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Clifford Olson, Who Admitted Murdering 11 Children in British Columbia, Dies of Cancer in Federal Custody at 71

Victims' relatives greeted the news with relief. Olson had pleaded guilty in 1982 and was refused early release or parole in 1997, 2006 and 2010.

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An older, gray-haired Clifford Olson in a dark jacket, escorted outside a building

Clifford Olson admitted in 1982 to murdering 11 children and teenagers in British Columbia. On September 30, 2011, he died of cancer in federal custody in Quebec, at 71.

Serge Abergel, the Quebec region spokesman for the Correctional Service of Canada, said Olson died at the health care center attached to the federal regional reception center at Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, where he had been an inmate, and that any funeral would likely be held at an undisclosed location. Relatives of his victims had been told the week before that his cancer had spread and that he would not live out the month. "It's done. It's over. Now it's time for me," said Raymond King, whose 15-year-old son was killed by Olson. Trudy Court, the sister of another victim, said, "Our justice system couldn't do it for them. But life has."

Olson killed the 11 boys and girls, aged 9 to 17, in and around Vancouver between November 1980 and July 1981. They were Christine Weller, Colleen Daignault, Daryn Johnsrude, Sandra Wolfsteiner, Ada Court, Simon Partington, Judy Kozma, Raymond King, Sigrun Arnd, Terri Lyn Carson and Louise Chartrand. He was arrested on August 12, 1981, and in January 1982 he pleaded guilty to 11 counts of first-degree murder and received 11 concurrent life sentences with no parole eligibility for 25 years. A deal under which $100,000 was paid for his help in locating the bodies set off a storm of controversy. His bids for early release or parole were rejected in 1997, 2006 and 2010.

The Canadian Press reported that the deal paid Olson $100,000 to lead police to his victims' remains, while a Global News timeline said the money went to his wife.

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