Roger Warren
Encyclopedia
Roger Warren is a former miner
who was convicted of nine counts of second-degree murder in connection to the September 18, 1992 Giant Mine
bombings at Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
, Canada
. Warren was convicted (in 1995) largely due to his confession
to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
, which some groups, particularly those connected with organized labour, have claimed was false. Warren himself later recanted the confession, and argued throughout his trial that he was innocent.
In 2003 Warren again confessed to the bombing, saying that he acted alone. This second confession followed the decision by the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted
, to drop their investigation of the case. Some have speculated that this was to protect his family from the financial burden more legal battles would bring.
During testimony at a July 2004 lawsuit (filed by the widows of the victims), Warren blamed poor security, his union
(now part of the CAW union
) and the company that owned the mine, Royal Oak Mines Incorporated, for provoking him. He claimed that a simple screen and padlock over a broken window would have dissuaded him, and that he was only capable of the bombing because strike-breakers had been "dehumanized" by his union. He also claimed that "(his) termination resulted in the deaths of nine men."
Warren was portrayed by Frank Moore in the 1996 CBC Television
film Giant Mine
.
Miner
A miner is a person whose work or business is to extract ore or minerals from the earth. Mining is one of the most dangerous trades in the world. In some countries miners lack social guarantees and in case of injury may be left to cope without assistance....
who was convicted of nine counts of second-degree murder in connection to the September 18, 1992 Giant Mine
Giant Mine
The Giant Mine was a large gold mine located on the Ingraham Trail just outside ofYellowknife, Northwest Territories. Gold was discovered on the property in 1935 by Johnny Baker, but the true extent of the gold deposits were not known until 1944 when a massive gold-bearing shear zone was uncovered...
bombings at Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Yellowknife is the capital and largest city of the Northwest Territories , Canada. It is located on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, approximately south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of the Yellowknife River...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Warren was convicted (in 1995) largely due to his confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, which some groups, particularly those connected with organized labour, have claimed was false. Warren himself later recanted the confession, and argued throughout his trial that he was innocent.
In 2003 Warren again confessed to the bombing, saying that he acted alone. This second confession followed the decision by the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted
Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted
Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted or AIDWYC, is a Toronto based non-profit organization founded in 1993 that is dedicated to the prevention of wrongful convictions and the reversal of cases that have already occurred...
, to drop their investigation of the case. Some have speculated that this was to protect his family from the financial burden more legal battles would bring.
During testimony at a July 2004 lawsuit (filed by the widows of the victims), Warren blamed poor security, his union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
(now part of the CAW union
Canadian Auto Workers
The Canadian Auto Workers is one of Canada's largest and highest profile social unions. While rooted in Ontario's large auto plants of Windsor, Brampton, Oakville, St...
) and the company that owned the mine, Royal Oak Mines Incorporated, for provoking him. He claimed that a simple screen and padlock over a broken window would have dissuaded him, and that he was only capable of the bombing because strike-breakers had been "dehumanized" by his union. He also claimed that "(his) termination resulted in the deaths of nine men."
Warren was portrayed by Frank Moore in the 1996 CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
film Giant Mine
Giant Mine (film)
Giant Mine was a Canadian television film, which dramatized the events of the 1992 Giant Mine labour dispute and the subsequent bomb explosion which killed nine replacement workers...
.