Latimer to MAID: A True Crime Legacy in Canada’s Euthanasia Debate

The story of Robert Latimer 

Euthanasia in Canada today is a busy government department

Originally published Jan 25, 2008  UPDATED

Society's picture of Robert Latimer remains fuzzy, as he was imprisoned 10 years for the second degree murder of his daughter Tracy, whom he loved and wanted her suffering to end which he maintains to this day.

Robert Latimer’s trial for the murder of his 13 year old daughter Tracy Latimer in 1993 in Saskatchewan was one of the most difficult and indeed vexing criminal trials in latter day Canadian history. The helpless, completely invalid girl was murdered in an act defended by the father as mercy killing.

Well, there are no provisions in Canadian law, and few countries with such legal provisions, to deal with the act of ‘so-called’ mercy killing. He was convicted of second degree murder and serves a mandatory sentence.

The consensus in the defense of Robert Latimer is that he found himself at his wit's end seeking treatment for his catastrophically disabled daughter. She was born to a stunted life with cerebral palsy and many complications that locked her forever into a mental state of four months of age.

Latimer and family (wife and other three kids) had devoted all those years of hope and care to the upbringing of Tracy, even so, the situation continuously deteriorated along with the assistance to ameliorate problems. Somehow Robert Latimer decided it should last no longer.

In a curious way Tracy has received the munificent attention of human concern under the spotless conditions of a Canadian courtroom after being killed far sooner than she ever would have received it staying alive languishing between a bathing, a feeding, a changing, a sleeping, and another life-saving surgery, followed by a touch and go recovery and day-in, day-out servitude to her complete inability to function at any level except existence.

In a sense she challenged some people to ask how much are they are contributing to life that they should continue to exist. In another sense, she was existing as nothing but an unheard scream by any but the most select professionals in medical society, and a select coterie of family members, and no one else.

Ultimately Latimer had decided, apparently, devotion to Tracy was doing her more harm than good, and he must have  reasoned that since resources were unavailable to make her life and the Latimer family anything more than complete servitude to her progressively worse existence, in contrast to a family working like a congruent and manageable affair, and no institution would end her descent into pain, she should perish.

Obviously that is a not a decision any person wants to make, and certainly one that is disallowed under the law. In other words, it was against the law to kill his severely disabled daughter even though keeping her alive seemed to Robert Latimer to be an act of abject cruelty. He chose the lesser of two evils and has stuck with his choice ever since.

For doing what he decided was absolutely necessary to end the suffering of Tracy Latimer her father is spending life in prison. He refuses to admit the error of his ways, a fundamental requirement of the system, for refusal in admitting the mistake to the parole board is all that prevents them from slamming the door shut on Robert Latimer’s release.

The parole situation may change with the new intercession of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, arguing, "that the parole board acted improperly by rejecting parole." Latimer was denied parole in December 07, mainly because 'he showed no remorse for his actions.'

According to the BCCLA counsel Jason Gratl, "Jurors in both of Latimer's trials urged that Latimer be given parole." Gratl also noted the parole board's 'triggers' were not set off about concerns of rehabilitation, specific deterrence and protection. The only thing preventing his release is Latimer's inability to express remorse about the deed.

"Although it has a role at sentencing," Gratl wrote, "the objective of denunciation plays no part in the consideration of whether Mr. Latimer should be granted day parole."

It appears from all points of view, including that of psychologist Dr. Bruce Monkhouse, that Latimer is a very low risk, and, "had only an eight per cent statistical probability of reoffending within eight years and a 10 per cent probability in 10 years."

Indeed, the BCCLA indicates its concerns about why the parole board refused to release Latimer. "The panel that denied his parole was plainly more interested in extracting a tearful apology from Latimer than it was in performing its proper function."

Latimer’s appeal will go back to the parole board. If the board denies the appeal, the BCCLA will take it to the federal court. The case remained a delicate subject world-wide, and in Canada, with strong advocates both for and against everywhere you turn.

One informative website reads as follows, "October 24th 1993 and in 1994, Robert Latimer is found guilty of second-degree murder, a crime for which the mandatory sentence is life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years. Latimer appeals but his conviction is upheld in 1995. Another trial takes place in 1997 because there had been jury tampering before the first trial."

The website informed how the legal struggle continued, "In December 1997, Judge Ted Noble recognizes Latimer's act as one of 'compassionate homicide' and grants him a constitutional exemption. In 1998, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal sets aside constitutional exemption and upholds the mandatory sentence." Latimer appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, which upheld the life sentence. On January 18th 2001, Robert Latimer went to prison.  

The Latimer situation regarding the killing of Tracy continues to appear before a Canadian and international audience because, "There is no mention in the Criminal Code of 'mercy killing', of 'compassionate homicide' or of 'euthanasia,'" said the authors of a Latimer website.

Due to this, "Judges' hands are tied by imposed minimum mandatory sentences." Distinguishing the actions of compassion and mercy in killing in Canada has been tried before, in 1995, when "a special Senate Committee on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide unanimously recommended that the punishment for murder be reduced in cases where there is the essential element of compassion or mercy." This did not occur.

Makes you wonder how a mere 20 years later the establishment in charge of Assisted Death in Canada would examine the Latimer case today.

Other nations  struggling with euthanasia and a few have made laws to permit it, including Belgium and Holland, and Oregon in the USA. Canada now 'mercy' kills as many as 15,500 Canadians per year.

The accelerating rate of 'assisted' dying in Canada

Addendum (2025): Latimer in the Age of MAID

A Father’s Choice in a Pre-MAID Era

When I wrote about Robert Latimer in 2008, his 1993 decision to end his daughter Tracy’s life—using carbon monoxide to ease her severe cerebral palsy—divided Canada as the Progressive Conservatives, under Kim Campbell, gave way to Jean Chrétien’s Liberal government. Convicted of second-degree murder in 1994 and paroled in 2010, Latimer’s act ignited fierce debates on mercy killing and disability rights. Now, in 2025, Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program, legalized in 2016, offers a regulated path for end-of-life choices. How does Latimer’s solitary act compare to MAID’s framework?

MAID’s Meteoric Rise: 1,018 to 15,343

MAID began with 1,018 assisted deaths in 2016 (0.4% of all deaths) and surged to 15,343 by 2023 (4.7%), totaling 60,301 cases. Unlike Latimer’s desperate choice, MAID requires two assessments, patient consent, and often clinician administration. Yet, despite a 28% rise in non-terminal cases in 2023 and concerns about coercion among the disabled, MAID has faced little public backlash—a stark contrast to Latimer’s polarizing case. This post aims to reignite that debate, questioning whether MAID’s quiet acceptance masks unresolved ethical tensions.

Aspect	Robert Latimer (1993)	MAID (2016–2023)
Deaths	1 (Tracy, via carbon monoxide)	60,301 total; 15,343 in 2023 (4.7% of deaths)
Legality	Illegal; murder conviction (paroled 2010)	Legal; Track 1 (~96%) & Track 2 (stricter)
Eligibility	None; personal decision	Adults with serious illness; excludes mental illness (2027)
Process	Unsupervised, hidden	Two assessments, 10-day wait (waivable), consent
Impact	Sparked euthanasia debate; influenced MAID	Normalized; critiques on disability coercion
Context	Pre-MAID; seen as "mercy killing"	Growing acceptance; ongoing ethical debates

Closing Summary:  

Latimer’s act, a lightning rod in 1993 as Progressive Conservatives handed power to Chrétien’s Liberals, contrasts with a Canada where 15,343 chose assisted death in 2023—yet sparked little outcry. By revisiting Latimer’s story, this post stirs a new debate: Has MAID’s quiet acceptance resolved Tracy’s silenced voice, or buried deeper ethical questions? Canada’s euthanasia journey remains a mirror, reflecting compassion and lingering doubts.

Organized Crime calls forth specialized police work

Rust never sleeps

Originally published Jan 25, 2008

The fight against organized crime in Canada requires policing that organizes to tackle a myriad of problems, practically every sort and degree of crime in the country.

That is the reason for the existence of the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC), with a mandate to be strategically-focused, “an organization which ensures the timely production and exchange of criminal information and intelligence among CISC member agencies.”

The CISC operates, as a national ‘centre of excellence’, “in support of the national effort to detect, reduce, disrupt and prevent organized and serious crime affecting Canada.”

CISC runs under a Constitution (published online along with the Annual Report, and including an array of details)(although the website is not necessarily current in news except with ‘reports’) overseen by the National Executive Committee.

Structurally, “a Central Bureau in Ottawa (liaises) with, and collects intelligence from, ten Provincial Bureaus that serves all of Canada’s provinces and territories,” says the 2007 Annual Report, released online this Jan 08.

“The Provincial Bureaus operate independently,” to liase with, “380 law enforcement agencies across the country. These agencies supply criminal intelligence to their respective Provincial Bureaus for further analysis and dissemination.”

CISC National Executive Committee, which is comprised of 23 leaders including chiefs of big city police forces and provincial forces and elsewhere in Canada’s law enforcement community, is chaired by the Commissioner of the RCMP.

In fact, CISC was formed in 1970, “to unite the Canadian criminal intelligence community at municipal, provincial and federal levels to more effectively and efficiently combat organized and serious crime affecting Canada.”

The Criminal Code (467.1) definition of organized crime, is as follows: “Criminal organization” means a group, however organized that: (a) is composed of three or more persons in or outside of Canada; and; (b) has as one of its main purposes or main activities the facilitation or commission of one or more serious offences that, if committed, would likely result in the direct or indirect receipt of a material benefit, including a financial benefit, by the group or by any of the persons who constitute the group.

Perhaps the big news according to the report is that, “Canada contains approximately 950 organized crime groups in 2007, compared to an estimated 800 groups in 2006.”

The report states, “Wherever there is profit to be made, organized crime can be found,” furthermore, “Many organized crime groups operate on a network basis, reaching out to individuals with specific skills and expertise necessary to facilitate criminal ventures,” thus the term ‘organized.’

Those criminals acting out elaborate schemes in organized crime are contained within a small number of organized crime groups, although organized crime is “engaged in diverse and complex activities largely on an urban basis.”

“Some of these (organizations)have the capability to target, coerce or employ individuals in legitimate business, professionals, such as lawyers and accountants, and other community members.” (Lawyers huh)

Interestingly, the report notes, dryly, that, “A number of these groups exist for limited periods of time, cooperate for specific criminal activities and then disband.”
That is not the norm, however, for some groups, “such as the majority of street gangs;” these, “are highly visible to the public in part because of their tendency to use violence and intimidation in communities which has a direct impact on public safety.”

The business of human trafficking falls within the realm of organized crime, belonging to groups that, “exploit Canada’s borders to illegally move people and various types of contraband.”

The report stated, in some instances the activity relies on breaking into, “the legitimate workforce.” Also interesting to read, “Certain border area Aboriginal territories have been targeted by organized crime.”

Organized crime is at the top of their game with technology, and their activities lie behind a lot of what is reported as identity theft and electronic theft through internet and bank card and credit card theft of money.

“Technology (is) being exploited by organized crime groups, particularly communication devices such as mobile wireless and personal digital assistants (e.g. Blackberries) that increase the speed of communication between individuals and groups.”

The report says, also, “Communication devices also serve to insulate groups from law enforcement detection such as in the use of multiple, disposable cell phones. Moreover, these devices, as well as payment cards are vulnerable to identity theft and theft of financial information to commit fraud.”

And the CISC reported, “Newer technologies such as voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and malicious software used to target individuals via the Internet are used by crime groups to facilitate large-scale frauds and thefts.”

In everything they do, the CISC organization is faced with weighing consequences, from which they note, “may be direct and tangible, such as fraud or thefts, with effects that can be quantified in terms of monetary loss.”

Or, the “Harms also encompass a range of intangible effects more difficult to quantify. For example, the loss of quality of life through victimization is difficult to measure or to compare objectively against a merchant’s loss of business due to counterfeit goods.”

Indeed, the CISC is operationally grounded to be organized against the dark side of human nature, the violence, illicit drugs, financial crimes, contraband and counterfeit goods, human smuggling and trafficking, which is “known to exist in the form of sexual exploitation and domestic servitude.”

The report noted, “several crime groups are also involved in domestic trafficking in persons: recruiting young women, transporting them throughout Canada and in some instances to the U.S., and exploiting them in the sex trade.”

The report discusses crimes related to intellectual property theft, vehicle theft (which in Canada, CISC notes, is concentrated in Toronto and Montreal). 

“Organized crime is a profit-driven activity and forms of it come in great diversity.”
Diverse indeed, including things like Mass Marketing Fraud, and Mortgage Fraud, Securities Fraud, Payment Card Fraud, Money Laundering.

(The International Monetary Fund estimates that between $22 and $55 billion is laundered annually in Canada, the CISC reported), all of which are growing in complexity with the expansion of technology.

The CISC annual report contains a special section on illegal firearms, stating, “The illicit firearms market in Canada is driven by both individual criminals and members of organized crime. Criminals require firearms to assist in their criminal endeavours.”

Because of the readiness of supply and connections, the report discussed the USA supply chain of firearms into Canada, as follows, “There continue to be five primary sources or methods used by criminals or their organizations to acquire firearms from U.S.

1. Licensed U.S. Dealers:

2. Straw Purchasers: A person with illegal intent may use an accomplice, referred to as a straw purchaser, to legally acquire firearms from an U.S. retailer 

3. False Identification 

4. Secondary U.S. Markets: A person purchases firearms at a secondary market (e.g. a gun show, flea market, or 

5. Theft: A person steals firearms from a lawful owner, a U.S. retailer, a conveyor (common or contract carrier) or from the mail system, with the intention of reselling

In Canada-proper, “sourced firearms are mainly derived from residential and commercial thefts; however, other sources include: firearms that have not been re-registered, unregistered and deactivated firearms, as well as diversions from the legitimate industry.”

The report noted, the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) has maintained records pertaining to stolen or missing firearms since 1974. “Currently, there are approximately 85,000 firearms recorded in the system, of which approximately 44,000 are classified as restricted firearms (e.g. handguns).”

For more details and a read of the CISC Annual Report 2024, or training opportunities for those involved with police work or other information visit this link.

Caleb Harrison and morbid coincidence

The year is 1972, the dialogue is terrific the film unfolds with twists superbly disguised, secrets spill. Sleuth a mystery thriller comes to a shocking climax as the pollen light shifts and freezes across the screen. It is mid-December and somewhere a call girl labours . . . Caleb Harrison is born. His death will form its own mystery.

Sammy Yatim killed on a street car by a cop

Forcillo convicted of attempted murder

 (second six shots, as Yatim was no longer a threat)

Those of us who have traveled on a streetcar seldom remember our brief interactions with the strangers who stare ahead glazy eyed, waiting for their next stop. The homeless man, the laces of his shoes untied, shivering as he unwraps the elastic band off a scrumpled ball of paper. The mother who comforts an overweight child grasping a take away bag. The woman who speaks loudly into her cellphone at a supposed husband who didn't return home last night. The business man who gives away his seat and the boy attached to his ipod who pretends to sleep. The green eyed teenager of small build surrounded by police as they yell into the street in aggressive tone, "Drop the knife, Drop the knife . . . ."

Woman from Quebec murdered for $130

Originally aired Oct 24, 2024, on CRIME BEAT

Shocking footage of Islamic State violence in Canada

He seems nice. . . . Oh. Shit. I am never voting Liberal again

Sentencing in December

Downtown Eastside Vancouver - crime and drugs . . .

 . . . pay in premature death

Did you sign your organ donor card?

Charlie Kirk, a modern prophet, martyred in Utah

https://t.co/YZwdG9uLg1

Outpourings off grief around the world

— Citizen X (@MackMcColl222) September 23, 2025

Originally published Sep 10, 2025 Updated

Surrey, BC, crackdown on extortion in Lower Mainland

40 incidents reported (a small percentage of the extortion crimes underfoot)

Present crime spree is unacceptable

The Pope prophesized a Culture of Death. . .

. . . And that's what we get

Atrocity on the train in Charlotte, NC

Iryna Zarutska's nearly instant death

The merciful thing was it took only 12 seconds for Iryna to die 

Her throat was slashed on the train

Counterfeiting dubbed "World's 2nd Oldest Profession"

Only a few years ago, one Judge J.F Palmer imposed a sentence of 42 months prison time on Mathieu Flynn. 24, of Vancouver. Mathieu Flynn was no small time crook, he was a millionaire, some might call him an entrepreneur of sorts. In drawers around his Coquitlam home the RCMP had found his secret stash, piles and piles of $100, $50 and $20 bills. In fact Mr Flynn had been busy over the previous three years counterfeiting over $2 million dollars in Canadian currency.

Counterfeiting was dubbed by Michael Young in the Dallas morning News in 2009 as, "the worlds second oldest profession." In the 1200s China introduced paper money, mulberry trees used to make paper money had to be guarded to prevent counterfeiters. Back then, the penalty for counterfeiting was death by beheading.

In the 21st Century we are more used to reading a life threatening warning on a packet of cigarettes, in 7th century China however paper money carried a similar warning "To counterfeit is death" Ming notes read. Fake money has been a problem since coins and paper currency came into use at the time of the American Civil War for example it was estimated one third of currency in circulation was counterfeit.