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Romeo Phillion spent nearly 32 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, but those who knew him say he never stopped smiling.
Family and friends remembered Phillion today. He died last week at the age of 76 after a little more than a decade of freedom.
“He was so funny, so lively for a person that’s been in jail for all those years. And he’s never stopped smiling no matter what.” said Romeo’s sister, Simone Snowdon.
A light hearted man who spent nearly 32 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. The elements that define Romeo Phillion.
It was July 2003 when he was finally released on bail. A frail looking man, with a big smile.
As his body was being laid to rest, Phillion’s lawyer James Lockyer reflected on the day in 2003, particularly a moment in the bail hearing when, on the stand, Romeo said that he wanted to see the CN tower for the first time.
“It was a way of getting across, it had got across to me and I thought it would get across to the judge and everyone in the room that just how long he had been in jail.”
Phillion had been convicted in the 1967 murder of an Ottawa fire fighter, but professed his innocence for 3 decades. “He wouldn’t take parole. Like, you know he would have been out of jail after 10 years if he’d took parole. But then you’re in jail for the rest of your life too.” said Howard Gelfand. Phillion said parole is for the guilty and he refused to play that game.
“There are some things that you just can’t explain to somebody who hasn’t lived it.” said Ronald Dalton. Ronald Dalton served over 8 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. After hearing of Phillions death, Dalton met up with fellow wrongful conviction victim David Milgaard to talk about their friend. “And we shed a tear together, you know just sitting back and thinking of the life that Romeo had versus the life that he could or should have had.”
The charges against Romeo Phillion were withdrawn in 2010 after it was revealed that his alibi in the case was credible, and had not been disclosed to the defense. But he was never acquitted. Phillion launched a civil suit where he asked for $14 million. To this day it remains unresolved.
But family and friends will say that the lawsuit which was launched in 2012 was not about the money but making sure that Romeo was declared innocent. Now that he has passed, there is some question as to whether or not that will continue.
