Thomas Young (mass murderer)

Thomas Young (1931 – June 30, 1959) was a Canadian mass murderer and rapist who killed five people, including his father and a police officer, in Ear Falls, Ontario on early Christmas Day in 1958. Young was convicted of murder for killing the police officer, Calvin Fulford, whom he shot with the officer's own service revolver, and sentenced to death. He was executed in 1959.

During his murder trial in March 1959, multiple witnesses said Thomas was the shooter. Thomas was the only witness to take the stand in his defense. He said he was drinking heavily that night and could not remember what had happened. Thomas claimed his last memory was leaving a party at a neighbor's home and heading home, and that he "came to" while walking on a nearby highway, and realized he was carrying a rifle and a revolver. He then said he came across the bodies, got scared, and ran to his grandparents' home.

The trial lasted four days. On March 21, after deliberating for three hours, the jury found Thomas guilty of murder. He received a mandatory death sentence without a recommendation for mercy, and had an execution date set for June 30, 1959. Thomas did not react as the verdict and sentence were read.

On late December 24, 1958, Thomas got into an argument at a Christmas party. When John Young intervened, Thomas slapped his brother in the face and said he was going home.

On December 25, 1958, a drunken Thomas was at the cabin of his father, 47-year-old Albert Young, when a young couple, Walter "Jimmy" Gordon, 18, and Clara Gordon, 16, arrived with John to play phonograph records. John opened the kitchen door to find Thomas standing here holding a rifle. He yelled at the others to run before Thomas opened fire. Albert and the Gordons were killed. Thomas also tried to kill John and another teen who was present, 16-year-old David Williams, but both of them managed to escape.