Sunday 21 March 2010

Peter W & crime

For a veteran Canadian newspaper columnist not known as a crime writer, Peter Worthington has been involved with some of North America's most famous jailbirds.

He was a witness to the 1963 murder of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby.

His columns helped Lawrencia "Bambi" Bembenek get a new trial and her freedom.

He writes about his annual visits with Conrad Black in a Florida prison.

Multiple columns calling for the release of Leonard Peltier, now in his 35th year in a U.S. prison.

And he has a pipeline to Clifford Olson, Canada's most notorious serial killer.

His Sunday Sun column today is all about Olson, now 70.

Count on a lot of seniors going ballistic after learning Olson, who murdered at least 11 young males and females, is collecting $1,200 a month in old age benefits and reportedly has $100,000 in a bank account.

Worthington writes:

"Olson also says he has over $100,000 in his local bank in Quebec. When I was skeptical, he said he gets Old Age Pension of close to $1,200 a month. He mailed me copies of Old Age Security payments from Revenue Canada: $7,735.41 (retroactive) in 2005; $8,716.59 in 2006; $6,082.23 in 2008. “Why do they put the small change in?” Olson wondered.

"I think most Canadians would be outraged if they knew Olson, who has contributed nothing to this country, is getting over $1,100 a month for simply being alive in prison."

You said it, Peter.

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