Jane Hurshman Corkum (January 25, 1949 – February 22, 1992) was a Canadian woman best known for having killed her abusive ex-husband Lamont William "Billy" Stafford on the evening of March 11, 1982, and for being acquitted of his
murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...
.
The Crown appealed, concerned with the
legal precedent
Precedent is a judicial decision that serves as an authority for courts when deciding subsequent identical or similar cases. Fundamental to common law legal systems, precedent operates under the principle of ''stare decisis'' ("to stand by thin ...
, and Corkum pleaded guilty to
manslaughter
Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...
, receiving a six-month sentence. She was released after two months.
On February 23, 1992, her body was found in a car on the
Halifax waterfront, dead from a single gunshot wound.
In media
* A made-for-television film,
Life with Billy
''Life with Billy'' is a 1994 Canadian television film based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Brian Vallée. The film was nominated for five Gemini Awards, and won three.
The film begins with Jane Hurshman (Beatty) shooting her comm ...
was produced in 1994.
* The song ''Waltz For Jane'' by
Denis Ryan's
5 Pound Spent.
"GarageBand.com : song profile for Waltz For Jane by Denis Ryan's 5 Pound Spent"
Nov 2002. Retrieved on 2008-12-20.
See also
* Jane Hurshman Memorial Fund
*Battered person syndrome
Battered woman syndrome (BWS) is a pattern of signs and symptoms displayed by a woman who has suffered persistent intimate partner violence—psychological, physical, or sexual—from her partner (usually male). Although the diagnosis has mainly ...
Sources
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hurshman, Jane
1949 births
1992 deaths
Canadian female murderers
Mariticides