Back in 1983, former Saskatchewan cabinet minister Colin Thatcher was convicted in the murder of his ex-wife, JoAnn Wilson. Thatcher maintained his innocence, but still served 22 years in prison.
He was paroled in 2006 and moved to his family’s ranch near Moose Jaw. There he began writing a book, Final Appeal: Anatomy of a Frame, in which he details his trial, appeals, years in prison, and — most notably — an alternative theory about Wilson’s murder based on evidence not heard in court.
While some jurisdictions have laws prohibiting convicted felons from profiting from the proceeds of a crime, Saskatchewan does not. Of course, Thatcher could write and publish his book without making any money from it, but that apparently won’t be the case here; he’s already been paid an advance by his publisher, ECW Press, and will be paid royalties should the book sell, as it probably will.
Profits aside, it will be interesting to see what new evidence Thatcher presents, and whether his claim to innocence may be valid.