B.C. man convicted of 1978 murder of Indigenous girl loses appeal

A B.C. man convicted of the 1978 murder of Monica Jack, a 12-year-old Indigenous girl, has lost his appeal.

Warning: This story contains disturbing. 

A B.C. man convicted of the 1978 murder of Monica Jack, a 12-year-old Indigenous girl, has lost his appeal.

Garry Taylor Handlen was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2019 – more than 40 years after Jack, who was a member of the Lower Nicola Indian Band, was last seen riding her bike toward her home on the Quilchena reserve near Merritt.

The B.C. Court of Appeal dismissed his attempt to have his conviction overturned on Friday and details of the decision were posted online. Handlen argued that some of the evidence presented during his trial, including his confession and witness statements, should have been ruled inadmissible.

Jack was reported missing by her mother on May 7, 1978 and news of the girl's disappearance was broadcast by the local radio station. That day, Jack's brother found her bicycle on an embankment on Highway 5. The court heard that witnesses who lived nearby provided statements where they described seeing a truck and trailer in the area and hearing someone "cry out."

At trial, the jury heard that Handlen has was fist identified and interviewed one month after Jack was reported missing. A conviction for rape in 1975, his ownership of a truck and trailer, and his questioning in the murder of another young girl were all factors that made him a potential suspect.

"Despite some contact between the police and Mr. Handlen in the 1980s and 1990s, investigation into Monica’s murder appears to have largely gone cold," the appeal court wrote.