357: Murder and Mayhem in Norfolk County

Episode 357: On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, 21 June 1950, the tranquil tobacco farming community of Langton, of Langton, Ontario, was shattered by a violent crime that would leave an indelible mark on Canadian history. Joseph Herbert McAuliffe, a World War II veteran turned counterfeiter, walked into the Imperial Bank of Canada with robbery on his mind. In less than half an hour, two innocent men lay dead at the robber’s hands, Arthur Lierman and William Goddyn, their bodies riddled with bullets, and a community was gripped by fear.

For three harrowing days, Norfolk County held its breath as McAuliffe, armed and desperate, evaded capture in the surrounding woods. The manhunt that ensued would reveal a tale of tragic childhood, wartime heroism, and a descent into criminality that culminated in a botched robbery and senseless killings. As the story unfolded, it exposed the raw nerves of a nation grappling with questions of justice, redemption, and the ultimate price of crime.

Sources:

Langton, Ontario

John Langton 1808-1894

The History of Norfolk County

The Archives of Ontario Celebrates Our Agricultural Past: Settling the Land

Phone History: All About Party Lines

Murder Remembered – Norfolk County 1950 — YouTube

Murder Remembered – Norfolk County 1950 — NFB

De Boer’s treasures: Herbert McAuliffe hanging

SSGT Joseph Herbert McAuliffe (1918-1950) – Find…

Wrong Side of the Law: True Stories of Crime by Ed Butts

Book revisits bloody Langton bank robbery