HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-10-14, Page 3Wednesday, October 14, 2015 • Huron Expositor 3
Lynne Harper murder still affects Lawson 56 years later
A retired OPP Sgt. alleges his
investigation could lead to a viable
serial killing suspect that possibly killed
Harper along with many other women
in Ontario
Shaun Gregory
Huron Expositor
The wind blows resulting
in ambience from the crops
on the Lawson farm. The
brash sound of a hee-haw
from a large donkey can be
heard from the road, but not
much can be caught by ear
from the back bush where
one of the most ambiguous
criminal cases in Canadian
law fell witness too.
Deceased Lynne Harper,
12 -years -old at the time, was
allegedly last seen by Steven
Truscott who said the most
recent contact between the
two was after he double rode
her on his bicycle to a Clin-
ton Ont. highway. A bike
ride, that forever changed
both their lives for the worse.
One would be found guilty of
murder at the young age of
14 and the other was found
raped and strangled less
than two months before her
13th birthday.
Bob Lawson, 79, who lives
near Vanastra, which is now
considered a community of
Huron East, is the owner of
the 150- acre property where
Harper was discovered, a
place every day he wishes
under no circumstances
converted into the most
iconic forest-Lawson's Bush.
As well as the estate being
recognized as what's
believed to be the drop-off of
the young teen's body, this is
a place that also played a
huge role in the upbringing
of Lawson. Fully dressed in a
Big Bill one-piece work out-
fit, he expressed the impor-
tance of the deep-rooted
section of land. His four chil-
dren were raised here, he too
enjoyed this countryside as a
youngster. The farm has
been passed down from gen-
eration to generation, it was
conceded from his father.
Before the historical murder
he said the area and sur-
rounding places were full of
activity because the commu-
nity then, was generally pop-
ulated by the Canadian Air
Force.
"There were kids in every
house. Three, four or five of
them, people had good size
families in those days," Law-
son explained during a con-
versation on his back porch.
"Now retired people live
over here:'
Being it was 56 years ago,
most children back then spent
a large portion of their time
outside.
The woodland directly
behind Lawson's house
developed into a popular
spot for children to meet up
and play in the 1950s. Not
just in the bush, but likewise
kids would help Lawson with
chores or simply come to
hangout, Truscott and
Harper included. At the pre-
sent time Lawson does not
see much youth in the area
anymore. He said the same
goes for the media. Not since
the Ontario Court of Appeal
entitled Truscott the victim
of a miscarriage of justice
has Lawson heard otherwise
from a reporter or anything
concerning the 1959 slaying.
Though the tragedy hap-
pened when Lawson was in
his mid-30s, he stated it's
something he still thinks
about from time to time.
"You don't forget things
that happened that many
years ago, we weren't used to
(much) crime around here,"
he said.
He remembers of hearing
when the authorities discov-
ered the body on a Thursday
and reflects back to the
Wednesday when her family
noticed Harper's absence,
Lawson did not think much
of it.
"You didn't take that very
serious in those days
because anybody that went
missing they turned up at
somebody else's place,"
added Lawson.
But unfortunately it was
not the case this time around
as police called Lawson and
informed him what they had
found. After confirming his
property lines to them, the
lifetime farmer said he was
shocked, especially when
the police escorted him to
the specific murder site. As
he performs agricultural
duties near and around the
infamous bush named after
him, this place will be for-
ever regarded as an unset-
tling memory for the locals
in the area and anybody that
is familiar with the case.
"You're looking at it from
the perspective of someone
QMI Agency file photo
This file photo shows where Harper's body was found in Lawson's
Bush on June 11, 1959. Her killer has never been found, a
mystery that still haunts her family and Huron County to this date.
that was probably a victim as
well, in terms as Lawson. It
had to affect him, back in the
good old days we didn't have
post-traumatic stress disor-
der (treatment centres),"
interpreted Barry Ruhl, a
retired OPP Sgt. from South-
ampton, Ont., "I'm sure
there were many nights he
went to bed thinking about
that, even to this day:'
Ruhl, 72, wrote the book
titled A Viable Suspect, an
investigative piece chroni-
cling 30 years with the focus
on one man who he consid-
ers could possibly be the
killer connected to a string of
murders along with Harp-
er's. The novel came out in
October 2014 and the
hunches are directed
towards a male who the
resigned lawman deemed as
a potential serial killer of
numerous females in the
area. A book Lawson said he
had purchased and read.
"From 1951-1959 he trav-
elled that whole area (Clin-
ton), so he would really
know the (surroundings)
and what a dark individual. I
think he planted Lynne there
because it was within about
a mile of 700 airmen, Ruhl
told the Expositor during a
phone interview.
"What a smart idea,
instead of dumping her
somewhere along the high-
way, he brings her back, so
obviously suspects are going
to be looked at in terms of
that area and that's exactly
what happened with
Truscott."
The man Ruhl refers to as
the pseudonym name "Larry
Talbot," for the respect of his
family's privacy, first came in
contact with the Sgt. in 1971
when he said the man suc-
cessfully broke into his cot-
tage in Sauble Beach and
sexually assaulted his fiance.
After fleeing the scene, Ruhl
chased the suspected assail-
ant, resulting in a struggle in
which Talbot used a pellet
gun as a weapon to strike
Ruhl with. Eventually after
being shot and struck with
the gun Ruhl's records
declared he was able to
arrest him. His book stated
Talbot would later receive
probation for the crime.
"It bothered me through
the cottage invasion, all the
way through my life and even
today, he doesn't leave. I think
about him everyday of my
life" Ruhl said.
Following the extensive
investigation of the alleged
killer, which would ultimately
lead to him being removed
from the case, Ruhl was deter-
mined to continue and delve.
The southwestern Ontario
native decided to mimic Kim
Rossmo, who is the first work-
ing police officer in the coun-
try to obtain a criminology
doctorate, specializing in geo-
graphical profiling. Ruhl's
bookA Viable Suspectreferred
to the degree as providing
importance and highlighted
an analysis for a lucrative
approach at finding a killer. It
stated, a need to potentially
bury a body, the murderer is
Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor
Bob Lawson, 79, stands in front of his barn near the village of
Vanastra. To the right of him is the notorious Lawson's Bush where
12 -year-old Lynne Harper's lifeless body was found in 1959.
more likely to do so in the
vicinity he or she is familiar
with. Ruhl created a datasheet
from murders and crimes,
pointing out the specific times
and geographical locations
connected to Talbot.
Pauline Ivy Dudley, 17,
from Oakville was found mur-
dered in 1973 about 15 min-
utes from Talbot's house.
Christine Prince, from
Toronto was killed in 1982
approximately seven minutes
away from the residence of
Talbot.
Delia Adriano, 25, from
Oakville was murdered 26
minutes away from Talbot's
dwelling.
Lynne Harper, 12, from
Vanastra was discovered in
1959 at Lawson's Bush, which
was a place constantlyvisited
for his specific job.
Jacqueline English's,
15 -year-old bodywas discov-
ered
iscovered in 1969 near Tillsonburg
and 19 -year-old Lynda
White's skeleton remains
were found in Norfolk County
in 1973. Ruhl believes this
could be Talbot because he
had customers in the area.
Lastly, Valerie Stevens, a
19 -year-old pregnant woman
from Toronto, was found in
1992 no more than 41 min of
where Talbot lived.
"If you read the book by
Barry Ruhl, most of the
girls (who) disappeared
and were found murdered
were hitchhikers," Lawson
commented.
To extend his hunch of
Talbot being the killer, Ruhl
indicated at the Truscott trial
the accused murderer's
exact words were the car that
purportedly stopped and
picked up Harper was that of
a 1959 Chevy Bel Air. He also
described the colour to be
grey. Talbot drove a similar
model in the same time
frame, but his was a 1957
Chevy Bel Air mentioned
Ruhl. Both Lawson and Ruhl
believe if the killer is still
around the chance of them
being alive is slim. Ruhl is
not sure if the cases are
being further looked at after
the book was published.
"What all police do, is they
keep everything kind of in
the closet. If they're not say-
ing anything about it that's
okay, my presentation is
about cold cases including
Lynne Harper and the fact
(is) that there's a lot of
women that have been mur-
dered," he said.
"My question to the
police is, are you setting up
a cold case squad or are
you looking at these cold
cases."
Allan Thompson
Integrity, Fairness, a Rural Voice.
Vote for real change.
Vote Liberal.
Vote for Allan Thompson.
I -844-396-7880
www.allanthompson.ca
allan@allanthompson.ca
Authorized by the official agent for Allan Thompson.
-,t/4 Libtral