| Clifford Robert Olson | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Born | January 1, 1940 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died | September 30, 2011 (aged 71) Laval, Quebec, Canada |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Conviction | Murder |
| Sentence | Life imprisonment |
| Killings | |
| Number of victims: | 11 |
| Span of killings | November 17, 1980–July 30, 1981 |
| Country | Canada |
| Date apprehended | August 12, 1981 |
Clifford Robert Olson, Jr. (January 1, 1940 – September 30, 2011) was a convicted Canadian serial killer who confessed to murdering two children and nine youths in the early 1980s.[1]
Contents |
Christine Weller, 12, from Surrey, British Columbia was abducted on November 17, 1980.[2] Her body was found more than a month later on Christmas Day, after having been strangled with a belt and stabbed repeatedly. On April 16, 1981, Colleen Marian Daignault, 13, vanished. It was five months before her body was found. Soon thereafter, Daryn Todd Johnsrude, 16, had also been abducted and killed; on May 19, 16-year-old Sandra Wolfsteiner was murdered, and 13-year-old Ada Anita Court murdered in June.
Six victims followed in quick succession in July 1981. Simon Partington, 9, was abducted, raped and strangled on the second day of the month. Judy Kozma, a 14-year old from New Westminster, was raped and strangled a week later. Her body was discovered on July 25 near Weaver Lake.[3] The next victims were: Raymond King Jr., 15, abducted on July 23, raped and bludgeoned to death; Sigrun Arnd, an 18-year old German tourist, raped and bludgeoned the following day; Terri Lyn Carson, 15, raped and strangled; and Louise Chartrand, age 17, the last victim identified, died on July 30.
Olson was an atypical serial killer in that he targeted both boys and girls and that his victims were of various ages.
Olson, who had an extensive criminal history,[4] was arrested on August 12, 1981 on suspicion of attempts to abduct two girls.[2] By August 25, Olson had been charged with the murder of Judy Kozma.[3] He reached a controversial deal with authorities, agreeing to confess to the 11 murders and show the RCMP where the bodies of those not recovered were buried. In return, authorities agreed that $10,000 for each victim was paid into a trust for his wife, Joan, and then-infant son, Clifford Jr.[5] His wife received $100,000 after Olson cooperated with the RCMP, the 11th body being a 'freebie'.[4] In January 1982, Olson pleaded guilty to 11 counts of murder and was given 11 concurrent life sentences to be served in Canada's super-maximum security Special Handling Unit in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec, which houses many of the country's most dangerous criminals.[1] Olson was a dangerous offender, meaning it was very unlikely he would ever have been released from prison.
In 1997, Olson was denied parole, for which he applied under Canada's "faint hope clause", which allowed a parole hearing for convicts who had served at least 15 years.[4][6]
Canadian law allows inmates convicted of first-degree murder to apply for parole after serving a minimum of 25 years. Olson's second parole hearing, on July 18, 2006, was also denied.[6] Olson made many bizarre and false claims, including that the United States had granted him clemency for providing information about the September 11 attacks and that the hearing had no jurisdiction over him because of that.[6][7] Under Canadian law, Olson was then entitled to make a case for parole every two years.[8]
Olson was once again refused parole in November, 2010.[9]
Controversy developed in March 2010 when it was disclosed Olson was receiving two federal government benefits from Canada while imprisoned, a total of $1,169.47 monthly.[10] Olson was eligible to receive the Canadian Old Age Security (OAS) pension. All persons who meet residency requirements as to length of time in Canada are eligible to receive this pension at age 65, and Olson turned 70 on January 1, 2010. Olson was also eligible to receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), awarded to pensioners with low income. The money in question was being held in trust for Olson.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation testified before the federal standing committee for Human Resources Development to have MPs pass Bill C-31, which would terminate pension benefits for prisoners.[11] The organization also presented the government with 46,000 petition signatures requesting that Olson no longer receive the benefits.[12] Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked government officials to look into the issue;[13] on June 1, 2010, the government moved to terminate Olson's payments, calling the fact that he had been receiving them "outrageous" and "offensive."[14] In September, 2010, Olson sent one of his Old Age Security cheques to a Sun Media reporter, Peter Worthington, with a note asking him to forward the cheque to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's campaign for re-election.[15]
In September 2011, media reports indicated that Olson had terminal cancer and had been transferred to a hospital in Laval, Quebec. He died on September 30, 2011 at the age of 71.[16]