This is the intro of one of my favourite essays I wrote this year. It's not a literature essay, but rather an elective law course I took. Mr. John Dick's body was found just a short walk from my house.
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On March 16, 1946, a group of school children made one of the most gruesome discoveries in Hamilton’s history. A headless, limbless torso was found cast aside on the Hamilton Mountain, which was soon identified to be the remains of Hamilton Street Railway worker, John Dick. Recently separated from his wife, Evelyn, if one were to judge by appearance, nobody would ever think the 26 year old woman would be capable of being a part of such a grizzly murder, however, after having a preliminary hearing, His Worship Magistrate Henry A. Burbidge committed Evelyn Dick along with William Bohuzuk and her father, Donald Maclean, for the trial of the murder of John Dick. Unsurprisingly, the jury found Evelyn guilty of murder, and it seemed inevitable that she would be executed. Not only was there an abundance of evidence proving she was a part of the crime, but there were also statements and confessions given to the police that led them to believe beyond a reasonable doubt that she had killed her husband. Known as one of the most famous, sensationalized cases in Canadian history, the trial of Evelyn Dick captivated the nation. Initially found guilty of murder, Evelyn Dick was at jeopardy of execution, and it still puzzles many people how she was able to win an appeal. Through the evidence presented, the Canadian legal system proves that as long as the defence is able to argue misdirection or wrongful admission of evidence, then there are indisputable grounds for a new trial, and in this case, Mrs. Dick really did get away with murder.
