After more than three decades branded a child killer, Timothy Rees walked out of a Toronto courthouse a free and innocent man on Thursday, December 18, 2025. The Crown withdrew the murder charge against the 62-year-old, ending a 36-year legal nightmare that saw him wrongly imprisoned for 23 years.
A Life Stolen by a Flawed Investigation
The case dates back to March 1989, when 10-year-old Darla Thurrott was found strangled in her bed in her Etobicoke home. The last day of school before March break had ended tragically. Five adults were in the house that night, including Rees, a friend of Darla's father who had stayed over after a night of drinking and drugs.
Despite the presence of others, Toronto police focused their investigation on a hungover Rees, eventually badgering a confession from him. He was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Darla Thurrott and sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 15 years. Rees maintained his innocence throughout, even when admitting guilt could have secured him earlier parole.
The Lost Tape That Changed Everything
For years, Rees's pleas fell on deaf ears. His breakthrough came when the non-profit organization Innocence Canada took on his case. In 2007, lawyer Heather Pringle requested all police files. It was then that Detective Keith Bradshaw of the Toronto Police cold-case squad discovered a banker's box containing 58 cassette tapes in the chief's office.
Among them was an unmarked, "highly incriminating" interview with Darla's landlord, James Raymer, that had never been disclosed to the original defence. This critical evidence had been buried. In the recording, Raymer—the son of an OPP superintendent—contradicted his trial testimony. He initially told police he had kissed Darla goodnight and made disturbing claims about a sexual relationship with the child, statements he later retracted.
Furthermore, Raymer did not go to his job as a Taco Bell cook the morning Darla's body was discovered. This tape suggested Raymer should have been the prime suspect, yet the original homicide investigators pursued Rees exclusively.
Justice Delayed, But Finally Delivered
Armed with this new evidence, lawyer James Lockyer, who took over the case 11 years ago, argued before the Ontario Court of Appeal last year. The court quashed Rees's conviction in November 2025 and ordered a new trial. Faced with the "shameful conduct" of the original investigation, the Crown decided not to proceed.
Prosecutor Shane Hobson told Superior Court Justice Jane Kelly that due to the passage of time and the many years Rees had already spent in custody, "the public interest in this proceeding no longer exists." The charge was formally withdrawn.
Outside the courthouse at 361 University Ave., an overwhelmed but relieved Rees faced reporters. "I feel good that it's finally over. It's been a very long, hard battle," he said. "It should be a happy day, but it's really not because I'm still sad over Darla's death and there's no justice for her." The real killer, James Raymer, is believed to have died in 1999.
The Irreparable Cost of a Wrongful Conviction
The emotional and personal toll on Timothy Rees is immense. When asked what he lost, his eyes filled with tears. "I pretty much lost everything, right?" he said softly. "The prime of my life. I'm never going to have my own kids and all that stuff."
He reflected on the stigma he endured: "Who wants to be labelled as a killer when you're not right?... I did not kill Darla. I did not cause her any harm whatsoever... But yet I paid the price." Flanked by supporters who gave him an "Innocent" shirt, Rees acknowledged the difficult road ahead, sighing, "Just gotta deal with it."
The tragedy extended beyond Rees. Darla's mother, Darlene Thurrott, never recovered from her daughter's murder. She spiraled into a life of prostitution and drugs and was herself murdered eight years later. The case leaves a legacy of multiple lives shattered by a single crime and a profound failure of the justice system meant to protect them.
