On a cold January morning in 1983, the body of Joanne Wilson was found in the garage of her home in Regina. She had been beaten and shot. Her ex-husband, Colin Thatcher, had resigned as Provincial Minister of Energy just a few days before.
Thatcher was charged with her murder more than a year later. Thatcher's trial was held in Saskatoon and he was eventually convicted in her murder. He was handed a life sentence with no parole for 25 years.
He was released in November of 2006 and wrote a book three years later suggesting he was framed for the murder of his ex-wife. The provincial government passed a law that prevented Thatcher from profiting from the book and the proceeds were surrendered to the government.
That money was given to two groups that work with victims of domestic violence and survivors of homicide. Learn more about 100 years of CKRM at 620ckrm.com.
100 Years of Saskatchewan History
This article is part of a series that celebrates both the history of Saskatchewan and the 100th anniversary of one of Saskatchewan's most storied radio stations. For more key moments from the last 100 years, visit the CKRM timeline.
