I've seen Conspiracy Of Silence numerous times over the years and even today it's still a haunting story to watch it's so unbelievable that a murder case like this one took over 16 years to end. What made me a bit angry was that the town Of Pas, Manitoba, Canada kept silent, they chose to protect the killers and not come forward because it was only a native woman that died and they didn't care.
Gemini award winner Michael Mahonen delivered a knockout performance as Lee Colgan one of the four men involved with the murder who was just a kid who turned into a alcoholic because of the guilt he carried for years. I read the book written by Lisa Priest and it gives accurate details from the murder in 1971 to 1987 when the man who killed Helen Betty Osborne was finally brought to justice.
On November 12, 1971 Helen Betty Osborne, (St.John) was a nineteen year old Indian woman who was out for a walk when she was beaten and murdered by Dwayne Johnston (Tracey). After her body was discovered the town was scared and shocked, one of the suspects Lee Colgan (Mahonen) couldn't stop talking about what happened at the pump house that night. The police continued to question anyone who might know something about who killed the young woman and why. However the town chose to keep quiet and all four boys including Jim Houghton (Potts) & Norm Manger (Chambers) went free. 11 years later, the boys have all moved on with their lives however Lee Colgan turned into an alcoholic and hasn't stopped talking about that gruesome murder as a result his wife Sandy (Kidney) left him and took their children. When a new constable Steve Frishbilski (Ouimette) sees the case file he becomes fascinated by the case and decides to investigate, another add is put in the paper asking people who know anything about the 1971 murder of a 19 year old Indian woman to come forward and hopefully help to close this case.
Two women Sherrie Linder(Disher) and Angie (Johnson) both tell the officer what they know Sherrie says that Lee confessed to his involvement she wrote an anonymous letter to the town paper detailing Colgan's story about the murder which lead to his arrest in 1986. In exchange for immunity he has to testify against Dwayne Jonhston & Jim Houghton his best friend. Finally in 1987 the case was officially closed when Johnston was arrested and convicted of first degree murder . After seeing this chilling tale I hated that the town was so racist against Indian people and how they kept quiet all those years it shouldn't have taken all those years to solve a murder. 10/10