John Moore Struggling Against Racist Wrongful Conviction

John Moore Struggling Against Racist Wrongful Conviction
BY MARIE LITALIEN, Northern Life, July 2008.

Almost a year after the Ontario Court of Appeal acquitted Steven
Truscott of the 1959 rape and murder of 12-year-old Lynne Harper, the
Ontario government announced this week it will pay him $6.5 million for
the injustices he faced.

“$6.5 million still won’t be enough for what he lost, for what he’s up
against. There is not enough on this planet to give,” said John Moore, a
Greater Sudbury man on his own quest to have a conviction overturned.

“He (Truscott) was just a kid. That is a very heavy thing on a kid’s
head ... and he was innocent.”

Moore, originally from Serpent River, was convicted of second degree
murder by a law that was ruled as unconstitutional years later.

Moore was convicted not because he was present at the scene of the 1978
murder, but because of the Crown’s theory that he ought to have known
about the plot to kill a Sault Ste. Marie cab driver.

Twenty years after being released from his life sentence in prison, he
still hasn’t been as lucky as Truscott.

He is still diligently trying to clear his name. And he won’t ever give
up.

“The ones that know me, know I didn’t commit the crime,” he said. “They
know I’m innocent.”

After applying for a pardon last spring, Moore’s next step in his quest
for justice is the distribution of a 350-page report to 200 members of
parliament, 125 members of provincial parliament and 25 media outlets.

His report, which includes documents such as newspaper articles and
letters, will go out by the end of the year, said Moore.

“I’ll keep writing until something is done.”

Both Moore’s father and grandmother died while he was in prison. He also
lost precious time with his two sons, now aged 28 and 30.

“All those special occasions, birthdays, all wiped out.”

Moore missed out on getting to know his brothers and mother, who was
there through every court proceeding.

“On a number of occasions, I could hear her crying,” he said. “I lost a
lot more than people can imagine.”

Moore, who has been sober thirty years next week, said he is physically,
mentally and spiritually healthy. In his seven years working at Williams
Coffee Pub in downtown Sudbury, he has never taken a sick day.

“Hopefully one day it will come to an end so I can have the rest of my
life,” said Moore, wiping away a stray tear. “I’m innocent. I never
killed anyone, therefore, I deserve justice.”