Canadian Court Rules to Return Case-Linked Bitcoin Wallet to Murderer's Family

On Nov. 4 that, according to Decrypt, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice John Bodurtha has ruled that a laptop containing a Bitcoin wallet be returned to the family of William Sandeson, who was sentenced to life in prison. Sandeson killed Dalhousie University student Taylor Samson in 2015. The prosecution failed to prove that the Bitcoin in question was linked to murder, drug trafficking, or proceeds of crime, so the court found no basis to continue withholding the wallet.

Significant controversy surrounds the value of the Bitcoin wallet. Sandeson claims it is worth approximately 8,000 to 10,000 Canadian dollars, whereas a lawyer representing Samson's family previously estimated it could exceed 200,000 Canadian dollars. The court also ruled that 5,000 Canadian dollars in cash discovered in Sandeson's apartment following the incident constitutes crime-related property and will not be returned.