Colin Thatcher Case

Wilbert Colin Thatcher was born August 25, 1938, in Toronto Ontario. Colin Thatcher studied Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan, and later transferred to Iowa State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Masters in Agriculture. It was during this time at Iowa State University that he met his wife JoAnn Wilson. The couple married in 1962 and relocated to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. In 1971, during the grieving of his father’s death, Thatcher cultivated his interest in politics. Son of the Premier W. Ross Thatcher, Colin followed in his father’s footsteps emerging as a political figure in the Liberal party and later the Progressive Conservative Party. While JoAnn cared for their three children, and simultaneously

worked three jobs, Thatcher was elected to the provincial legislature and in 1982 was appointed Minister of Energy and Mines. The Thatcher marriage began to sour in the late 1970’s with reports of physical abuse which ended in divorce. Colin Thatcher’s home life had fallen apart, however, he maintained his political position until his resignation four days prior to his ex-wife’s murder.

On the evening of January 21st 1983, JoAnn left a work meeting and was headed home.

This was the last time anyone reportedly saw Thatcher’s ex-wife alive. Less than an hour later a passerby discovered her beaten body lying in a pool of blood inside her own garage. She had been bludgeoned and shot in her Regina home. Speculation arose that Thatcher was in some way involved, though he was not formally charged until May 7, 1984. Colin Thatcher was charged on the grounds that he unlawfully caused the death of JoAnn Wilson contrary to s. 218  of the Criminal Code . Section 218(1) of the Code provides that,“every one who commits first degree murder or second degree murder is guilty of an indictable offence and shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life.” Section 214 classifies murder into two types: first degree murder and second degree murder. First degree murder is described as an intentional killing that is planned and deliberate. Second degree murder is described as an intentional killing that is not premeditated or planned, nor committed in a reasonable "heat of

passion.”

In the trial the Crown used direct and circumstantial evidence to prove that the appellant had personally murdered his ex‑wife or he aided or abetted the killer and was therefore guilty as he had taken part in the crime. The bulk of the evidence was consistent with the theory’s of the crown. These theories were based on four main pieces of evidence;

During their investigation immediately following the killing, the police found a Shell Oil credit card receipt lying on top of the snow some eight feet from the southeast door of the garage. The receipt bore what appeared to be signed by Colin Thatcher. The owner of the service station confirmed the purchase by Thatcher of gasoline from J. & M. Shell Service in Caron, Saskatchewan on January 18, 1983. This implied that he was near the location of JoAnn at the time of her death.

The second key piece of evidence in the Crowns case was Thatchers former girlfriend Lynn Mendell’s testimony.

JoAnn had been shot a year before the attack that ended her life. In this attack she was shot in the shoulder. No person was arrested for this crime. However, Lynne Mendell’s testimony brought an explanation to the table. Mendell told the Court that when Thatcher came down to Palm Springs a few days after his wife had been shot, he told her he’d rented a car; that he, Thatcher, wore a disguise in order to disguise him and his credentials while attempting to murder his wife. According to Ms. Mendell, he told her: “Gee, I didn't gauge the thickness of the glass so the bullet obviously deflected because I only got her in the shoulder.” She also stated that Thatcher told her he left Regina and ran into roadblocks, he then abandoned the gun, the wig, and the overalls in a field and made his way back to Moose Jaw. This testimony confirms Thatcher made previous attempts on his ex wife’s life, therefore there was a pattern, a motive, and invulnerability because of his previous attempt on her life with no

repercussions.