Well, the government has spoken and Colin Thatcher will not be getting a penny from the profits of his book. At least not directly.
The law states that criminals can’t profit from recounting their crimes. It’s not an unusual law. It was a similar law in New York that barred former Gambino Crime Family underboss Sammy Gravano from profiting from his book after he turned states evidence and put his boss John Gotti and lots of other mobsters behind bars for a long time.
The law stipulated that profits from the Gravano book would go towards the families of his 19 murder victims!
The Saskatchewan government said that it doesn’t want Thatcher to profit directly or indirectly from his crimes. He obviously won’t profit “directly,” but profiting “indirectly” could be tougher for the government to stop.
If the profits from his book goes to his victims family, then guess where the money will go? To his children. Who says the kids won’t give their dad some or even all of the money?
I’m not really sure what to make of this law. Would the government have gone after him this way if he wasn’t a former politician? Is this law supposed to be a deterrent to people who believe that killing a person, spending 25 years in prison, and then writing a book about it, the new “get rich quick” scheme of the 21st century? I know I’d certainly find a different path to riches, even before this law was passed.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that you shouldn’t kill another human being. If you do, then you serve the time that society deems appropriate. For Colin Thatcher, he owed society 25 years, and he paid that debt in full. Was that long enough? According to Canadian law it was.
Being a “true crime” buff, if I ran across his book I’d probably buy it. I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to get it. I don’t care where the profit goes. It’s a story that people of this province will talking about 100 years from now.
Not only talking about, but reading about as well.
No, the money made in jail off the book should not be allowed to the writer as he is free to do business in jail. But since Colin is innocent, and many within his business association and immediate family got unfairly ripped off when he was yanked, the money should be left to his appointed manager or partner.
I wish he had gotten the Death Penalty but since that’s not
possible, the profits from the book should go to his ex-wife’s
daughter and NOT to his sons.
The bookstores selling the book may be liable for the profits, because they collect the money.