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December 2, 2008 7:27:10 AM CST

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Canoe Man Case

A man who was presumed dead five years ago when he failed to return from a canoeing trip showed up in London...and on the Internet, where photos of John Darwin and his wife in Panama surfaced, along with plans that the pair had planned to open an eco-tourism resort there

In a tale of he said, she said, Anne Darwin told police her husband faked his death to dodge debt; he says that by the time he found his way home, she had spent the life insurance money, and they they couldn't afford to pay it back. Regardless of how it happened, the 'canoe man' has been very much alive - with his wife's knowledge - since his 2002 disappearance.

Stories

9 Stories

  • July 2008

    • Canoe Con Man, Wife Get 6 Years for Fake Death

      Guardian (UK)  |  Jul 23, 08 11:30 AM CDT

      Canoe Con Man, Wife Get 6 Years for Fake Death

      (Newser) - John Darwin didn’t force his wife to help fake his death, a jury ruled today, convicting Anne Darwin on 15 counts of deception and money laundering before the two were each sentenced to 6 years in prison for their $500,000 insurance scheme. Anne’s “marital coercion” defense, which posited that the “canoe man” had been a domineering bully, fell apart when the prosecution showed the couple’s loving and flirtatious emails. More »

  • December 2007

    • Wife of 'Dead' Canoeist Behind Bars

      Guardian (UK)  |  Dec 12, 07 4:37 AM CST

      Wife of 'Dead' Canoeist Behind Bars

      (Newser) - The wife of back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin was sent to prison yesterday shortly after she issued a plea through her attorney for a reconciliation with her sons, who publicly disowned their parents after the scandal broke. Anne Darwin is charged with dishonestly obtaining life insurance benefits and a mortgage policy. Her husband is in jail facing similar charges. More »

    • 'Dead' Canoeist Reappears Again—in Court

      Daily Telegraph (UK)  |  Dec 10, 07 3:20 PM CST

      'Dead' Canoeist Reappears Again—in Court

      (Newser) - The British man who faked his own death in a canoeing accident only to resurface 5 years later appeared in court today to face formal charges of fraudulently obtaining a life insurance policy and lying to procure a passport, the Telegraph reports. A hearing date of February 4 was set for John Darwin, who spoke only to confirm his identity. More »

    • UK Arrests Canoeist's Wife

      BBC  |  Dec 9, 07 1:29 PM CST

      UK Arrests Canoeist's Wife

      (Newser) - John Darwin's wife was charged with fraud today upon her arrival at the UK's Manchester Airport, the BBC reports. Anne Darwin, the wife of the missing canoeist who turned up after being declared dead in 2002, was flying in from Atlanta, where she had sought refuge when her not-dead-after-all husband's ruse was discovered. More »

    • UK Cops Charge Boater With Fraud

      BBC  |  Dec 8, 07 4:53 PM CST

      UK Cops Charge Boater With Fraud

      (Newser) - UK cops today charged John Darwin, the 57-year-old former teacher who allegedly faked his death in a 2002 canoeing incident, with two counts of fraud—acquiring a money transfer by fraud and lying to get a passport—the  BBC reports. Darwin will remain in custody until a court appearance Monday; police have requested that his wife Anne, 55, believed to be in Miami, contact them "at the earliest opportunity." More »

    • Darwins Were Planning Panama Canoe Resort

      Times (UK)  |  Dec 8, 07 8:56 AM CST

      Darwins Were Planning Panama Canoe Resort

      (Newser) - The British man who faked his own death in a boating accident had been planning with his wife to open an eco-tourism resort offering idyllic canoeing holidays, the Times of London has discovered. John and Anne Darwin spent almost half a million dollars on property in Panama, including $390,000 on a swath of virgin forest on the banks of Lake Gatun, home to tapirs and toucans. More »

    • 'Dead' Boater's Sons Set to Disown Parents

      Reuters  |  Dec 6, 07 3:30 PM CST

      'Dead' Boater's Sons Set to Disown Parents

      (Newser) - The two adult sons of John Darwin—the man who returned after being thought drowned five years ago—say they're furious with their parents and want nothing to do with them if John's disappearance was part of a plot between them. "How could our Mam continue to let us believe our Dad had died when he was very much alive," they asked in a statement. More »

    • Wife in on 'Dead' Boater's Insurance Plot

      Daily Mail (UK)  |  Dec 6, 07 2:42 AM CST

      Wife in on 'Dead' Boater's Insurance Plot

      (Newser) - The wife of a British canoeist declared dead after missing for five years admitted yesterday that she knew her husband was alive before he walked into a police station last weekend claiming to be an amnesiac. Anne Darwin confessed when she was confronted with a photo of herself with her husband, John, in Panama last year, reports the Daily Mail . More »

    • Boater Appears, 5 Years Later, Sans Memory

      Daily Mail (UK)  |  Dec 3, 07 7:03 PM CST

      Boater Appears, 5 Years Later, Sans Memory

      (Newser) - A man who was presumed dead five years ago, when he failed to return from a canoeing trip, showed up in London today, the Daily Mail reports. John Darwin, 57 and able to remember only his name, walked into a police station saying: "I think I am a missing person." Oddly enough, Darwin’s wife sold the family home and emigrated to Panama only four weeks ago. More »

9 Stories

A view of Seaton Carew beach northern England Wednesday Dec. 5, 2007, which is close to where the once missing man John Darwin lived. Darwin was reported missing more than five years ago. The last trace...   (Associated Press)
In this undated handout photo provided by the Cleveland Police is John Darwin, 57, a former prison officer who reappeared Saturday, Dec. 1, at a London police station after going missing five years ago....   (Associated Press)
John Darwin, 57,the back-from-the-dead canoeist, leaves the Magistrates Court in Hartlepool, England, Friday Dec. 7, 2007, after police were granted another 36 hours for further questioning. Darwin's...   (Associated Press)
The right hand house is where missing man John Darwin lived and which his wife sold, also the left hand house is alleged to have been owned by John and his wife in Seaton Carew northern England. Friday...   (Associated Press)
In this undated image released by Britain's Cleveland police Monday Dec. 3, 2007, John Darwin, who was reported missing more than five years ago, is seen at an unknown location. The last trace of Darwin...   (Associated Press)
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