Practically Perfect (32 page)

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Authors: Dale Brawn

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William Larocque and Emmanuel Lavictoire:
Murder for Insurance

  
  October 4, 1930
  
Athanase Lamarche allegedly drowns, with Larocque and Lavictoire.  
  
  October 7, 1930
  
Larocque and Lavictoire only witnesses at coroner’s inquest; verdict of accidental death returned.  
  
  February 2, 1931
  
Larocque and Lavictoire defraud father of Lamarche out of $3,868.  
  
  July 1931
  
Larocque says Leo Bergeron asked to be insured for $2,500; Bergeron warned by his father Larocque will do him in if he takes out policy.  
  
  December 4, 1931
  
Bergeron increases policy to $5,000, makes Larocque beneficiary.  
  
  1931–1932
  
Larocque and Lavictoire ask three other young men to take out insurance.  
  
  February 1932
  
Larocque and Lavictoire try to get Bergeron hired out to cut ice.  
  
  March 18, 1932
  
Leo Bergeron allegedly trampled to death on Larocque farm; post-mortem carried out; police begin their investigation.  
  
  March 28, 1932
  
Police announce they are considering exhuming body of Lamarche; body eventually exhumed.  
  
  March 30, 1932
  
Inquest into Bergeron’s death convened by coroner, then adjourned.  
  
  April 5, 1932
  
Larocque and Lavictoire arrested for defrauding Felix Lamarache.  
  
  April 5, 1932
  
Coroner’s jury conclude Bergeron’s death caused by person or persons unknown, or by being trampled by horses.  
  
  April 12, 1932
  
Lacrocque and Lavictoire charged with murder; remanded to custody.  
  
  April 28, 1932
  
Preliminary hearing ends; accused committed to stand trial.  
  
  December 8, 1932
  
Murder trial of Larocque and Lavictoire gets underway.  
  
  December 15, 1932
  
Accused murderers convicted; sentenced to hang March 15, 1933.  
  
  March 15, 1933
  
First Lavictoire, and then Larocque hanged at L’Orignal jail.  
  
  July 20, 1933
  
Company that insured life of Bergeron refuses to pay proceeds to father.  

2: Murdering Neighbours

Michael Farrell:
Fifteen Years between Murders

  
1860s/70s  
  
Farrell kills his neighbour.  
  
August 25, 1878  
  
Farrell murders Francis Conway.  
  
August 27, 1878  
  
Inquest into the murder of Conway; Farrell not allowed to attend.  
  
November 2, 1878  
  
Murder trial gets underway.  
  
November 5, 1878  
  
Jury returns a verdict of guilty.  
  
January 10, 1879  
  
Farrell hanged in Québec Gaol.  

 

Emerson Shelley:
A Neighbour Kills Again

  
August 16, 1909  
  
Shelley kills Michael Hall.  
  
August 17, 1909  
  
Shelley arrested and charged with murdering Hall; coroner’s inquest begins its deliberations.  
  
August 19, 1909  
  
Inquest reconvenes, concludes Shelley shot Hall accidently and charges of murder previously laid against Shelley are withdrawn.  
  
December 7, 1909  
  
Shelley convicted of stealing a gun; receives a suspended sentence.  
  
June 12, 1913  
  
Shelley burns neighbour’s house; charged with theft and arson.  
  
June 27, 1913  
  
Shelley acquitted of arson; sentenced to two years in jail for theft.  
  
May 10, 1915  
  
Shelley tells friends of his plans to rob and murder Shoup.  
  
May 11, 1915  
  
Fifty-seven-year-old Christian Shoup robbed and murdered near Simcoe.  
  
May 11, 1915  
  
Shelley and an accomplice break into general store.  
  
May 11, 1915  
  
Warrant issued for arrest of Shelley on charge of rape in Norwich.  
  
May 12, 1915  
  
Shelley arrested for rape of thirteen-year-old girl; questioned about Shoup’s murder.  
  
May 14, 1915  
  
Shelley pleads guilty to the sex charge; sentenced to two years in jail.  
  
May 19, 1915  
  
Inquest into Shoup’s death concludes Shelley likely responsible.  
  
June 5, 1915  
  
Preliminary hearing into Shoup’s murder begins; reconvenes on June 12, Shelley committed to stand trial.  
  
September 23, 1915  
  
Shelley’s two-day murder trial in Simcoe ends with verdict of guilty; Shelley sentenced to hang on December 18.  
  
October 5, 1915  
  
Shelley blames accomplice in store break-in for murder of Shoup; a month later the accomplice is sentenced to five years in jail.  
  
December 18, 1915  
  
Shelley executed.  

 

Larry Harold Hansen:
Killed by His Best Friend

  
November 19, 1976  
  
Hansen and his neighbour, Joseph Baraniuk, argue about trees cut by Baraniuk.  
  
November 20, 1976  
  
Hansen murders Baraniuk.  
  
November 22, 1976  
  
Hansen charged with murder; remanded to custody.  
  
June 6, 1977  
  
Pleads guilty to second degree murder; sent to Stony Mountain Penitentiary.  
  
January 1987  
  
Hansen released from prison on full parole.  
  
1995  
  
McKay becomes RCMP informant in Operation Decode; paid $250,000.  
  
1996  
  
McKay’s work as informant for RCMP comes to an end.  
  
1997  
  
McKay returns to Manitoba; moves into acreage next to Hansen.  
  
mid-January 1998  
  
McKay receives death threats; reports them to RCMP.  
  
April 16, 1998  
  
John McKay shot as he drives out of his farm yard.  
  
April 21, 1998  
  
Hansen soloist at McKay’s funeral; sings   
I Have A Friend
.
  
June 12, 1998  
  
Manitoba M.P. accuses RCMP of gross negligence in death of McKay.  
  
June 1998  
  
Hansen charged with driving offences; violates parole terms; sent back to prison.  
  
September 18, 1998  
  
Hansen hangs himself in his cell at Stony Mountain Penitentiary.  
  
September 20, 1998  
  
RCMP confirm that Hansen was suspect in shooting of McKay.  

3: Reprieved to Kill Again

Gary Richard Barrett:
One Second Chance Too Many

  
1852  
  
Garry Richard Barrett born in Michigan.  
  
1872  
  
Barrett marries; by 1882 he is father of eight children.  
  
1905  
  
Barrett marries Johnson, and converts to Mormonism; moves to Egg Lake, Saskatchewan.  
  
October 14, 1907  
  
Barrett shoots his stepson Brunell Johnson; stepson dies.  
  
June 3, 1907  
  
Barrett sentenced to hang on July 17, 1908; jury recommends clemency.  
  
June 2, 1908  
  
Barrett’s trial for murder begins in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.  
  
August 5, 1908  
  
Sentence commuted to life imprisonment.  
  
January 1909  
  
Deputy Warden Richard Stedman refuses to let Barrett see prison doctor.  
  
April 15, 1909  
  
Barrett kills deputy warden at the Alberta Penitentiary in Edmonton.  
  
April 24, 1909  
  
Preliminary hearing held at the Alberta Penitentiary; Barrett to stand trial.  
  
May 17, 1909  
  
Barrett’s trial for murder of Stedman begins in Edmonton; jury deliberates for five minutes before rejecting Barrett’s plea of insanity and finding him guilty of murder; sentenced to be hanged on July 14, 1909; jury makes no recommendation for mercy.  
  
July 14, 1909  
  
Barrett executed at the Alberta Penitentiary by an unknown hangman.  

 

John Boyko:
Marry Me or Die

  
March 1941  
  
Boyko meets Thekla “Tessy” Oliansky; two weeks later she asks him to be her man; they go into business together.  
  
spring 1946  
  
Boyko wants to make business arrangement official, she refuses.  
  
June 1946  
  
Boycko advised his wife was murdered by Russian soldiers.  
  
November 1946  
  
Boyko proposes marriage to Oliansky, she rejects him as too old.  
  
November 24, 1946  
  
Boyko moves out of Oliansky’s house.  
  
November 25, 1946  
  
Oliansky’s new boyfriend moves into her house.  
  
November 28, 1946  
  
Boyko murders his business partner/lover.  
  
November 28, 1946  
  
Boyko walks into police station and confesses to the murder.  
  
November 29, 1946  
  
Coroner’s jury holds Boyko responsible for murder of Oliansky; remanded to custody December 6 for preliminary hearing.  
  
December 6, 1946  
  
Preliminary hearing for murder; Boyko committed to trial.  
  
February 24, 1947  
  
Murder trial begins.  
  
February 25, 1947  
  
Boyko convicted of murder; sentenced to hang on June 6, 1947.  
  
May 29, 1947  
  
Sentence commuted to life imprisonment.  
  
November 24, 1948  
  
Boyko murders fellow inmate at St. Vincent de Paul; confesses to the murder.  
  
November 26, 1948  
  
Boyko arraigned; preliminary hearing set for December 4.  
  
December 4, 1948  
  
Boyko found criminally responsible at coroner’s inquest.  
  
May 6, 1949  
  
Jurors find Boyko guilty; sentenced to be hanged on August 26, 1949.  
  
August 18, 1949  
  
Federal cabinet confirms that Boyko is to be hanged.  
  
August 26, 1949  
  
Boyko hanged in Montreal’s Bordeaux Jail.  

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