Read Practically Perfect Online
Authors: Dale Brawn
6: The Two Rolands
Roland Asselin:
Fifty-Five Weeks between Murders
November 9, 1946 | Ulric Gauthier murdered. |
November 10, 1946 | Body of Gauthier found on dirt road thirty-two miles west of Montreal. |
November 1946 | Coroner’s inquest into death of Gauthier comes to no decision. |
Nov/Dec 1946 | Second inquest decides Gauthier committed suicide; investigation officially ends. |
February 1947 | Marie Blanche Alice Gauthier, widow of Ulric, commits suicide. |
February 1947 | Investigation in death of Ulric Gauthier officially reopened. |
Fall 1947 | Roland Asselin gives statement about death of Ulric Gauthier |
December 30, 1947 | Asselin taken into custody. |
December 31, 1947 | Third inquest finds Asselin responsible for death of Ulric Gauthier. |
January 5, 1948 | Asselin arraigned on charge of murder. |
January 9, 1948 | Preliminary hearing into murder of Ulric Gauthier. |
June 9, 1948 | Murder trial of Asselin gets underway. |
June 15, 1948 | Asselin guilty of murdering Gauthier; sentenced to hang on October 1, 1948. |
September 15, 1948 | Asselin’s execution postponed until January 14, 1949. |
November 25, 1948 | Asselin’s execution postponed a second time, until March 25, 1949. |
March 15, 1949 | Asselin’s execution postponed third time, until June 10, 1949. |
March 31, 1949 | Request for another postponement denied by Quebec Court of Appeal. |
June 10, 1949 | Roland Asselin executed. |
Roland Genest:
He Never Murdered a Woman He Didn’t Love
May 29, 1951 | Charred body of Rita Genest discovered in burning bed. |
May 30, 1951 | Inquest finds that woman was murdered before being set on fire. |
May 31, 1951 | Police announce they have no leads. |
February 18, 1953 | Roland Genest beats his girlfriend to death. |
February 19, 1953 | Nude body of badly beaten woman found in farmer’s field. |
February 20, 1953 | Public view body of woman; picture published in Montreal newspapers. |
February 22, 1953 | Body tentatively identified. |
February 23, 1953 | Mother of Marie Paule Langlais identifies body; Genest arrested. |
February 25, 1953 | Genest confesses to murdering Langlais. |
February 27, 1953 | Genest appears at coroner’s inquest investigating death of Langlais. |
February 27, 1953 | Genest formally charged with murdering Langlais. |
May 19, 1953 | Murder trial gets underway; Genest again admits murder. |
May 21, 1953 | Genest found guilty of murder and sentenced to hang on August 28. |
August 28, 1953 | Genest executed. |
7: Confessions and Presumptions of Guilt
Poral Stefoff:
Last Minute Confession of a Serial Killer
| Poral Steffoff murders Englishman in Indiana. |
| Steffoff allegedly murders two Macedonians in New York state. |
October 1908 | Poral Steffoff arrives in Canada. |
April 22, 1909 | Simoff murdered in Toronto; Steffoff held as material witness. |
April 23, 1909 | Coroner’s inquest held. |
April 26, 1909 | Steffoff charged with murder. |
May 7, 1909 | Steffoff committed to stand trial. |
September 23, 1909 | Elia Petroff placed in a cell next to the one occupied by Steffoff. |
October 18, 1909 | Blood stains on Steffoff’s clothes determined to be human. |
October 27, 1909 | Steffoff found guilty of murder at end of a two-day trial. |
October 28, 1909 | Sentenced to hang December 23, 1909. |
December 23, 1909 | Between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. Steffoff confesses to various murders. |
December 23, 1909 | Steffoff executed in Don Jail. |
John Barty:
The Cold-Set Killer
June 25, 1925 | Triple murder, almost certainly committed by John Barty. |
June 10, 1926 | Barty assaults clerk during robbery; held until police arrive; arrested. |
June 12, 1926 | Clerk dies after being operated on. |
June 18, 1926 | Barty committed to stand trial at end of preliminary hearing. |
October 7, 1926 | Convicted of murder; sentenced to hang on December 13, 1926. |
December 22, 1926 | Court of Appeal allows stay after court turned down the request. |
January 18, 1927 | Barty executed at Hamilton jail. |
John Kooting:
Confessions on the Prairies, Part I
November 5, 1921 | Kooting murders friend, and builds pig pen over place body buried. |
January 1922 | Police arrest Kooting for the murder of his friend. |
spring 1923 | Charges against Kooting stayed because body of victim not found. |
February 1925 | Kooting falls ill, believes he is dying. |
April 26, 1925 | Believing he is about to die, Kooting confesses to murder of friend. |
April 27, 1925 | Police locate remains of murder victim. |
November 25, 1925 | Kooting convicted of murder. |
February 19, 1926 | Kooting executed; buried in unmarked grave in jail yard. |
John Pawluck:
Confessions on the Prairies, Part II
November 4, 1935 | John Pawluk murders wife Julia; buries her under a manure pile. |
November 8, 1935 | Pawluk tells wife’s family that Julia ran away. |
November 1935 | Pawluk tells several neighbours that he murdered his wife. |
March 23, 1936 | Pawluk murders neighbour. |
March 1936 | Neighbour of Pawluk tells police Pawluk confessed to murder of Julia. |
March 27, 1936 | Police start searching for Julia Pawluk in manure pile. |
March 28, 1936 | Police find remains of Julia Pawluk; arrest John for firearms offence. |
March 30, 1936 | John Pawluk charged with murdering his wife. |
March 31, 1936 | Pawluk tells cellmate he murdered his wife. |
June 12, 1936 | Pawluk convicted of murder; sentenced to death. |
August 21, 1936 | Executed; body buried in yard of Manitoba’s Headingley jail. |
James Alfred Kelsey:
A Tendency to Talk Too Much
December 9, 1949 | Kelsey and his brother murder cab driver Sam Delibasich. |
December 10, 1949 | Killers attempt to sell cab in Toronto; abandon it. |
December 14, 1949 | Toronto police tow cab to their compound. |
December 17, 1949 | Body of Delibasich discovered by a hunter near St. Catharines. |
1951 | Kelsey confesses his part in murder to his girlfriend. |
September 1951 | Kelsey confesses his part in murder to a childhood friend. |
January 1952 | Childhood friend tells police of Kelsey’s confession. |
January 31, 1952 | Brothers arrested and charged with murder. |
March 10, 1952 | At his preliminary hearing Kelsey confesses to the murder. |
September 18, 1952 | Kelsey convicted; to hang January 6, 1953; jury does not recommend mercy. |
December 1952 | Court of Appeal dismisses appeal; stays execution to March 10. |
January 13, 1953 | Brother of Kelsey found not guilty at his murder trial. |
February 19, 1953 | Supreme Court of Canada reserves judgment on Kelsey’s appeal. |
March 16, 1953 | Supreme Court dismisses Kelsey’s request for a new trial. |
April 9, 1953 | Federal cabinet commutes Kelsey’s sentence to life imprisonment. |