Evelyn Dick

Case record: Evelyn Dick

Background

Evelyn Dick was born to Donald MacLean and Alexandra MacLean on October 13, 1920. A year after her birth in Beamsville, near Niagara Falls, the family moved to 214 Rosslyn Avenue in Hamilton. The elder MacLean worked for the Hamilton Street Railway as a streetcar conductor. He later attained an office position that gave him access to company revenues. Evelyn’s childhood was described as not particularly happy, with her father indulging too much in alcohol and her mother demonstrating a wicked temper. The parents did not get along and often spent time apart.

Rumours abounded that Donald was dipping into the coffers of the H.S.R. The family lived very well, always had huge sums in the bank, and would send Evelyn shopping with handfuls of nickels, described as the fee collected for a fare in those days.

Evelyn tried hard to become recognized in the finer circles in town. She hosted lavish parties at the Royal Connaught Hotel in Hamilton and spent money freely on acquaintances. Her social acceptance was never reciprocated in the way that she wanted. She became the focus of rumours while still in her mid-teens, with her having more expensive jewelry and furs than was considered proper. She spent time in the company of much older men and at places out of town and at race tracks.

In 1942, Evelyn gave birth to a daughter. She announced that she was OK, that she was married to a man stationed overseas by the last name of White. Later examination of military records failed to prove the existence of such a person. Heather White was born with mental retardation and would require much attention from her mother and grandparents.

Evelyn gave birth the next summer to a stillborn baby, and then on September 5, 1944, Peter David White was born. No one was certain of who the father was for these children.

In June 1945, Evelyn moved with Heather and Alexandra MacLean, who had recently separated from Donald, into an apartment together in downtown Hamilton. After a month or so together, Evelyn announced to her mother that in two weeks she was going to marry John Dick. Alexandra had never heard of him.

Alexandra remembered the name Bill Bohozuk, described as the man that she believed her daughter to be very much involved with when Evelyn’s marriage announcement was made.

Other details

Evelyn’s responses and demeanor after police questioned her about John Dick were described as inappropriate. Later, psychiatrists found her to be on the borderline between having dull normal and moron-like intelligence, and it was reported that she had the mental capacity of a thirteen-year-old girl.

The offence

On Saturday, March 16, 1946, a group of five children playing on Hamilton’s escarpment locally known as “The Mountain” found what they thought looked like the body of a headless pig. Police quickly realized they were dealing with the naked torso of a man. The head, arms, and legs were missing and no where to be found. A deep wound in the abdomen indicated that someone had tried to cut the torso itself in two.

The remains were identified as belonging to John Dick, described as a conductor for the Hamilton Street railway. John Dick had been missing since March 6, according to his cousin, Alexander Kammerer, who reported this to police. Alexander Kammerer became worried when he heard reports of the torso and began to suspect something awful might have happened to John, who had been living with him since his short-lived marriage apparently had failed.

The torso’s discovery led to suspicion turning to Evelyn Dick. The investigation later also involved the death of Evelyn’s infant son. During the investigation at the Dick’s Carrick Avenue residence, a beige suitcase in an attic trunk was found. The suitcase was filled with concrete, and in the concrete were the remains of a baby boy described as Peter David White.

In the first trial, Evelyn Dick was found guilty of John Dick’s murder and sentenced to death by hanging. In a later proceeding, she was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of her infant son and sentenced to life in Kingston Penitentiary.

Investigation

Shortly after the body was identified, Evelyn Dick was taken to police headquarters for questioning. When she was told the torso belonged to her husband, she remarked: “ Don’t look at me. I don’t know anything about it”. She then told a story about a “nattily dressed Italian hitman kinda guy” who arrived at her door looking for John. She said he told her he was going to “fix” him for messing around with his wife, and he left without telling Mrs. Dick who he was.

Days later, police learned that Evelyn borrowed a large Packard car from a man named Bill Landeg. Evelyn returned the car with blood covering the front seat, with the seat covers missing, and with bloody clothing in the back. Evelyn left a note explaining that Heather had cut herself and made the mess. The investigation proved that the blood was the same type as John Dick’s.

At this point, Evelyn told police that a mysterious man had called her and told her that John had made a woman pregnant and that he was getting what was coming to him. She said the man asked her to meet him so he could borrow a car. Evelyn said she met the man and he had a large sack with him. She said he told her it contained “part of John”. Evelyn said she drove this man and his cargo to the dumping site and took police on the route that she claimed they followed.

When asked if it was at all alarming to her that her husband’s body was in the vehicle, Evelyn said she wasn’t happy about his demise, but that it was a “pretty mean trick to break up a home”, referring “evidently to the woman who Dick had allegedly impregnated”. She emphatically denied conspiring to kill her husband.

Investigators described her responses and demeanor as inappropriate.

Evelyn later changed her story again and signed a second statement regarding the involvement of Italian killers, hired by Bill Bohozuk.

Investigators at the Carrick Avenue residence made the discovery of the beige suitcase in an attic trunk filled with concrete and containing the remains of a baby boy identified as Peter David White. Alexandra MacLean told police that she had seen her husband at the trunk the day before and had told Evelyn “to get the hell out of the room”.

Facing this, and having been told that Bohozuk had been brought in for questioning, Evelyn Dick told another story. She said that Bill Bohozuk had murdered the child and John Dick as well.

Incriminating evidence was found in Donald MacLean’s basement, described as including bullet holes in a pipe, a revolver and cartridges, saws, and bloodstained shoes that were almost certainly John Dick’s.

Evelyn Dick, Bill Bohozuk, and Donald MacLean were charged with the murder of John Dick.

Arrest

Evelyn Dick was arrested for murder after local children in Hamilton, Ontario found the torso of her estranged husband, John Dick. Police took her to police headquarters for questioning soon after the body was identified.

Trial

First trial (murder of John Dick)

In October 1946, Evelyn Dick’s case came before the courts. After nine days of testimony, the jury took less than two hours to return a guilty verdict. Evelyn was given the death sentence for the murder of John Dick.

Appeal relating to the murder conviction

The conviction for the murder of her husband was overturned on appeal. The verdict was overturned because, it was ruled, Evelyn’s statements to police were improperly admitted into evidence and the trial judge had not properly instructed the jury.

Second proceeding / manslaughter conviction

Evelyn was tried again and was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of her infant son. She received a life sentence in Kingston Penitentiary.

Outcome of proceedings involving other accused

Bill Bohozuk walked away free when Evelyn refused to give testimony in his trial. Donald MacLean was found guilty as an accessory after the fact and sentenced to five years in prison.

Sentencing

Evelyn Dick was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of John Dick in the first trial. After the appeal and subsequent proceedings, Evelyn was sentenced to life in Kingston Penitentiary for manslaughter in the death of her infant son.

Appeals

The appeal overturned Evelyn Dick’s murder conviction. The overturning was based on the ruling that her statements to police were improperly admitted into evidence and that the trial judge had not properly instructed the jury.

Outcome

Evelyn Dick was acquitted on appeal as statements made to police were deemed inadmissable. She was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of her infant son and sentenced to life in Kingston Penitentiary. Evelyn Dick was paroled in 1958. What happened to her after that is uncertain.