ENL 102
Research Paper
November 10, 2012
Tracy Latimer Unjustified Tracy Latimer of Canada was born on November 23, 1980 (Semkiw). On a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, Tracy lived with her family of six; she was the eldest of her three other siblings (Semkiw). Due to an insufficient amount of oxygen at birth, Tracy was born with Cerebral Palsy. By the age of 12, Tracy had undergone three corrective surgeries in order to “improve her quality of life” (Pickup). When told Tracy needed a fourth surgery, her parents decided she needed to die in order to prevent her from more pain (Pickup). The very night Tracy’s parents were told she needed the fourth surgery, Robert and Laura Latimer admitted they discussed ways to kill Tracy (Pickup). Laura stated that Tracy’s life was full of “misery and pain” and “it was getting harder and harder to even have her comfortable” (Pickup).
On Sunday, October 24, 1993, Robert Latimer killed his 12-year-old daughter, Tracy. While Laura and her three other children were on their way to church, Robert took Tracy outside and placed her in the cab of his truck. He then hooked up a hose that led from the truck’s exhaust pipe to the cab of the truck (White). For over thirty minutes Tracy Latimer inhaled carbon monoxide (Pickup). Carbon monoxide poising is not only painful but has been become an illegal action as to killing dogs (Anna).
Robert stated in court that “she [Tracy] made three or four coughing noises, she never started to cry…. I was sitting there watching through the back window” (Pickup). Robert then moved Tracy’s dead body back to her room in a sleeping position; he planned for either his wife or one of the children to find the limp body (Pickup). After Robert laid Tracy in her bed he burned the hose which he had cut it into small pieces (Anna).
As Laura tried to wake Tracy for lunch, she immediately knew there was something wrong with their daughter. Tracy’s father then called the
Cited: Anna. "Latimer Is Dead Because Her Father Is a Murderer." Forward. Wordpress, Hybrid, and Leviathan, 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. < http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/08/25/tracy- latimer-is-dead-because-her-father-is-a-murderer/ >. Malhotra, Ravi. "Tracy Latimer, DISABILITY RIGHTS AND THE LEFT." Canadian Dimension 35.3 (2001): 23. Academic Search Elite. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. News, CBC. " 'Compassionate Homicide ': The Law and Robert Latimer." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 06 Dec. 2010. Web. 1 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2010/12/06/f-robert-latimer-compassionate- homicide.html>. Pickup, Mark. "The Murder Of Tracy Latimer." Human Life Review 27.2 (2001): 74. Academic Search Elite. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Rachels, James. "What Is Morality?" The Elements of Moral Philosophy. 7th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012. 1-13. Print. Semkiw, Elizabeth. "The Latimer Case: The Reflections of People with Disabilities - Biography of Tracy Latimer, 1980-1993." Council of Canadians with Disabilities / Conseil Des Canadiens Avec Deficiences. Manoverboard, 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/humanrights/endoflife/latimer/reflections/bio>. White, Marie. “Cancelled”. Tracy Latimer, the Victim; Robert Latimer the Murderer. Manoverboard, 2011. Web 30, 2012. <http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/humanrights/endoflife/latimer/victim-murderer>