Colin Thatcher: Denies Denies Denies

Colin Thatcher didn’t do it. He’s been saying so for the past 23 years. Ever since they found his ex-wife brutally beaten and shot to death in 1983, he’s stuck to his version of events; which were not events, really, because he was at home with his children… miles away from the scene of the crime. So he says. So they say. So… what?

Now, Mr. Thatcher, one time Saskatchewan Liberal MPP, one time Saskatchewan Tory Cabinet Minister, one time convict, and long-time loser, is set to see the light of day.

Mr. Thatcher has been granted day parole, three full years before he was technically eligible, because… well… there’s faint hope – and that’s what the “Faint Hope Clause” is all about.

While he continues to “Deny, Deny, Deny” his hand in the whole sordid affair, many of us true crime aficionados are once again riveted to his most compelling case. Perhaps one of the most sensational murder cases in the history of Canada, his story remains as gripping as the day it hit the press.

And what of that day?

Well… you can revisit it, and I urge you to do so. Here you will find a video newscast from the archives of CBC. It’s complete with a young Peter Mansbridge, sporting a full head of hair, and taking us through the gruesome details of what was to become a cornerstone in Canadian true crime history. [Click here to see clip].

The murder of JoAnn Wilson, shocking on its own accord, was followed by the unravelling of a most disturbing tale. It was the tale of a violent, obsessive husband, who terrorized his wife long after she managed to leave him. The crux of the tale is thus:

Thatcher and Wilson were divorced three years earlier and had gone through an acrimonious – and very public – custody battle. They had been married for 17 years and had three children, Greg, Regan and Stephanie.

Wilson remarried a year after the divorce. On May 17, 1981, Wilson was shot in the shoulder when someone fired a high-powered rifle through her kitchen window. She spent three weeks in hospital. No one was arrested in that incident.

Two months later, she agreed to give up custody of her youngest child and to accept half of the $1 million originally ordered by the courts in her divorce agreement. She said she wanted to end the bitter battle with her ex-husband.

[Full story, including Time Line of Events, here].

Granted, Thatcher has not been granted full parole as of yet. It’s only day parole. He still has to go back to his half-way house at night to get tucked in, and read his bed time story. But, he will now be able to regularly visit his children which he cared for so much… he murdered their mother just to be close to them. [See story of his parole on Canada.com].

So, we’re left with two questions. Why, when the Crown had such overwhelming evidence when they prosecuted him, was the court willing to let him have early parole? Well, it seems that most people want this case to be where it is… in the history books. In fact, unlike his parole hearing in 2004, there was no one present last week to contest, or to block his freedom. It seems that all involved want this behind them. They, like Mr. Thatcher, want to move on.

Of course, JoAnn Wilson does not get to move on. But, from what I’ve seen, she barely mattered in this whole affair. Her children couldn’t care less that she was killed trying to protect them.

The second question you may ask is, why is Colin Thatcher a loser? Well, that’s a bit easier. It comes down to his inadequacy. He’s had it his whole life.

Thatcher’s father was the Premier of Saskatchewan. He had high standards and high hopes for his son. His son failed him in all regards. Desperate for approval, Thatcher himself went into politics, hoping to show his father his worth. Despite being elected (which shows you what a little bit of money and recognizable name can do), he still couldn’t quite live up to his father’s legacy. In fact, he did what his father would no doubt have considered unthinkable… he crossed the floor. He left the Liberal Party to become a Tory… and was rewarded a Cabinet post for his efforts.

Thatcher’s only chance at self-worth came from his children, and this is why he fought so long and hard to keep them. Even with court after court ruling against him, he still insisted. His anger for his ex-wife grew and grew, until he became obsessed with killing her.

Then, just when he thought the coast was clear... that he’d gotten away with it… he got nailed. He’s been in prison ever since.

[For a very comprehensive history of Colin Thatcher and this case, visit Court TV’s Crime Library, and its story: A Marriage Gone Wrong.]

Now, years later, Colin will be out in the sunshine, listen to the birds sing and smelling the aroma of fresh flowers in a spring breeze. He’ll be able to sit on a park bench and watch the women go by, much like he did years ago, when at the University of Iowa, he spotted a pretty girl walking along the path.

As the story goes, Colin got a friend to hook him up with this pretty girl. But, when he met her for their blind date… it turned out it was not the girl he saw at all. It was a completely different girl. Still, she was pretty enough for the introverted Thatcher boy, and he went out with her anyway.

She was soon to become Mrs. JoAnn Thatcher.

One wonders what ever happened to that girl he saw on the path… where she is now. What her life became.

[More on this, click here]