Guy Paul Morin

Question 1

What are the 5 main causes of the wrongful conviction of Guy Paul Morin?

Answer 1

Tunnel vision
Bad science
Poor police investigation
Unreliable witnesses
Jailhouse informants

Question 2

Outline the murder of Christine Jessop

Answer 2

Mother and brother came home and Jessop was not there
Disappeared in York region, missing person investigation opened by York regional police, thus home was not treated as a crime scene
Body found in Durham region, homicide investigation opened by Durham police
Two departments didn’t entirely cooperate
Body was badly decomposed, murder could have happened months after

Question 3

Explain the body site

Answer 3

Major snowstorm forecast for that evening, police felt pressured to process the scene quickly
Cons. Cameron buffed out cigarette near site but not close to the body
Another butt was found next to the body (Morin did not smoke)
Necklace on the body had hair that was not consistent with Christine’s

Question 4

Why was Morin the prime suspect?

Answer 4

“Weird behaviour” - played clarinet, did not play hockey

Question 5

What was wrong with the initial interrogation of Morin?

Answer 5

90-minute tape only ran on one side for 45 min, police claimed they didn’t know they had to turn it over.
Police said Morin said suspicious things during the second part of the interview, which was not recorded

Question 6

Explain the timeline of the murder

Answer 6

Morin’s timecard was obtained and it was calculated that he’d be home by 4:14 pm if no stops along the way.
Mom and brother said they arrived home at 4:10
Police asked if they were sure
Their statement changed to after 5 pm

Question 7

What evidence was examined in hopes of obtaining a physical link between Morin and Jessop?

Answer 7

Hair from necklace on Christine, hair from Morin’s vehicle, fibres from the body site and Jessop’s clarinet bag, as well as from Morin’s car and home

Question 8

What was used to arrest Morin?

Answer 8

Police watched CFS biologist do a quick, preliminary comparison of hair and police claim she said it could be a match.

Question 9

What was determined about the hair evidence?

Answer 9

Hair in necklace was similar to Morin’s
Hair found in vehicle was dissimilar to Morin and similar to Jessop

Question 10

What was determined about the fiber evidence?

Answer 10

Fibres from morin were similar to and could have come from same source as several found on the body.

Question 11

What was a problem with the fiber evidence?

Answer 11

Question of contamination since both families used the same laundromat.
This theory was dismissed under oath by a forensic examiner. Later, CFS refused samples from a penitentiary due to common use of laundry equipment.
Police did their own study and did not disclose their results to defense.

Question 12

What was done about the cigarette butt found near the body?

Answer 12

Explained away as most likely belonging to Const. Cameron

Question 13

Explain the role criminal profiling may have played in this case.

Answer 13

John Douglas created a profile, Morin’s father said it sounded like him. Could have introduced bias.

Question 14

Why was the prosecution able to call upon the jailhouse informants?

Answer 14

No existing law or ethical standards prevented them from calling even suspected perjured evidence so long as they did not know definitively it was perjured.

Question 15

What was the verdict of the first trial?

Answer 15

Acquitted of first degree murder. Court of Appeal ordered new trial one year later.

Question 16

Explain double jeopardy in Canada.

Answer 16

Individual can be tried more than once even after jury acquittal. Protects against errors. If finally acquitted, double jeopardy applies.

Question 17

What discoveries were made between trials?

Answer 17

Bones discovered at site by family never reported to police.
Sgt. Michalowski had copied his notebook and made significant changes.
Christine’s bro admitted to sexual assault of Jessop by hum and two friends
Hair samples from Christine’s school had not been submitted to CFS. After testing, two samples were a match and 3 others were similar to necklace hair

Question 18

What evidence was lost?

Answer 18

Over 200 slides of hair and fibers
Cigarette butt used in first trial was planted. Crown admitted actual one from the scene had never been located.

Question 19

What was discovered after exhumation of the body?

Answer 19

Half of breastbone had been sheared off in a straight line
Massive skull fracture

Question 20

What did the injuries reported from the exhumation indicate?

Answer 20

Massive blood loss - larger time frame needed to clean up

Question 21

Explain the role of DNA testing

Answer 21

1989 - Court ordered semen stain from clothing to be divided between crown and defense, neither group got results
1994 - Crown and defense cooperated and team of 3 DNA experts called in
1995 - Morin excluded as source

Question 22

What is tunnel vision?

Answer 22

The single minded and overly narrow focus on an investigation or prosecutorial theory

Question 23

What was the Kaufman inquiry?

Answer 23

Inquire into conduct of
Investigation
Conduct of CFS
Criminal proceedings

Question 24

List some of the recommendations of the Kaufman inquiry

Answer 24

Forensic opinions to be acted upon only when in writing
Specific language to be avoided by forensic scientists (match, consistent with)
Scientists to work vigorously to disprove a hypothesis rather than prove one
Scientists should establish a written policy requiring its analysts and techs to record the substance of their contacts with police, prosecutors, defense counsel and non-centre experts.

Question 25

Explain the contamination in this case.

Answer 25

Fibres contaminated within CFS, origin cannot be determined.
Known to both members of bio section and withheld from police, prosecutors, defense and court
Only found out when Kaufman received an anonymous note during inquiry