"It's clear that Betty Osborne would not have been killed if she had not been Aboriginal." — Reading from the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry report.
"Those who stood by while the physical assault took place while sexual advances were made and while she was being beaten to death showed their own racism sexism and indifference." — Reading from the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry report.
"The only conviction we got you got 10 years yielded a sentence of 10 years." — Discussing the outcome of Duane Johnston's sentencing.
This episode of Crime Junkie recounts the harrowing murder of Helen Betty Osborne, a 19-year-old Indigenous woman in northern Manitoba in November 1971. Her body was discovered on a cold morning, exhibiting signs of extreme violence. The initial investigation faced significant challenges, including the difficulty of identifying the victim due to her injuries and the remoteness of the crime scene. The case was further complicated by the limited forensic capabilities of the era and what appears to be a lack of urgency and thoroughness from law enforcement, influenced by societal biases.
Over the following years, the case remained cold, but persistent anonymous tips and later a dedicated investigator, Robert Urbanowski, began to shed light on the events of that night. These efforts eventually led to the identification of four individuals allegedly involved: Lee Colgan, Dwayne Johnston, Jim Houghton, and Norm Manger. The investigation highlighted the systemic issues of racism and indifference that plagued the justice system's handling of Indigenous cases, as detailed in the Public Inquiry into the Administration of Justice and Aboriginal People.
The subsequent trial in 1987, over 16 years after Osborne's murder, saw Lee Colgan and Norm Manger as key witnesses, with Colgan providing a detailed account of the abduction, assault, and murder. Despite the testimony and some physical evidence, the trial resulted in Dwayne Johnston being found guilty of second-degree murder and Jim Houghton being acquitted. The podcast emphasizes the profound injustice of the outcome, particularly the lenient sentence for Johnston and the acquittal of Houghton, underscoring the deep-seated issues that allowed such a tragedy to occur and delay justice for so long.