First Nations man sues government over wrongful conviction in 1973 Winnipeg murder

A third First Nations man, Clarence Woodhouse, has recently been exonerated in the 1973 killing of a Winnipeg father and has taken legal action against all three levels of government. Woodhouse, now 73, was one of four young men from Pinaymootang First Nation who were wrongfully convicted in the murder of Ting Fong Chan, a father of two found beaten and stabbed near a downtown construction site.

In October, Woodhouse was declared innocent by Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal, who apologized for the systemic racism that tainted the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of the case. It was revealed that the case against Woodhouse and the other men was largely based on coerced police confessions.

Woodhouse has filed a lawsuit against the provincial and federal attorneys general, the province, and the City of Winnipeg, alleging negligent police investigation, malicious prosecution, false arrest, police conspiracy, and rights violations, including a failure to disclose relevant evidence to the defense. The lawsuit also implicates Crown attorney George Dangerfield, who was involved in multiple wrongful conviction cases.

This legal action follows similar lawsuits filed by two other men, Allan Woodhouse and Brian Anderson, who were also acquitted of murder in the same case. Clarence Woodhouse’s brother, Russell Woodhouse, who was convicted of manslaughter, passed away in 2011, and his case is currently under review by Canada’s justice minister.

The lawsuit details Clarence Woodhouse’s vulnerable state at the time of his arrest, as he was a day school survivor with limited English proficiency. Police allegedly coerced him into signing a false confession by subjecting him to verbal abuse, physical assault, and showing him false confessions of his co-accused. Woodhouse’s alibi, that he was asleep at home during the murder, was never investigated.

After serving over 10 years of a life sentence, Woodhouse was granted parole but faced racism while incarcerated. The lawsuit seeks damages for loss of liberty and reputation, pain and suffering, loss of income, and the humiliation of being wrongfully convicted.

The city and province declined to comment on the lawsuit, while the federal Justice Department is reviewing the case. The injustice faced by Clarence Woodhouse highlights the need for accountability and justice in cases of wrongful convictions.