Elva Sailsman

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Charge:	Murder (Conspiracy to commit murder)
Sentence:	7 years hard labor
Years Imprisoned:	1.5
Year Crime:	1961
Year Convicted:	1962
Year Cleared:	1963
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Jamaica
County or Region of Crime:	Manchester
City of Crime:	New Forest
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Elva Sailsman was a 28-year-old primary school teacher wrongly convicted in November 1962 of conspiracy to commit murder in the December 27, 1961 death of her 48-year-old husband Eric Eastwood Sailsman in New Forest, Jamaica. Sailsman was found dead in his house on a burnt mattress. Two days after his funeral his body was exhumed and autopsied, but there was no evidence of foul play. The coroner determined Sailsman died from carbon monoxide poisoning and third-degree burns. An investigation led to the arrest of two men charged with his murder and the arrest and the charging of Elva Sailsman with conspiracy to commit his murder. The prosecution alleged that Sailsman was involved with one of her co-defendants, himself a married man, and that she wanted to collect on her husband's £5,000 double-indemnity life insurance policy. Sailsman and her co-defendants were convicted. She was sentenced to 7 years in prison at hard labor. On May 22, 1963 Jamaica's Court of Appeal reversed Sailsman's conviction and ordered a new trial. Sailsman was again convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to 7 years in prison after a second trial. On October 18, 1963 Jamaica's Court of Appeals reversed Elva Sailsman's conviction and acquitted her on the basis there was insufficient evidence she was involved in a conspiracy to kill her husband, which resulted in her immediate release from prison and double-jeopardy barred her retrial. On October 23, 1963 it was reported that Sailsman filed a £10,000 life insurance claim. The Sunday (Jamaica) Gleener reported on January 12, 1964 the National Life Assurance Company of Canada agreed to pay Sailsman £5,000 pounds, but refused to pay her £10,000 under the double-indemnity accidental death provision. The convictions of Sailsman's two co-defendants were not overturned."
Conviction Caused By:	Jury being convinced of her guilt by the prosecution's arguments Elva Sailsman was romantically involved with one of her co-defendants and she wanted to collect on his life insurance.
Innocence Proved By:	"On October 18, 1963 Jamaica's Court of Appeals reversed Elava Sailsman's conviction and acquitted her, which resulted in her immediate release from prison and double-jeopardy barred her retrial."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:	No
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	28
Age When Released:	30
Sex:	Female
Skin/Ethnicity:
Information Source 1:	"Schoolteacher accused of killing husband for insurance money, By Sybil E. Hibbert, 'Jamaica Observer, December 23, 2012"
Information Location 1:	http://m.jamaicaobserver.com/mobile/news/Schoolteacher-accused-of-killing-husband-for-insurance-money_13260228
Information Source 2:	"Appeal Court orders new trial for Elva Sailsman, The Daily Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica), May 24, 1963, p. 4"
Information Location 2:
Information Source 3:	"Elva Sailsman freed on second appeal, The Daily Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica), October 19, 1963, p. 1"
Information Location 3:	http://newspaperarchive.com/kingston-gleaner/1963-10-19
Information Source 4:	"Elva Sailsman files £10,000 insurance claim, The Daily Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica), October 23, 1963, p. 1"
Information Location 4:	http://newspaperarchive.com/kingston-gleaner/1963-10-23/page-1
Information Source 5:	"Elva Sailsman gets £5,000 from insurance, The Daily Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica), January 12, 1964, p. 1"
Information Location 5:
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Elva Sailsman

Charge:

Murder (Conspiracy to commit murder)

Sentence:

7 years hard labor

Years Imprisoned:

1.5

Year Crime:

1961

Year Convicted:

1962

Year Cleared:

1963

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Jamaica

County or Region of Crime:

Manchester

City of Crime:

New Forest

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Jury being convinced of her guilt by the prosecution's arguments Elva Sailsman was romantically involved with one of her co-defendants and she wanted to collect on his life insurance.

Innocence Proved By:

"On October 18, 1963 Jamaica's Court of Appeals reversed Elava Sailsman's conviction and acquitted her, which resulted in her immediate release from prison and double-jeopardy barred her retrial."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

No

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

28

Age When Released:

30

Sex:

Female

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"Schoolteacher accused of killing husband for insurance money, By Sybil E. Hibbert, 'Jamaica Observer, December 23, 2012"

Information Location 1:

http://m.jamaicaobserver.com/mobile/news/Schoolteacher-accused-of-killing-husband-for-insurance-money_13260228

Information Source 2:

"Appeal Court orders new trial for Elva Sailsman, The Daily Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica), May 24, 1963, p. 4"

Information Location 2:

Information Source 3:

"Elva Sailsman freed on second appeal, The Daily Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica), October 19, 1963, p. 1"

Information Location 3:

http://newspaperarchive.com/kingston-gleaner/1963-10-19

Information Source 4:

"Elva Sailsman files £10,000 insurance claim, The Daily Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica), October 23, 1963, p. 1"

Information Location 4:

http://newspaperarchive.com/kingston-gleaner/1963-10-23/page-1

Information Source 5:

"Elva Sailsman gets £5,000 from insurance, The Daily Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica), January 12, 1964, p. 1"

Information Location 5:

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