'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
Walter Gillespie died last week at the age of 80.
“His only wish was that people would know for a fact that he did not commit that heinous crime,” says his daughter, who only wants to be identified by her first name Patricia, in a statement. “He finally got that wish.”
In 1984, Gillespie and his friend Robert Mailman were wrongfully convicted for the 1983 homicide of George Leeman in Saint John. Gillespie spent 21 years in prison, and Mailman spent 18 years in prison. Both men received full parole in 2000.
A full exoneration of Gillespie and Mailman occurred in January, with a judge apologizing for a “miscarriage of justice.”
An undisclosed financial settlement was reached between both men and the provincial government in February.
Mailman has terminal lung cancer, and has been told he only has a few months to live.
Gillespie’s daughter says her father died after an accidental fall at his residence on Friday.
“My father was a kind-hearted man,” says Patricia in the statement. “He did not have a mean bone in his body. I have never heard him speak ill or disrespectfully of anyone. He kept to himself and never caused trouble or drama. It has touched my heart, seeing comments from people who knew him, stating that he was a good man and will be greatly missed.
“Life was not fair to him, but he never let that turn him from a kind soul into a bitter or angry person. That is saying a lot because, ‘unfair’ doesn’t even begin to cover what his life was.”
Gillespie’s daughter says a private memorial will be held at a later date.
In a CTV News interview, Innocence Canada co-president Ron Dalton says Gillespie’s exceptional integrity as a person is one of the things he’ll remember most about him.
“For me, he stands as a picture of faithful friend and somebody who was very devoted to his principles,” says Dalton. “For 40 years he stood by his friend Mr. Mailman, when he could’ve walked away from this situation. He refused to say he saw something he didn’t see, or heard something he didn’t hear. And he paid dearly, with his freedom for those 40 years.”
For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Child under 5 dies of measles in Ontario: PHO
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires burning across Canada: Communities threatened as flames creep closer
Thousands of residents fled Fort McMurray this week, fearing a repeat of the 2016 wildfire that forced out the entire community and torched more than 2,400 homes.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
Zach Bryan and girlfriend Brianna Chickenfry are 'happy and alive' after 'traumatizing' car accident
Zach Bryan and his girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia were involved in a scary car accident earlier this week, according to LaPaglia, who recalled the experience in a candid video posted to her TikTok page earlier this week.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.