Ronald Turpin

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Ronald Turpin
Turpinmugshot.jpg
Born29 April 1933
Died11 December 1962 (aged 29)
Cause of death Execution by hanging
Criminal status Executed
Motive To avoid arrest
Conviction(s) Capital murder
Criminal penalty Death
Details
VictimsFrederick Nash, 31
Date12 February 1962
Country Canada
Location(s) Toronto

On December 11, 1962, Ronald Turpin was one of the two last people to be executed in Canada. [1] Turpin had been convicted of the murder of Metropolitan Toronto police officer Frederick Nash, 31. On 12 February 1962, Nash pulled Turpin over for a broken taillight while the latter was fleeing from a robbery. [2] The two men got into a shootout, and Nash suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen. Turpin was hit twice, once in the arm and once in the face, giving him a scar on his left cheek.

The method of execution was hanging, and the sentence was carried out at the Don Jail. The other prisoner simultaneously executed was Arthur Lucas, who had been convicted of an unrelated murder. When both men were informed that they would likely be the last people ever to hang in Canada, Turpin said, "Some consolation." [3] [4]

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References

  1. Paul Gendreau; Wayne Kallmann. "Capital Punishment". The Canadian Encyclopedia . Historica Canada . Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  2. Canada's last hanging. archives.cbc.ca. Toronto: CBC News. 16 March 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  3. "Capital punishment in Canada" https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.795391
  4. "The end of the rope: The story of Canada's last executions". Toronto Star. 10 December 2012. ISSN   0319-0781 . Retrieved 7 January 2022.