251
00:11:58,426 --> 00:12:02,304
And pretty soon they get an
idea who may have been involved.
252
00:12:02,304 --> 00:12:04,223
- One of the very first
leads in this case
253
00:12:04,223 --> 00:12:06,517
came from someone
from the community,
254
00:12:06,517 --> 00:12:10,020
a cab driver who was driving
out near the airport.
255
00:12:10,020 --> 00:12:11,564
He saw something
that would be crucial
256
00:12:11,564 --> 00:12:14,357
in identifying who killed
Helen Betty Osborne.
257
00:12:15,901 --> 00:12:19,113
(apprehensive music)
258
00:12:20,948 --> 00:12:23,576
(tense music)
259
00:12:28,581 --> 00:12:30,583
- [Narrator] When the
mutilated body of a young woman
260
00:12:30,583 --> 00:12:33,919
is found in a secluded wooded
area near Clearwater Lake,
261
00:12:33,919 --> 00:12:37,840
northeast of The Pas, Manitoba,
an investigation is launched
262
00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,385
by the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, or RCMP.
263
00:12:41,385 --> 00:12:44,472
- You could see that she
was dragged into the bush,
264
00:12:44,472 --> 00:12:45,890
person on each side of her.
265
00:12:45,890 --> 00:12:48,309
They just brutalized
her is what they did.
266
00:12:48,309 --> 00:12:50,186
It was like they
were in a frenzy.
267
00:12:51,145 --> 00:12:53,647
- [Narrator] She's an Indigenous
student from Norway House
268
00:12:53,647 --> 00:12:56,776
and soon identified as
Helen Betty Osborne.
269
00:12:57,777 --> 00:13:01,030
The crime scene indicates
multiple people were involved
270
00:13:01,030 --> 00:13:04,408
and her tattoo leads
investigators to a boyfriend.
271
00:13:04,408 --> 00:13:06,744
But after an initial
interrogation,
272
00:13:06,744 --> 00:13:08,788
they realize it's not him.
273
00:13:09,580 --> 00:13:12,917
- Police are desperately going
to streets, homes, and bars
274
00:13:12,917 --> 00:13:15,169
when a cab driver contacts them
275
00:13:15,169 --> 00:13:17,505
to say he's seen
something suspicious.
276
00:13:17,505 --> 00:13:21,133
- He sees a white or a light
blue car out on the road
277
00:13:21,133 --> 00:13:23,719
and he sees something
thrown from the window.
278
00:13:26,472 --> 00:13:29,767
- Incredibly, he remembers
two numbers from the plate:
279
00:13:29,767 --> 00:13:31,101
four, two.
280
00:13:33,102 --> 00:13:34,772
(grim music)
281
00:13:34,772 --> 00:13:36,357
- A dog search of the highway
282
00:13:36,357 --> 00:13:38,067
where the cab driver saw the car
283
00:13:38,067 --> 00:13:42,738
would turn up a screwdriver
and part of a woman's brassier.
284
00:13:43,489 --> 00:13:45,491
- Screwdriver
stabbed her the face,
285
00:13:45,491 --> 00:13:48,494
which punctured the skull
and went into the brain.
286
00:13:48,494 --> 00:13:49,620
I mean, it was just-
287
00:13:49,620 --> 00:13:50,913
It's kinda hard to
talk about, really,
288
00:13:50,913 --> 00:13:53,916
because those kinds of things
you don't really forget.
289
00:13:53,916 --> 00:13:56,627
That somebody could actually
do that to a human being
290
00:13:56,627 --> 00:13:58,420
is just unbelievable.
291
00:13:58,420 --> 00:14:02,091
- It was inhuman
what they did to her,
292
00:14:02,091 --> 00:14:04,176
how they violated her body
293
00:14:04,176 --> 00:14:08,429
and the indignity of leaving
her the way that they did.
294
00:14:10,224 --> 00:14:13,519
- [Narrator] On November
17th, Helen Betty Osborne
295
00:14:13,519 --> 00:14:16,313
makes front-page news
in the local paper.
296
00:14:16,313 --> 00:14:17,857
Parents from northern reserves
297
00:14:17,857 --> 00:14:19,400
take their kids out of school.
298
00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:21,527
Indigenous girls
who stay in school
299
00:14:21,527 --> 00:14:23,696
are warned by their
parents and landlords
300
00:14:23,696 --> 00:14:26,657
to walk in pairs or not
go out at night at all.
301
00:14:26,657 --> 00:14:29,577
- Helen Betty's peers,
other First Nation kids,
302
00:14:29,577 --> 00:14:32,371
other Indigenous kids that
she was going to school with,
303
00:14:32,371 --> 00:14:33,330
police just went in
304
00:14:33,330 --> 00:14:35,791
and hauled them down
to the police station,
305
00:14:35,791 --> 00:14:37,001
put them in cells.
306
00:14:37,001 --> 00:14:40,754
Even at that point in time,
the law was fairly clear.
307
00:14:40,754 --> 00:14:43,465
The police did not have
power to detain anyone
308
00:14:43,465 --> 00:14:46,093
unless they were charging
them with a specific crime
309
00:14:46,093 --> 00:14:47,803
and arresting them accordingly.
310
00:14:47,803 --> 00:14:52,349
"Clearly, what happened here
is that someone was murdered
311
00:14:52,349 --> 00:14:54,018
"and we need to clear it up
312
00:14:54,018 --> 00:14:58,439
"and it's probably likely one
of these violent Indigenous
313
00:14:58,439 --> 00:15:01,609
"or Aboriginal kids that
have come from the reserve."
314
00:15:02,776 --> 00:15:04,320
- This is a very
small rural town
315
00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:05,821
and people are starting to talk.
316
00:15:05,821 --> 00:15:08,157
Rumors are starting to spread.
317
00:15:08,157 --> 00:15:10,910
(pensive music)
318
00:15:11,911 --> 00:15:13,412
- Now that there
was a better idea
319
00:15:13,412 --> 00:15:14,705
of what the murder weapon was,
320
00:15:14,705 --> 00:15:18,125
there's some clarity or focus
coming to the investigation,
321
00:15:18,125 --> 00:15:21,462
but there was still a question
of whose vehicle it was.
322
00:15:21,462 --> 00:15:25,007
(pensive music continuing)
323
00:15:26,508 --> 00:15:28,302
- It's not unusual
for investigators
324
00:15:28,302 --> 00:15:32,806
to try new techniques to try
to get a break in a case.
325
00:15:32,806 --> 00:15:34,600
And on this particular occasion,
326
00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:38,395
they turned to hypnosis,
a first for the RCMP,
327
00:15:38,395 --> 00:15:40,397
to try to find some information.
328
00:15:41,857 --> 00:15:43,150
- [Narrator] Under hypnosis,
329
00:15:43,150 --> 00:15:46,946
the cab driver now remembers
four of the six characters.
330
00:15:48,197 --> 00:15:51,075
- The license plate and
the description of the car
331
00:15:51,075 --> 00:15:54,787
point to a vehicle owned by
the Colgan family in The Pas,
332
00:15:55,788 --> 00:15:59,208
but all the information they
have at this point is hearsay
333
00:15:59,208 --> 00:16:01,669
and from
unsubstantiated sources.
334
00:16:01,669 --> 00:16:03,170
(ominous music)
335
00:16:03,170 --> 00:16:05,714
- [Narrator] Meanwhile,
Helen Betty Osborne
336
00:16:05,714 --> 00:16:08,092
is buried on a
bitterly cold day.
337
00:16:09,051 --> 00:16:11,095
The family can't
afford a tombstone,
338
00:16:11,095 --> 00:16:12,846
so they ask a man on the reserve
339
00:16:12,846 --> 00:16:15,724
to build her a
wooden cross instead.
340
00:16:15,724 --> 00:16:18,644
- You really feel for
the victim, of course,
341
00:16:18,644 --> 00:16:21,397
and you also feel for
the victim's family,
342
00:16:21,397 --> 00:16:23,983
and that's one of the
hard parts of the job.
343
00:16:24,900 --> 00:16:28,028
- They're dealing with these
attitudes in the community
344
00:16:28,028 --> 00:16:31,657
where there's this hearsay and
there's rumors and innuendo
345
00:16:31,657 --> 00:16:33,826
and they're hearing
snippets of information,
346
00:16:33,826 --> 00:16:36,996
but you can't make a case out
of snippets of information.
347
00:16:36,996 --> 00:16:39,498
You have to go down
and do the hard work.
348
00:16:43,085 --> 00:16:44,503
- [Narrator] It's
a Friday in May
349
00:16:44,503 --> 00:16:48,632
when Constable Don Knight
receives a letter in the mail
350
00:16:48,632 --> 00:16:50,050
that reveals details
351
00:16:50,050 --> 00:16:52,511
about the murder of
Helen Betty Osborne.
352
00:16:54,722 --> 00:16:55,848
- This is an anonymous letter,
353
00:16:55,848 --> 00:16:58,100
but the author clearly
appears to have
354
00:16:58,100 --> 00:16:59,977
intimate knowledge
of the murder.
355
00:17:01,895 --> 00:17:04,064
- [Narrator] The letter
indicates a young woman
356
00:17:04,064 --> 00:17:06,150
was in a car outside of a party
357
00:17:06,150 --> 00:17:08,861
with a young man
who was intoxicated.
358
00:17:09,653 --> 00:17:11,946
The young man would
share all kinds of things
359
00:17:11,946 --> 00:17:14,450
related to Helen Betty
Osborne's murder.
360
00:17:17,494 --> 00:17:20,330
The anonymous letter
mentions a confession
361
00:17:20,330 --> 00:17:23,042
from local boy Lee Colgan.
362
00:17:24,417 --> 00:17:25,753
- There are all kinds of rumors,
363
00:17:25,753 --> 00:17:28,380
some based on talk from
Lee Colgan himself,
364
00:17:28,380 --> 00:17:30,799
who's been chatting
a lot around town,
365
00:17:30,799 --> 00:17:33,469
and this brings into
focus more suspects.
366
00:17:34,470 --> 00:17:37,598
This includes Colgan's neighbor
and friend Jim Houghton
367
00:17:37,598 --> 00:17:38,766
and a young man who's known
368
00:17:38,766 --> 00:17:42,686
as a homeless drug
addict, Norm Manger.
369
00:17:44,188 --> 00:17:47,733
- The author of the letter would
later be revealed, in fact,
370
00:17:47,733 --> 00:17:49,526
to be a relative of the girl
371
00:17:49,526 --> 00:17:51,445
that sat in the car with Colgan.
372
00:17:51,445 --> 00:17:52,905
She didn't even live in The Pas,
373
00:17:52,905 --> 00:17:55,991
but she was still too
afraid to come forward.
374
00:17:55,991 --> 00:17:58,160
- And then I ended up
having an informant
375
00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:00,621
who told us that
there was a fourth guy
376
00:18:00,621 --> 00:18:04,083
by the name of Johnston who
left town shortly thereafter.
377
00:18:04,083 --> 00:18:04,792
I knew his mother.
378
00:18:04,792 --> 00:18:06,502
She was a waitress at the hotel
379
00:18:06,502 --> 00:18:08,796
and we used to see
her all the time.
380
00:18:08,796 --> 00:18:09,922
"Do you know where he is?"
381
00:18:09,922 --> 00:18:12,883
She said, "Well, he left town,"
and she basically put him
382
00:18:12,883 --> 00:18:15,552
right shortly after
that incident, right?
383
00:18:15,552 --> 00:18:16,678
So, we knew then,
384
00:18:16,678 --> 00:18:19,098
probably Johnston's
definitely involved as well.
385
00:18:21,225 --> 00:18:22,810
- The anonymous letter is huge.
386
00:18:22,810 --> 00:18:26,105
It confirms what investigators
already suspected.
387
00:18:26,105 --> 00:18:28,565
Now they have something
they can move on.
388
00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:33,112
- [Narrator] Seven
months after the murder
389
00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:34,613
of Helen Betty Osborne,
390
00:18:34,613 --> 00:18:38,826
RCMP obtain a warrant to search
the Colgan family Chrysler.
391
00:18:44,039 --> 00:18:47,084
- Apparently, Lee Colgan
had washed the exterior
392
00:18:47,084 --> 00:18:48,252
of the Colgan family car,
393
00:18:48,252 --> 00:18:50,629
but hadn't bothered
to clean the interior.
394
00:18:52,464 --> 00:18:57,594
- There's 114 hairs
found in the vehicle,
395
00:18:57,594 --> 00:18:59,221
namely the seat area.
396
00:19:00,222 --> 00:19:02,099
- Literally took
the inside apart
397
00:19:02,099 --> 00:19:05,352
and we found some material
with a little clip.
398
00:19:05,352 --> 00:19:09,398
And it was obvious it was
from a brassier, right?
399
00:19:09,398 --> 00:19:11,817
And we had found the
brassier on the highway
400
00:19:11,817 --> 00:19:14,736
not that far from the pump
house when they'd thrown it out.
401
00:19:14,736 --> 00:19:17,739
The forensic lab in
Regina actually said,
402
00:19:17,739 --> 00:19:20,701
"This clip fits that brassier."
403
00:19:20,701 --> 00:19:23,203
They could match
it up, so we knew.
404
00:19:23,203 --> 00:19:26,498
- And also, blood was located
and there was a blood match.
405
00:19:26,498 --> 00:19:31,962
- Not a DNA match, more a blood
type, like the O-A-B types.
406
00:19:32,921 --> 00:19:36,758
The blood is similar to
that of Helen Betty Osborne.
407
00:19:40,137 --> 00:19:41,930
- Four suspects and then a car
408
00:19:41,930 --> 00:19:45,559
clearly connected to Helen
Betty Osborne's murder.
409
00:19:46,810 --> 00:19:48,686
- We knew obviously she
must have been in there,
410
00:19:48,686 --> 00:19:50,189
but who was there?
411
00:19:51,607 --> 00:19:52,858
- Things have changed so much.
412
00:19:52,858 --> 00:19:55,234
And so, if they were
able to collect DNA,
413
00:19:55,234 --> 00:19:57,696
if they were able to
use some of the tools
414
00:19:57,696 --> 00:19:59,865
that we have at
our disposal now,
415
00:19:59,865 --> 00:20:03,577
this is a case that was
solvable at the time.
416
00:20:03,577 --> 00:20:05,621
- With the advancements
that we've seen
417
00:20:05,621 --> 00:20:08,165
in forensic evidence analysis,
418
00:20:08,165 --> 00:20:10,792
this case likely would've
been solved much quicker.
419
00:20:10,792 --> 00:20:14,713
Now, what police really
need is someone to talk.
420
00:20:14,713 --> 00:20:16,673
- [Narrator] Police
confront Lee Colgan
421
00:20:16,673 --> 00:20:18,175
about what they found
422
00:20:19,134 --> 00:20:23,013
and he tells them to talk to
local lawyer D'Arcy Bancroft.
423
00:20:24,723 --> 00:20:27,142
- All four tell a
police the same thing:
424
00:20:27,142 --> 00:20:28,977
"Talk to D'Arcy."
425
00:20:28,977 --> 00:20:30,896
(light music)
426
00:20:30,896 --> 00:20:32,814
- [Narrator] Shortly
after the vehicle search,
427
00:20:32,814 --> 00:20:35,234
police pay a visit to the home
428
00:20:35,234 --> 00:20:37,611
of local lawyer D'Arcy Bancroft.
429
00:20:38,779 --> 00:20:41,490
- He was eccentric, had a
virtual zoo in his house:
430
00:20:41,490 --> 00:20:45,202
big cats, couple of
ocelots, a chameleon.
431
00:20:46,203 --> 00:20:47,246
Very strange.
432
00:20:48,997 --> 00:20:51,541
- At the time, an individual
could in fact be charged
433
00:20:51,541 --> 00:20:53,252
with non-capital murder
434
00:20:53,252 --> 00:20:56,171
merely by being at the
scene of a homicide.
435
00:20:56,171 --> 00:21:00,050
These four are all in the
same boat if someone talks.
436
00:21:00,968 --> 00:21:03,470
- [Narrator] D'Arcy Bancroft
was not a typical lawyer
437
00:21:03,470 --> 00:21:06,807
and he was most definitely
behind the coordinated silence
438
00:21:06,807 --> 00:21:09,685
in the death of
Helen Betty Osborne.
439
00:21:10,519 --> 00:21:13,272
(tense music)
440
00:21:15,648 --> 00:21:18,777
(apprehensive music)
441
00:21:20,529 --> 00:21:23,282
(tense music)
442
00:21:26,034 --> 00:21:28,869
On November 13th, 1971,
443
00:21:28,869 --> 00:21:31,415
the mutilated body of
Helen Betty Osborne
444
00:21:31,415 --> 00:21:34,251
is discovered in the woods
near Clearwater Lake,
445
00:21:34,251 --> 00:21:36,211
north of The Pas, Manitoba.
446
00:21:38,755 --> 00:21:42,050
- You got the car,
you got the body,
447
00:21:42,050 --> 00:21:45,220
found the screwdriver
that was used to stab her.
448
00:21:46,054 --> 00:21:47,388
You've got all this stuff.
449
00:21:47,388 --> 00:21:49,766
What evidence do you have
that puts them in the car?
450
00:21:49,766 --> 00:21:53,811
Anything that we did have
was basically hearsay, right?
451
00:21:53,811 --> 00:21:55,314
And without witnesses to say,
452
00:21:55,314 --> 00:21:57,316
how are we gonna
get a conviction?
453
00:21:58,650 --> 00:22:00,068
- Osborne was in the car,
454
00:22:00,068 --> 00:22:01,903
but there's still
lots to be known
455
00:22:01,903 --> 00:22:03,696
about what actually happened.
456
00:22:04,865 --> 00:22:06,950
- [Narrator] With the
four suspects not talking,
457
00:22:06,950 --> 00:22:09,994
police approach their
lawyer, D'Arcy Bancroft,
458
00:22:09,994 --> 00:22:12,830
neither of whom is
willing to cooperate.
459
00:22:16,542 --> 00:22:19,212
- The Crown says,
"Lay the charges now,
460
00:22:19,212 --> 00:22:22,132
"it's gonna get
tossed at preliminary,
461
00:22:22,132 --> 00:22:23,884
"and then you'll never
be able to charge them."
462
00:22:23,884 --> 00:22:25,135
He did, he actually said.
463
00:22:25,135 --> 00:22:28,388
He says, "At some point,
one of them may talk
464
00:22:28,388 --> 00:22:30,015
"and then you're gonna
have your evidence
465
00:22:30,015 --> 00:22:33,477
"to lay the charges
and make it stick."
466
00:22:33,477 --> 00:22:35,186
- The RCMP start
putting pressure on
467
00:22:35,186 --> 00:22:39,107
and they start following the
suspects who are still in town
468
00:22:39,107 --> 00:22:41,902
and they get permission
to wiretap their phones.
469
00:22:42,778 --> 00:22:45,781
In the bars, police take
an unorthodox approach
470
00:22:45,781 --> 00:22:47,157
to putting that pressure on
471
00:22:47,157 --> 00:22:51,078
and send the suspects
screwdrivers as a message.
472
00:22:52,287 --> 00:22:54,623
- Letting the suspects
know that they're watching
473
00:22:54,623 --> 00:22:56,458
and that they probably
know a lot more
474
00:22:56,458 --> 00:22:58,377
than they actually
realize they do.
475
00:23:00,462 --> 00:23:03,090
- [Narrator] Putting
pressure on his clients,
476
00:23:03,090 --> 00:23:05,550
D'Arcy Bancroft writes
a letter of warning
477
00:23:05,550 --> 00:23:08,095
to the RCMP to back off
478
00:23:08,095 --> 00:23:12,057
and a second vouching
for their good character.
479
00:23:12,933 --> 00:23:16,061
- The idea of counsel
now sending a letter
480
00:23:16,061 --> 00:23:18,397
to the Crown Attorney's
Office and saying,
481
00:23:18,397 --> 00:23:21,483
"You better back off," that
simply would not happen now.
482
00:23:21,483 --> 00:23:24,111
And it may have been
certainly a different era
483
00:23:24,111 --> 00:23:26,196
and a smaller community.
484
00:23:27,239 --> 00:23:29,282
- The high pressure tactics
employed by the RCMP
485
00:23:29,282 --> 00:23:31,368
are getting some
attention from above,
486
00:23:31,368 --> 00:23:34,287
which puts a chill
on the investigation.
487
00:23:35,163 --> 00:23:37,124
- [Narrator] Time
begins to pass.
488
00:23:37,124 --> 00:23:39,709
One of the key
investigators, Don Knight,
489
00:23:39,709 --> 00:23:41,420
is transferred outta the region
490
00:23:42,587 --> 00:23:44,840
with the case still
lacking enough evidence
491
00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:46,383
to press charges.
492
00:23:46,383 --> 00:23:48,343
- It's very frustrating
as an investigator
493
00:23:48,343 --> 00:23:52,763
to see a viable suspect
basically walk away
494
00:23:52,763 --> 00:23:55,434
just because you don't
have enough evidence,
495
00:23:55,434 --> 00:23:57,436
even though you know you know.
496
00:24:00,063 --> 00:24:01,481
- But if people know anything,
497
00:24:01,481 --> 00:24:04,192
they're not telling police
or they're simply afraid.
498
00:24:06,528 --> 00:24:09,698
- [Narrator] The anonymous
letter that RCMP received
499
00:24:09,698 --> 00:24:12,701
speaks to the fear
that some may have.
500
00:24:13,577 --> 00:24:16,246
Part of that fear may
be of the local lawyer,
501
00:24:16,246 --> 00:24:19,708
D'Arcy Bancroft, an
intimidating figure
502
00:24:19,708 --> 00:24:22,794
who's connected to the
privileged class of The Pas.
503
00:24:24,463 --> 00:24:25,964
- Well, they didn't
wanna get involved
504
00:24:25,964 --> 00:24:27,090
because it had something to do
505
00:24:27,090 --> 00:24:31,094
with a person that
they didn't value
506
00:24:31,094 --> 00:24:33,054
and really felt
was beneath them,
507
00:24:33,054 --> 00:24:35,515
and so it wasn't any
of their business.
508
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,270
By getting involved and
doing the right thing
509
00:24:40,270 --> 00:24:42,105
perhaps meant for them
510
00:24:42,105 --> 00:24:45,984
that they also would be looked
down upon by their neighbors
511
00:24:45,984 --> 00:24:50,155
of getting involved and helping
these Indians at the time.
512
00:24:50,155 --> 00:24:51,406
Up to this point,
513
00:24:51,406 --> 00:24:53,700
so many officers had been
involved in this case,
514
00:24:53,700 --> 00:24:55,202
but it had just stagnated.
515
00:24:55,202 --> 00:24:56,369
They really had to just focus
516
00:24:56,369 --> 00:24:58,371
on the long-term
strategy at this point.
517
00:24:58,371 --> 00:25:00,874
(pensive music)
518
00:25:00,874 --> 00:25:05,212
- [Narrator] The main suspects
continue to live their lives.
519
00:25:05,212 --> 00:25:06,379
Lee Colgan marries
520
00:25:06,379 --> 00:25:08,882
and eventually ends up
in British Columbia.
521
00:25:08,882 --> 00:25:12,260
The marriage is troubled,
as he abuses his spouse
522
00:25:12,260 --> 00:25:14,513
and struggles with
alcohol addiction.
523
00:25:15,388 --> 00:25:16,723
After getting divorced,
524
00:25:16,723 --> 00:25:19,559
Colgan loses shared
custody of their children
525
00:25:19,559 --> 00:25:22,521
because he threatens
to kill his ex-wife.
526
00:25:23,563 --> 00:25:27,025
James Houghton also
marries, moves to Alberta,
527
00:25:27,025 --> 00:25:28,944
and becomes a
successful salesman
528
00:25:28,944 --> 00:25:30,737
who's known to
friends and family
529
00:25:30,737 --> 00:25:33,490
as decent, caring, and generous.
530
00:25:35,242 --> 00:25:37,994
Dwayne Johnston is
a stable family man
531
00:25:37,994 --> 00:25:39,996
living in British Columbia
532
00:25:39,996 --> 00:25:42,791
who socializes with
a local biker gang
533
00:25:42,791 --> 00:25:45,710
and is rumored to have
killed an Indigenous man
534
00:25:45,710 --> 00:25:47,128
back in Manitoba.
535
00:25:48,463 --> 00:25:52,759
Norm Manger is an alcoholic
and living in British Columbia.
536
00:25:58,557 --> 00:26:00,642
As pressure builds on the RCMP
537
00:26:00,642 --> 00:26:04,563
well over a decade after the
death of Helen Betty Osborne,
538
00:26:05,814 --> 00:26:10,193
Officer Bob Urbanoski is
officially assigned to the case.
539
00:26:11,736 --> 00:26:13,989
- A new investigator can
be a very good thing.
540
00:26:13,989 --> 00:26:17,993
They bring new perspectives,
they bring new insights.
541
00:26:17,993 --> 00:26:19,494
- [Narrator] Over
the last 13 years,
542
00:26:19,494 --> 00:26:22,289
about 200 officers had
looked over the case,
543
00:26:22,289 --> 00:26:25,250
but Urbanoski is the
first one to be full-time.
544
00:26:25,250 --> 00:26:27,919
- Urbanoski spends the
first six months in The Pas
545
00:26:27,919 --> 00:26:29,671
asking a lotta questions.
546
00:26:30,964 --> 00:26:33,133
- [Narrator] Urbanoski
tries something new
547
00:26:33,133 --> 00:26:36,011
and places an ad in
the Opasquian Times
548
00:26:36,011 --> 00:26:38,054
requesting the
public's assistance
549
00:26:38,054 --> 00:26:40,557
in Betty's murder investigation.
550
00:26:40,557 --> 00:26:44,352
Amazingly, police get
over 150 responses
551
00:26:44,352 --> 00:26:47,814
and Urbanoski makes
almost 200 inquiries,
552
00:26:47,814 --> 00:26:50,108
traveling to countless
cities and towns
553
00:26:50,108 --> 00:26:52,068
from Vancouver to Toronto.
554
00:26:53,028 --> 00:26:54,446
- He was like a dog
with a bone, right?
555
00:26:54,446 --> 00:26:57,574
(laughing) He just kept on it
and kept on it and kept on it
556
00:26:57,574 --> 00:26:59,909
and tried all kindsa
different things.
557
00:26:59,909 --> 00:27:01,744
And finally, one of them worked.
558
00:27:02,704 --> 00:27:03,663
- 13 years later,
559
00:27:03,663 --> 00:27:06,750
the simple act of taking
out an ad in the paper
560
00:27:06,750 --> 00:27:09,961
is the break that
Urbanoski needed.
561
00:27:09,961 --> 00:27:12,964
(eerie music)
562
00:27:12,964 --> 00:27:15,592
(tense music)
563
00:27:17,969 --> 00:27:21,013
(apprehensive music)
564
00:27:22,974 --> 00:27:24,142
(tense music)
565
00:27:24,142 --> 00:27:27,270
- [Narrator] When Helen Betty
Osborne is brutally murdered,
566
00:27:27,270 --> 00:27:31,523
RCMP hunt for clues and anyone
who might know what happened,
567
00:27:31,523 --> 00:27:35,987
but residents of The Pas,
Manitoba, are reluctant to talk.
568
00:27:35,987 --> 00:27:38,073
- Evidence points
to four young men.
569
00:27:38,073 --> 00:27:41,576
Their involvement seems to be
the worst kept secret in town.
570
00:27:43,494 --> 00:27:45,246
- A lotta people don't
want to get involved.
571
00:27:45,246 --> 00:27:47,207
Doesn't matter what
their profession is,
572
00:27:47,207 --> 00:27:49,250
they don't wanna get involved.
573
00:27:49,250 --> 00:27:50,794
"I don't know, I don't
wanna go to court.
574
00:27:50,794 --> 00:27:53,963
"I don't wanna get
involved," and that happens,
575
00:27:54,839 --> 00:27:56,675
which makes it hard to
investigate sometimes
576
00:27:56,675 --> 00:27:58,593
because you got
people that know stuff
577
00:27:58,593 --> 00:28:01,388
that just don't
wanna get involved.
578
00:28:02,847 --> 00:28:06,101
- [Narrator] After 13 years,
the case gains momentum
579
00:28:06,101 --> 00:28:10,480
as RCMP Officer Bob
Urbanoski finds a new way
580
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:14,109
to engage a town that, for the
most part, has been silent.
581
00:28:15,068 --> 00:28:17,904
(pensive music)
582
00:28:19,071 --> 00:28:22,492
- Urbanoski needs one of
these four suspects to break.
583
00:28:22,492 --> 00:28:26,496
- Lee Colgan is suffering
with alcoholism and violence.
584
00:28:26,496 --> 00:28:28,540
He's definitely the weak link.
585
00:28:30,041 --> 00:28:33,086
- Sometimes people don't know
that they have information,
586
00:28:33,086 --> 00:28:36,339
and so that ad, I
think, was so important
587
00:28:36,339 --> 00:28:39,175
and it obviously
became very important.
588
00:28:42,971 --> 00:28:45,140
- For years, people have
been talking about this.
589
00:28:45,140 --> 00:28:46,182
There's been rumors.
590
00:28:46,182 --> 00:28:48,351
The suspects themselves
have talked about it.
591
00:28:50,019 --> 00:28:51,855
- Bob Urbanoski really brought
592
00:28:51,855 --> 00:28:56,359
that fresh perspective as
well to say, "This isn't right
593
00:28:56,359 --> 00:28:59,571
"and there are pieces here
that if we put together
594
00:28:59,571 --> 00:29:03,032
"we can make a case, and
there are people who know.
595
00:29:03,032 --> 00:29:04,576
"And now enough time has passed
596
00:29:04,576 --> 00:29:08,329
"that maybe they're thinking
about what that means to them
597
00:29:08,329 --> 00:29:11,207
"in terms of keeping
this a secret."
598
00:29:11,207 --> 00:29:14,043
- And finally, someone sees
the notice in the paper
599
00:29:14,043 --> 00:29:15,462
and decides to talk.
600
00:29:16,921 --> 00:29:21,384
- [Narrator] Andrea Wiwcharuk
responds to the Urbanoski ad.
601
00:29:21,384 --> 00:29:25,764
She's 14 when she hears Dwayne
Johnston brag at a party.
602
00:29:27,223 --> 00:29:28,433
"I stabbed her.
603
00:29:28,433 --> 00:29:29,768
"I stabbed her."
604
00:29:31,728 --> 00:29:33,146
According to Wiwcharuk,
605
00:29:33,146 --> 00:29:36,483
Johnston added that
the murder felt great.
606
00:29:37,525 --> 00:29:41,237
- "And they tore the car apart
and we'll never get caught."
607
00:29:45,408 --> 00:29:49,078
- Most importantly, Wiwcharuk
is willing to take the stand,
608
00:29:49,078 --> 00:29:51,080
but then something
else comes out.
609
00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:52,874
There's a whole
other revelation.
610
00:29:55,585 --> 00:29:57,128
- Suddenly, someone
else in The Pas
611
00:29:57,128 --> 00:29:59,047
realizes they should speak up.
612
00:30:01,508 --> 00:30:04,511
- This new revelation is
that Sheriff Gerald Wilson
613
00:30:04,511 --> 00:30:08,640
of The Pas runs into
Colgan at the local Legion.
614
00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:12,060
He buys him alcohol and
takes him back to his trailer
615
00:30:12,060 --> 00:30:15,522
in the hopes of eliciting
a confession of some sort.
616
00:30:15,522 --> 00:30:16,648
- [Narrator] The
sheriff would recall
617
00:30:16,648 --> 00:30:21,903
that Colgan's confession took
place in maybe 1977 or '78,
618
00:30:22,904 --> 00:30:26,115
but doesn't come
forward until 1986.
619
00:30:27,075 --> 00:30:29,828
- Sheriff, while a peace officer
but not a police officer,
620
00:30:29,828 --> 00:30:35,291
whatever rationale he may
have had to keep that a secret
621
00:30:36,376 --> 00:30:39,629
I think is complete baloney.
622
00:30:39,629 --> 00:30:42,298
And I would say he
had an obligation
623
00:30:42,298 --> 00:30:45,844
to pass that information
on to the RCMP.
624
00:30:48,304 --> 00:30:50,223
- All the information
that came out,
625
00:30:50,223 --> 00:30:52,559
even though it may be
over a decade late,
626
00:30:52,559 --> 00:30:54,519
it couldn't be more significant.
627
00:30:56,521 --> 00:30:59,774
- [Narrator] Officer
Urbanoski visits Lee Colgan,
628
00:30:59,774 --> 00:31:02,694
armed with a witness
willing to take the stand.
629
00:31:03,611 --> 00:31:06,489
- Urbanoski knows that of
all of the four suspects,
630
00:31:06,489 --> 00:31:09,909
Colgan is likely going
to be the one who talks.
631
00:31:09,909 --> 00:31:11,369
- And he breaks his silence,
632
00:31:11,369 --> 00:31:14,455
the silence that started
the day of the murder
633
00:31:14,455 --> 00:31:16,291
and continued until his father
634
00:31:16,291 --> 00:31:18,376
took him to see D'Arcy Bancroft,
635
00:31:18,376 --> 00:31:20,336
only to find out
that Dwayne Johnston
636
00:31:20,336 --> 00:31:22,881
had already been at
Bancroft's office.
637
00:31:26,801 --> 00:31:29,178
- At the end of the day, the
Crown Attorney was right.
638
00:31:29,178 --> 00:31:32,307
"Wait, someday it might
happen," and it did.
639
00:31:34,601 --> 00:31:36,936
- [Narrator] Authorities
arrest Lee Colgan
640
00:31:36,936 --> 00:31:38,396
at his parents' house
641
00:31:38,396 --> 00:31:40,690
and charge him with
first-degree murder.
642
00:31:42,442 --> 00:31:45,361
- And he breaks the silence,
the silence that started
643
00:31:45,361 --> 00:31:47,447
after the murder of
Helen Betty Osborne.
644
00:31:47,447 --> 00:31:51,159
What authorities wanna know
now is who did what that night?
645
00:31:51,159 --> 00:31:53,077
Who wielded the screwdriver?
646
00:31:53,077 --> 00:31:55,038
Who murdered Helen
Betty Osborne?
647
00:31:56,414 --> 00:31:58,541
- [Narrator] Norm
Manger, James Houghton,
648
00:31:58,541 --> 00:32:02,545
Lee Colgan, and Dwayne
Johnston are out drinking
649
00:32:02,545 --> 00:32:04,756
and cruising the town for sex.
650
00:32:04,756 --> 00:32:07,550
(uneasy music)
651
00:32:10,511 --> 00:32:12,680
- They see Helen
Betty Osborne walking,
652
00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:14,974
alone and vulnerable.
653
00:32:15,642 --> 00:32:17,393
They pull her into their car.
654
00:32:19,020 --> 00:32:21,689
- [Narrator] The men use
fake names with each other
655
00:32:21,689 --> 00:32:24,651
so Helen won't be able
to identify them later.
656
00:32:25,485 --> 00:32:27,904
Norm Manger is in front.
657
00:32:27,904 --> 00:32:29,197
James Houghton drives,
658
00:32:29,197 --> 00:32:33,034
with Colgan, Osborne, and
Johnston in the backseat.
659
00:32:36,496 --> 00:32:38,915
- First, they go to
Houghton's cabin,
660
00:32:38,915 --> 00:32:40,875
but Betty is
screaming and yelling
661
00:32:40,875 --> 00:32:42,543
and there's people around.
662
00:32:42,543 --> 00:32:45,171
(eerie music)
663
00:32:49,092 --> 00:32:50,843
- So they forced her
back into the car
664
00:32:50,843 --> 00:32:53,805
and they moved on to
a more secluded area.
665
00:32:57,392 --> 00:33:00,603
- I think they intentionally
were going to rape her
666
00:33:00,603 --> 00:33:03,064
and I think she just
fought them off,
667
00:33:03,064 --> 00:33:07,986
so they decided, "Well, let's
just do a number on her,"
668
00:33:08,820 --> 00:33:10,947
and just there was
no stopping them.
669
00:33:12,031 --> 00:33:13,866
- There was a lotta
alcohol and drugs,
670
00:33:13,866 --> 00:33:16,577
but the initial version
places Houghton and Johnston
671
00:33:16,577 --> 00:33:18,329
outside the car with Betty.
672
00:33:20,540 --> 00:33:22,208
Colgan and Manger
are inside the car
673
00:33:22,208 --> 00:33:24,335
when the worst of
the beating happens.
674
00:33:25,378 --> 00:33:27,588
Manger is extremely drunk.
675
00:33:27,588 --> 00:33:31,175
(eerie music continuing)
676
00:33:32,885 --> 00:33:36,639
- Stabbed her numerous
times, put the boots to her.
677
00:33:36,639 --> 00:33:39,767
It was just a vicious,
vicious attack,
678
00:33:39,767 --> 00:33:41,561
and dumped her body out there
679
00:33:42,562 --> 00:33:45,023
and just drove away as
if nothing happened.
680
00:33:46,315 --> 00:33:48,693
- Of course, they thought
they could get away with it
681
00:33:48,693 --> 00:33:51,237
because in the
viewpoint that they had,
682
00:33:51,237 --> 00:33:54,449
"This was just an
Indian that we picked up
683
00:33:54,449 --> 00:33:56,367
"and nobody's going to care."
684
00:33:59,454 --> 00:34:00,830
- [Narrator] Dwayne
Johnston is arrested
685
00:34:00,830 --> 00:34:03,916
at his home in Revelstoke,
British Columbia.
686
00:34:07,253 --> 00:34:09,797
Lee Colgan and Dwayne Johnston
687
00:34:09,797 --> 00:34:12,300
are to attend a
preliminary hearing.
688
00:34:12,300 --> 00:34:15,594
But minutes prior, Colgan
is offered full immunity
689
00:34:15,594 --> 00:34:18,306
if he testifies
against Johnston.
690
00:34:19,766 --> 00:34:22,560
- Better off to get
some convicted than none
691
00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:24,562
because without
Colgan making a deal,
692
00:34:24,562 --> 00:34:26,064
he wasn't gonna testify.
693
00:34:26,814 --> 00:34:29,192
There was two people
that dragged her body in
694
00:34:29,192 --> 00:34:30,526
and two people came out.
695
00:34:32,236 --> 00:34:37,658
Manger, if you believe Colgan,
is passed out in the car.
696
00:34:38,367 --> 00:34:39,786
- It's essentially a case
697
00:34:39,786 --> 00:34:42,121
of what's the first
rat off the ship?
698
00:34:42,121 --> 00:34:44,373
His lawyer was obviously
able to have discussions
699
00:34:44,373 --> 00:34:45,416
with the Crown Attorney
700
00:34:45,416 --> 00:34:48,335
in terms of working
on a deal for him.
701
00:34:48,335 --> 00:34:50,546
- [Narrator] Colgan gives
police enough evidence
702
00:34:50,546 --> 00:34:52,131
to charge Jim Houghton
703
00:34:52,131 --> 00:34:55,093
and he's arrested on a
friend's porch in Alberta
704
00:34:56,636 --> 00:34:58,930
and charged with
first-degree murder.
705
00:35:02,850 --> 00:35:05,561
16 years after the
murder of her daughter,
706
00:35:05,561 --> 00:35:10,358
Justine Osborne finds out about
the arrests from the radio.
707
00:35:12,902 --> 00:35:15,321
- You oughta bring some sort
of closure to the family,
708
00:35:15,321 --> 00:35:18,658
and that's really hard to do
sometimes 'cause families say,
709
00:35:18,658 --> 00:35:20,409
and you can't blame
'em and they get upset,
710
00:35:20,409 --> 00:35:23,121
"What are you guys, you're
not doing your job,"
711
00:35:23,121 --> 00:35:23,913
that kind of thing.
712
00:35:23,913 --> 00:35:25,248
And you know what?
713
00:35:25,248 --> 00:35:27,625
It's a hard job to do sometimes.
714
00:35:27,625 --> 00:35:29,127
- They've been
suffering for years
715
00:35:29,127 --> 00:35:31,129
and there's still
a trial to face.
716
00:35:34,422 --> 00:35:37,051
(tense music)
717
00:35:39,387 --> 00:35:42,598
(apprehensive music)
718
00:35:44,392 --> 00:35:46,686
(tense music)
719
00:35:46,686 --> 00:35:47,979
- [Narrator] James Houghton
720
00:35:47,979 --> 00:35:51,232
and Dwayne Johnston's murder
trial begins at 10:30 a.m.
721
00:35:53,484 --> 00:35:56,027
From the 104 jury prospects,
722
00:35:56,027 --> 00:35:58,698
20 Indigenous people
are eliminated,
723
00:35:58,698 --> 00:36:02,076
leaving an all-white
two-woman and 10-man jury.
724
00:36:03,035 --> 00:36:06,539
Because he agrees to turn
evidence against the others,
725
00:36:06,539 --> 00:36:08,708
Lee Colgan cannot be held liable
726
00:36:08,708 --> 00:36:11,002
for the murder of
Helen Betty Osborne.
727
00:36:11,919 --> 00:36:15,089
- Norman Manger, although
he was inside the car,
728
00:36:15,089 --> 00:36:16,174
wasn't charged.
729
00:36:18,092 --> 00:36:20,303
- When the girl testified
that Johnston had said,
730
00:36:20,303 --> 00:36:23,681
"I stabbed her and I stabbed
her and I stabbed her,"
731
00:36:23,681 --> 00:36:24,806
no-brainer for the jury.
732
00:36:24,806 --> 00:36:26,851
"Definitely he's one
of the killers, right?
733
00:36:26,851 --> 00:36:28,186
"We don't know who
the other one is,
734
00:36:28,186 --> 00:36:30,146
"so we're not gonna convict."
735
00:36:30,771 --> 00:36:32,356
They had a reasonable doubt.
736
00:36:35,318 --> 00:36:39,906
- For those four men, no one
was really held accountable,
737
00:36:39,906 --> 00:36:44,368
perhaps the one, and it just
doesn't sit right at all.
738
00:36:45,286 --> 00:36:48,998
- Not happy with only
getting one convicted.
739
00:36:50,208 --> 00:36:51,626
Unfortunately, that's our system
740
00:36:51,626 --> 00:36:54,212
and that's what the jury felt.
741
00:36:55,421 --> 00:36:56,589
- [Narrator] Two days later,
742
00:36:56,589 --> 00:37:00,218
the Manitoba Attorney General
commences an investigation
743
00:37:00,843 --> 00:37:04,138
into why The Pas
Sheriff Gerald Wilson
744
00:37:04,138 --> 00:37:05,890
did not reveal the confession
745
00:37:05,890 --> 00:37:09,227
that Lee Colgan had made
to him in the late-'70s.
746
00:37:10,228 --> 00:37:12,146
- Another inquiry
would be launched
747
00:37:12,146 --> 00:37:14,148
by local leaders in The Pas.
748
00:37:14,148 --> 00:37:18,361
And two months later, Sheriff
Gerald Wilson would be demoted
749
00:37:18,361 --> 00:37:20,112
for withholding information.
750
00:37:21,113 --> 00:37:23,532
- The sheriff claims
that everyone in town
751
00:37:23,532 --> 00:37:24,742
was aware of the information
752
00:37:24,742 --> 00:37:27,703
and the RCMP should
have been as well.
753
00:37:27,703 --> 00:37:29,914
That's why he
didn't do anything.
754
00:37:29,914 --> 00:37:32,458
(calm music)
755
00:37:36,087 --> 00:37:39,547
- A short time later, Sheriff
Gerald Wilson is reinstated
756
00:37:39,547 --> 00:37:41,300
after a arbitration hearing.
757
00:37:41,300 --> 00:37:43,052
- What little credit
I can give him
758
00:37:43,052 --> 00:37:46,264
is that he acknowledged
that racism,
759
00:37:46,264 --> 00:37:48,849
that this wasn't his
neighbor's daughter.
760
00:37:48,849 --> 00:37:52,853
This was some Indigenous
girl he didn't know.
761
00:37:52,853 --> 00:37:55,481
And at the time, who
cared about them?
762
00:37:55,481 --> 00:37:56,690
Certainly not him.
763
00:37:57,650 --> 00:37:58,567
- [Narrator] The
province launches
764
00:37:58,567 --> 00:38:00,820
the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry.
765
00:38:00,820 --> 00:38:04,073
- Helen Betty Osborne's
case and what happened
766
00:38:04,073 --> 00:38:06,325
was one of the ways to highlight
767
00:38:06,325 --> 00:38:09,120
just how much
injustice there was
768
00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:13,623
for Indigenous people at the
time, and it's still ongoing.
769
00:38:14,750 --> 00:38:17,169
- [Narrator] The inquiry
finds many problems,
770
00:38:17,169 --> 00:38:20,422
pointing to the failure
by authorities in The Pas.
771
00:38:20,422 --> 00:38:25,094
It also finds problematic
that all four of the suspects
772
00:38:25,094 --> 00:38:26,344
were early on represented
773
00:38:26,344 --> 00:38:29,556
by a single lawyer,
D'Arcy Bancroft.
774
00:38:29,556 --> 00:38:33,060
(calm music continuing)
775
00:38:39,567 --> 00:38:42,862
- She definitely was a symbol
for change of this idea
776
00:38:42,862 --> 00:38:46,991
that you cannot just throw
away Indigenous women.
777
00:38:46,991 --> 00:38:49,035
You cannot just use
them and abuse them,
778
00:38:49,035 --> 00:38:51,786
throw them away and think
nothing is going to happen
779
00:38:51,786 --> 00:38:53,622
and that you'll
get away with it.
780
00:38:56,417 --> 00:38:57,585
(brooding music)
781
00:38:57,585 --> 00:39:00,546
- [Narrator] Dwayne Johnston
becomes eligible for parole
782
00:39:00,546 --> 00:39:03,341
after serving only seven
years of his sentence
783
00:39:04,175 --> 00:39:06,552
and begins a day parole program.
784
00:39:06,552 --> 00:39:09,805
- But about 200 protestors
walk 800 kilometers
785
00:39:09,805 --> 00:39:14,768
from the north to Winnipeg
in April 1996 to protest.
786
00:39:14,768 --> 00:39:17,355
Johnston's parole is revoked.
787
00:39:20,107 --> 00:39:23,402
- [Narrator] Unexpectedly,
Dwayne Johnston participates
788
00:39:23,402 --> 00:39:26,072
in a healing circle from jail
789
00:39:26,072 --> 00:39:28,783
with the RCMP and
the Osborne family.
790
00:39:31,327 --> 00:39:33,996
- Johnston claims he did not
participate in the murder
791
00:39:33,996 --> 00:39:37,375
and identifies James Robert
Houghton as the killer.
792
00:39:37,375 --> 00:39:40,169
(uneasy music)
793
00:39:41,545 --> 00:39:44,882
They had made a pact and
that they had all taken turns
794
00:39:44,882 --> 00:39:47,134
stabbing Helen's body
with the screwdriver
795
00:39:47,134 --> 00:39:49,387
to keep them all
bound to silence.
796
00:39:50,763 --> 00:39:54,308
- This conversation between
Johnston and the family
797
00:39:54,308 --> 00:39:55,976
is leaked to the media.
798
00:40:00,106 --> 00:40:02,358
Already, lawyers for
the other two accused
799
00:40:02,358 --> 00:40:04,527
are arguing they
can't get a fair trial
800
00:40:04,527 --> 00:40:06,779
with this taped
conversation out there.
801
00:40:08,739 --> 00:40:09,907
- Who knows if Johnston's
802
00:40:09,907 --> 00:40:12,076
extremely belated
confession is reliable?
803
00:40:12,076 --> 00:40:15,704
One person certainly
knows what happened.
804
00:40:15,704 --> 00:40:16,914
- [Narrator] D'Arcy Bancroft,
805
00:40:16,914 --> 00:40:19,417
initially the lawyer
for the four suspects,
806
00:40:20,376 --> 00:40:22,253
was most probably
the only person
807
00:40:22,253 --> 00:40:25,422
to hear all firsthand
accounts in his office.
808
00:40:31,011 --> 00:40:32,471
- The inquiry has now reached
809
00:40:32,471 --> 00:40:34,056
the end of phase
one of its work.
810
00:40:34,056 --> 00:40:35,808
- [Narrator] The
Aboriginal Justice Inquiry
811
00:40:35,808 --> 00:40:39,228
also finds problematic and
highlights in its conclusions
812
00:40:39,228 --> 00:40:42,815
that all four suspects
were early on represented
813
00:40:42,815 --> 00:40:45,693
by a single lawyer,
D'Arcy Bancroft.
814
00:40:54,076 --> 00:40:56,911
D'Arcy Bancroft would
die only a few years
815
00:40:56,911 --> 00:41:01,167
after the death of Helen
Betty Osborne at age 30.
816
00:41:01,167 --> 00:41:05,880
His law partners would
then destroy his files.
817
00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:09,049
- He shoulda said, "Look, I
can't act for all four of you."
818
00:41:09,049 --> 00:41:12,511
For example, Colgan,
who probably told him,
819
00:41:12,511 --> 00:41:13,804
"I didn't do anything.
820
00:41:13,804 --> 00:41:15,764
"I know what they did,
but I didn't do anything.
821
00:41:15,764 --> 00:41:17,141
Said, "Well, then,
you know what?
822
00:41:17,141 --> 00:41:18,893
"You better get your own lawyer.
823
00:41:18,893 --> 00:41:20,186
"I'll act for you
824
00:41:20,186 --> 00:41:21,562
"and those guys will have
to get a different lawyer
825
00:41:21,562 --> 00:41:24,732
"because I can maybe make
a deal for you right now."
826
00:41:25,649 --> 00:41:27,193
But he didn't do that.
827
00:41:27,193 --> 00:41:29,987
And so, he just told
them all to be quiet.
828
00:41:33,073 --> 00:41:35,075
- The Indigenous
community came together
829
00:41:35,075 --> 00:41:37,119
and said, "This needs to stop."
830
00:41:37,119 --> 00:41:40,247
This is a person who
was going to bring value
831
00:41:40,247 --> 00:41:43,083
to her community by
being a schoolteacher
832
00:41:43,083 --> 00:41:44,919
and teaching the
next generation,
833
00:41:44,919 --> 00:41:46,879
and it was just cut short.
834
00:41:46,879 --> 00:41:48,005
For what?
835
00:41:48,005 --> 00:41:51,175
Because these four individuals
836
00:41:51,175 --> 00:41:53,511
decided that she
wasn't worth anything,
837
00:41:53,511 --> 00:41:55,846
that they can use
her and discard her.
838
00:41:57,931 --> 00:42:01,060
- Can't be forgotten that
someone did have the courage
839
00:42:01,060 --> 00:42:04,563
to come forward and
speak and testify,
840
00:42:04,563 --> 00:42:05,981
and that person wouldn't
have come forward
841
00:42:05,981 --> 00:42:08,859
if she hadn't seen that
story in the paper.
842
00:42:09,902 --> 00:42:13,072
- Lucky because, well, that
young boy found the body
843
00:42:13,072 --> 00:42:14,864
or at least saw
the body early on.
844
00:42:14,864 --> 00:42:18,369
Otherwise, it might
have never been solved.
845
00:42:21,789 --> 00:42:23,373
- She's been a symbol for change
846
00:42:23,373 --> 00:42:26,252
in the late-1980s and early-'90s
847
00:42:26,252 --> 00:42:31,297
that we have to stop devaluing
our women in this way.
848
00:42:31,297 --> 00:42:32,550
It has to stop.
849
00:42:34,301 --> 00:42:36,887
(somber music)
850
00:42:36,887 --> 00:42:39,556
(tense music)
851
00:42:42,556 --> 00:42:46,556
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