   wilbert colin thatcher (born august 25, 1938) is a canadian former politician who was convicted for the murder of his ex-wife, joann wilson. ==biography== ===political life=== colin thatcher was born in toronto. he is the son of w. ross thatcher, premier of saskatchewan from 1964 to 1971. ross thatcher began his political career with the cooperative commonwealth federation but switched to the liberal party due to philosophical differences. colin began studying agriculture at the university of saskatchewan. after one year, he transferred to iowa state university from which he graduated with b.s. and m.s. degrees in agriculture; he then went to work on his father's ranch in moose jaw. after his father's death in 1971, thatcher cultivated his own interest in politics. in 1975 he won the provincial riding of thunder creek as a liberal, but defected to the progressive conservatives two years later when voter popularity shifted from the liberals to the conservatives. the move was denounced by the liberals, and also privately by his wife joann, to whom thatcher had been married since 1962. ===marital issues=== joann felt disgraced by thatcher's behaviour and their marriage began to disintegrate. thatcher began a number of extramarital relationships which he made little effort to hide from public scrutiny. when confronted by these indiscretions by joann, thatcher is reported to have verbally and physically abused her. thatcher's dalliances did not adversely affect his popularity as a politician, and in 1978 he was re-elected to the legislative assembly. ===divorce=== his marriage, however, did not fare so well, and in 1980, after nearly a year of legal battling, the couple divorced. joann was awarded custody of two of their three children, plus $820,000 for her share of the marital property; the amount was one of the highest ever awarded b
1938_births Canadian_people_convicted_of_murder Canadian_politicians_convicted_of_crimes Canadian_prisoners_sentenced_to_life_imprisonment Living_people Members_of_the_Executive_Council_of_Saskatchewan People_convicted_of_murder_by_Canada People_paroled_from_life_sentence Politicians_from_Toronto Prisoners_sentenced_to_life_imprisonment_by_Canada Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Saskatchewan_MLAs Saskatchewan_Liberal_Party_MLAs