Clarence Woodhouse

The Case  

In 1973, Clarence Woodhouse, a then 21-year-old Anishinaabe man from Pinaymootang First Nation, had recently moved from the Fairford Reserve to Winnipeg when he was wrongfully arrested for the murder of Ting Fong Chan. Clarence had no criminal record and was employed at the time.  

Clarence was not present at the time Mr. Chan was brutally murdered and had no connection to the crime. Despite this, he was wrongfully convicted of murder alongside his brother Russell Woodhouse, cousin Brian Anderson and friend A.J. Woodhouse.  

In July 2023, after more than five decades of injustice, A.J. Woodhouse and Brian Anderson were exonerated. Clarence’s brother, Russell, tragically passed away in 2011, never seeing the day his name would be cleared. 

Clarence’s wrongful conviction relied heavily on a confession that he allegedly made in fluent English, despite Saulteaux being his primary language and having a minimal understanding of English. He also reported being coerced into signing the false confession following a brutal assault by Winnipeg police officers. Unfortunately, the trial judge and an all-white jury dismissed his testimony. 

On March 5, 1974, Clarence was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, alongside his co-accused. The case relied heavily on coerced confessions and unreliable witness testimonies, with little to no physical evidence connecting Clarence to the scene of the crime. The prosecution’s reliance on racial prejudice and the defendants’ Indigenous identity played a significant role in the wrongful conviction. 

The Crown counsel on Calrence’s case was George Dangerfield, a senior Manitoba prosecutor who would later become infamous for his role in several wrongful convictions, including those of Thomas Sophonow, James Driskell, Kyle Unger, and Frank Ostrowski. His involvement, alongside that of the Winnipeg Police Service as the investigating agency, should have raised serious concerns as both were central figures in a troubling pattern of miscarriages of justice in Manitoba during that time. 

The Fight for Justice 

For over a decade, Clarence Woodhouse was locked away for a crime he did not commit, all the while maintaining his innocence. While incarcerated, he faced numerous hardships, including mental and physical abuse, but he continued to fight for justice. Throughout his time in prison, Clarence was supported by his family, particularly his mother and his brother Russell Woodhouse. 

Clarence was granted parole in 1983, but the fight for his exoneration continued. Clarence never gave up on his claim of innocence. With the help of Innocence Canada, he submitted an official request for a criminal conviction review in September 2023. 

The Exoneration 

On October 3, 2024, Clarence Woodhouse’s wrongful conviction was overturned, and he was acquitted of all charges. 50 years after his conviction, he was finally declared innocent by the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, a landmark moment for justice in Canada. 

During the hearing, Chief Justice Glenn D. Joyal addressed Clarence, stating: 

“There is nothing I can say to you that can give you back those 12 years… You were wrongfully convicted. You were innocent.” 

The ruling acknowledged the flaws in the investigation and the systemic racism that led to Clarence’s conviction. The judge’s acknowledgement of the fact that Clarence is innocent is one of only a few declarations in Canadian legal history.  For Clarence, the victory was bittersweet, as he had spent many years fighting to clear his name. 

Life After Exoneration 

Today, Clarence lives in Winnipeg with his son and five grandchildren.