Nelson Hart
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Nelson Hart (born c 1968) is a Newfoundland, Canada resident who was convicted of murdering his twin daughters on March 28, 2007, a crime which occurred in 2002.
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[edit] Background
Nelson Hart lived with his wife, Jennifer, and twin daughters, Karen and Krista, in the relatively isolated town of Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland, Canada. Tammy Leonard, a social worker who was working the Hart family in the months leading up to the death of the twins. She testified that the Harts were having chronic financial problems and were on social assistance. There was consideration on behalf of the social workers to remove the children from the family before they moved in with Jennifer Hart's father. In June 2002 the family found themselves homeless again, and the possibility of the children's removal was revisited. But by mid-summer the Hart family was living in an apartment and receiving regular visits from a new social worker, Carolyn Chard, who testified that Nelson appear increasingly angry with her presence. At no time did either social worker think that Hart posed any danger to his children.
[edit] Death of Twin Daughters
On August 4, 2002 Hart and his daughters traveled to the near by area of Gander Lake. Nelson returned home in a panic and said that one daughter, Krista, fell in the lake. Hart returned to Gander to get help, but when police arrived, Karen was dead and Krista was unconscious. The next day she was taken off life support.
[edit] Investigation and Undercover Operation
In the initial questioning Hart claimed that his daughter had fallen into the lake but months later changed his story to say, that being an epileptic, had suffered a seizure and couldn't recall how the girls ended up in the water. He claimed that he lied to avoid losing his driver's license.
In February 2005, the police, who hadn't made any more considerable progress in the case, decided to launch and elaborate undercover operation which would end up costing over CAD $400,000. It began when Hart was approached in a parking lot by an undercover agent and eventually asked to run a delivery for what he was told was an organized crime group. Over a period of four months the agents would continue the operation and get closer to Hart and leading him to believe that he was becoming more accepted in the organization. After the four months the supposed leader of the group asked Hart a question he was told would test his loyalty. It was at this time he was asked about the murder of his daughters and with some detail described the scenario eventually taking some of the agents to the scene of the crime. The jury of the trial was able to watch the confession taped from a hidden camera in the hotel where Hart described the murder.
"This is just about the perfect murder," the officer said.
"It was pretty well-organized," Hart replied.
"You must be a thinker, eh?" the officer said.
"Sometimes it pays to be that way."
[edit] Conviction
On June 13, 2005 Hart was charged with first degree murder and his trial began on February 27, 2007. His defence lawyer would make the claim that Hart was intimidated by the undercover agents and made up the story of murder to impress them. Ultimately the jury did not believe his claims and on March 28, 2007 Hart wept after the verdict of guilty was read which automatically sentences him to life in prison and the eligibility of parole in no less than 25 years.
