Offender Record · OFF-2026-134
Clifford Robert Olson (photo from the Radford University biography)
Clifford Robert Olson Jr.
Also known as The Beast of British Columbia
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
5'7"
Born
1940
Custody
Deceased
States
CA
Distinguishing featuresPer court documents and news reports, 5'7" in height.
Custody
Died September 30, 2011, at the Archambault hospital centre, part of the prison complex; transferred from Kingston Penitentiary in 1992 after escape attempt.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Clifford Robert Olson Jr. was convicted of eleven counts of first-degree murder of children and adolescents aged 9 to 18 in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia between November 17, 1980, and July 30, 1981. He pleaded guilty on January 14, 1982, in British Columbia Supreme Court and received eleven concurrent life sentences with no parole eligibility for 25 years. He died in prison on September 30, 2011.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Nov 17, 1980, Lower Mainland, British Columbia
First-degree murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) · British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver · Arrested Aug 12, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 11 concurrent life sentences; no parole eligibility for 25 years
Christine Weller, 12 years old, was abducted on November 17, 1980. Her body was found on December 25, 1980, strangled with a belt and stabbed repeatedly.
SourcesClifford Robert Olson, sentenced to 25 years without parole; Clifford Olson
Offense date Apr 16, 1981, Surrey, British Columbia
First-degree murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) · British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver · Arrested Aug 12, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 11 concurrent life sentences; no parole eligibility for 25 years
Colleen Marian Daignault, 13 years old, vanished on April 16, 1981. Her body was found five months later; she had been raped and her head beaten.
SourcesClifford Olson; Timeline: The life and crimes of Clifford Olson
Offense date Apr 22, 1981, Agassiz area, British Columbia
First-degree murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) · British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver · Arrested Aug 12, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 11 concurrent life sentences; no parole eligibility for 25 years
Daryn Todd Johnsrude, 16 years old, was abducted and killed on April 22, 1981. His body was found less than two weeks later with his head smashed in; he had been beaten with a hammer and dumped in a ditch.
SourcesClifford Robert Olson, sentenced to 25 years without parole; Clifford Olson
Offense date May 19, 1981, Langley, British Columbia
First-degree murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) · British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver · Arrested Aug 12, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 11 concurrent life sentences; no parole eligibility for 25 years
Sandra Lynn Wolfsteiner, 16 years old, was kidnapped and murdered on May 19, 1981. Her head was smashed and her body disposed of in nearby woods.
SourcesClifford Olson; Timeline: The life and crimes of Clifford Olson
Offense date Jun 21, 1981, Coquitlam, British Columbia
First-degree murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) · British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver · Arrested Aug 12, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 11 concurrent life sentences; no parole eligibility for 25 years
Ada Anita Court, 13 years old, was murdered on June 21, 1981. Her skull and upper jawbone were found in August 1981 in an isolated area.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Olson, Clifford Robert; Clifford Olson
Offense date Jul 02, 1981, Surrey, British Columbia
First-degree murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) · British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver · Arrested Aug 12, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 11 concurrent life sentences; no parole eligibility for 25 years
Simon Partington, 9 years old, was abducted, raped, and strangled on July 2, 1981.
SourcesClifford Olson; Radford University serial killer biography: Olson, Clifford Robert
Offense date Jul 09, 1981, New Westminster, British Columbia
First-degree murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) · British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver · Arrested Aug 12, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 11 concurrent life sentences; no parole eligibility for 25 years
Judy Kozma, 14 years old, was raped and strangled on July 9, 1981. Her mutilated body was recovered from Lake Weaver on July 25, 1981.
SourcesClifford Robert Olson, sentenced to 25 years without parole; Clifford Olson
Offense date Jul 23, 1981, Maple Ridge area, British Columbia
First-degree murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) · British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver · Arrested Aug 12, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 11 concurrent life sentences; no parole eligibility for 25 years
Raymond King Jr., 15 years old, was abducted on July 23, 1981. His head was bashed with rocks and his body was dumped off a steep hillside trail.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Olson, Clifford Robert; Clifford Olson
Offense date Jul 25, 1981, Coquitlam, British Columbia
First-degree murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) · British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver · Arrested Aug 12, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 11 concurrent life sentences; no parole eligibility for 25 years
Sigrun Arnd, 18 years old, a German tourist, was raped and battered to death with a hammer on July 25, 1981.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Olson, Clifford Robert; Clifford Olson
Offense date Jul 27, 1981, Chilliwack area, British Columbia
First-degree murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) · British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver · Arrested Aug 12, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 11 concurrent life sentences; no parole eligibility for 25 years
Terri Lynn Carson, 15 years old, was raped and strangled on July 27, 1981. Her body was found in a wooded area along the Fraser River.
SourcesClifford Olson; Timeline: The life and crimes of Clifford Olson
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
11
Victims convicted
11
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1980–1981
Victim profile
Children, Teenagers, Strangers, Hitchhikers
Stated motive
Sexual
Range from home
local
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
some high school
Marital history
Married
Children
1
Died
2011-09-30 · natural
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police · BC
Arrested Olson on August 12, 1981; investigated murders; executed controversial cash-for-bodies deal
Source: Global News, Wikipedia, Killer.Cloud
Kingston Penitentiary · ON
Held Olson from 1982 to 1992 in protective custody; federal maximum-security prison
Source: The Globe and Mail, Murderpedia
National Parole Board of Canada · CA
Conducted mandatory parole eligibility hearings in 1997, 2006, and 2010; denied parole each time
Millhaven Institution · ON
Maximum-security penitentiary; Olson transferred there after being attacked at Kingston
Saskatchewan Penitentiary Special Handling Unit · SK
Located in Prince Albert; transferred to in 1992 after handcuff key incident; housed Olson for questioning on cold cases
British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General · BC
Crown counsel John Hall prosecuted; Attorney General Allan Williams approved $100,000 cash-for-bodies deal
Source: The Globe and Mail, The Other Press
Corrections Canada · CA
Federal agency overseeing Olson's incarceration; conducted assessments for parole hearings and cold-case interviews
Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines Penitentiary Special Handling Unit · QC
Ultra-secure federal facility where Olson was held during later parole hearings; where he died in 2011
Source: Wikipedia
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
CA
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Jan 1940 – 1957 · Birthplace
British Columbia, Canada
approx. 1957 – 1980 · Multiple B.C. prisons and facilities; spent approximately 20 of 24 years incarcerated; escaped seven times between 1957-1968
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Aug 1980 – Jan 1981 · New Surrey Village Apartments at 9835 King George Highway
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Jan 1981 – Aug 1981 · 675 Whiting Way; Olson lived and worked as property manager
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
approx. Aug 12, 1981 – Aug 1981 · Held in Chilliwack for questioning and psychiatric evaluation
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
Aug 12, 1981 – Aug 12, 1981 · Arrested on Vancouver Island near Port Alberni for attempting to abduct two female hitchhikers
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Feb 17, 1982 – 1992 · Kingston Penitentiary, Cell 21, Lower H-Block; federal maximum-security facility
Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec, Canada
approx. 1992 – Sep 30, 2011 · Archambault Institution and Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines Regional Reception Centre after escape attempt at Kingston
Timeline
Jan 01, 1940
Clifford Robert Olson Jr. born in Vancouver, British Columbia.
1957
First arrested at age 17 for burglary, receiving nine-month sentence; began pattern of arrests and escapes.
1974
While incarcerated in B.C. Penitentiary, Olson sexually attacked a 17-year-old fellow inmate repeatedly.
1978
While briefly released from prison, Olson assaulted a 7-year-old girl in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Sep 07, 1980
Olson released from prison for the final time on mandatory supervision, beginning period prior to his murder spree.
Nov 17, 1980
First-degree murder of Christine Anne Weller, 12, abducted from Surrey, British Columbia.
Dec 25, 1980
Body of Christine Weller found; she had been strangled with a belt and stabbed repeatedly.
Apr 16, 1981
First-degree murder of Colleen Marian Daignault, 13, abducted from Surrey.
Apr 22, 1981
First-degree murder of Daryn Todd Johnsrude, 16, abducted and killed near Agassiz.
May 02, 1981
Body of Daryn Johnsrude found with head smashed in; he had been bludgeoned and dumped in a ditch.
May 15, 1981
Olson married Joan Hale at People's Gospel Chapel in Surrey; had already committed three murders.
May 19, 1981
First-degree murder of Sandra Lynn Wolfsteiner, 16; head smashed with hammer.
Jun 21, 1981
First-degree murder of Ada Anita Court, 13, abducted from Coquitlam.
Jul 02, 1981
First-degree murder of Simon Partington, 9; abducted, raped, and strangled.
Jul 07, 1981
Olson charged with sexual assault on a teenage girl; not yet connected to the murders.
Jul 09, 1981
First-degree murder of Judy Kozma, 14; raped and strangled; body later recovered from Lake Weaver.
Jul 15, 1981
Olson's name first mentioned at a law enforcement conference as a suspect.
Jul 23, 1981
First-degree murder of Raymond King Jr., 15; head bashed with rocks and body dumped off hillside.
Jul 25, 1981
First-degree murder of Sigrun Arnd, 18, a German tourist; raped and battered to death with hammer. Body of Judy Kozma recovered from Lake Weaver.
Jul 27, 1981
First-degree murder of Terri Lynn Carson, 15; raped and strangled; body abandoned in wooded area along Fraser River.
Jul 30, 1981
First-degree murder of Louise Chartrand, 17; lured to ski resort area where she was killed and buried in shallow grave.
Aug 12, 1981
Olson arrested near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island after surveillance team observed him attempting to pick up two female hitchhikers.
Aug 18, 1981
Olson charged with first-degree murder of Judy Kozma; charged with additional murders August 31 and September 21.
Sep 17, 1981
Skull and skeletal remains of Colleen Daignault found.
Jan 11, 1982
Olson's trial begins in British Columbia Supreme Court on eleven counts of first-degree murder but ends within three days.
Jan 14, 1982
Olson pleaded guilty to eleven counts of first-degree murder and received eleven concurrent life sentences with no parole eligibility for 25 years.
Jan 14, 1982
Media revealed controversial 'cash-for-bodies' deal in which Olson's wife received $100,000 in exchange for locations of victims' remains.
Feb 17, 1982
Olson transferred to Kingston Penitentiary in Ontario to serve eleven concurrent life sentences.
1992
Olson transferred from Kingston Penitentiary to Archambault Institution in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec, after escape attempt.
Aug 19, 1997
Olson applied for parole under 'Faint Hope' clause after serving 15 years; application dismissed within minutes.
Jul 18, 2006
Olson appeared before National Parole Board after having served 25 years; parole application rejected after half an hour.
Sep 30, 2011
Clifford Robert Olson Jr. died at Archambault Institution hospital centre in Laval, Quebec, at age 71, from terminal cancer.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report · Murderpedia ·
Clifford Olson“Olson handed out a flashy, 3-D card that identified him as a construction contractor.”
News report · Wikipedia ·
Clifford Olson“Clifford Robert Olson Jr. (January 1, 1940 – September 30, 2011) was a Canadian convicted serial killer who confessed to murdering 11 children, aged between 9 and 18, in the early 1980s.”
News report · Grokipedia ·
Clifford Olson“On January 14, 1982, Olson entered guilty pleas to all charges, confessing to the abduction, sexual assault, and murders of the victims aged nine to eighteen.”
News report · The Other Press ·
The notorious 'beast of BC': Clifford Olson“Olson was 41 years old at the time of his arrest and had been working as a carpenter.”
News report · Killer.Cloud ·
Killer: Clifford Olson - The Beast of British Columbia“He was arrested on August 12th 1981 (Age 41), convicted on January 14th 1982 (Age 42), sentenced to life imprisonment.”
News report · The Globe and Mail ·
Kingston Penitentiary: Canada's most famous prison closes its doors“February, 1982: Clifford Olson, known as the Beast of British Columbia, is sent to Kingston after being convicted of killing 11 children.”
News report · Global News ·
Timeline: The life and crimes of Clifford Olson“Sept. 7, 1980: Olson is released from jail for the final time before his killings begin.”
News report · CBC News ·
serial killer clifford olson dies“Serge Abergel, the Quebec region spokesman for the Correctional Service of Canada, said Olson died at the Archambault hospital centre, which is part of the prison complex where he had been an inmate.”
Other · Radford University, Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Olson, Clifford Robert“January 1982: Olson pleaded guilty to 11 counts of murder and was given 11 concurrent life sentences.”
News report · Macleans ·
A KILLER'S PLEA“In 1974, he was accused of repeated sexual attacks on a 17-year-old fellow inmate in the B.C. Penitentiary. Four years later, he was identified as the man who indecently assaulted a seven-year-old girl in Sydney, N.S.”
News report · UPI ·
Clifford Olson, sentenced to life in prison on 11“Clifford Olson, sentenced to life in prison on 11 charges of first-degree murder, earned $100,000 for his wife by leading police to the bodies of seven of his young victims.”
News report · UPI ·
Clifford Robert Olson, sentenced to 25 years without parole“Clifford Robert Olson, sentenced to 25 years without parole in the first-degree murders of 11 youngsters in British Columbia's lower mainland last summer, confessed to all the murders to police.”
Submit a Tip
Know something about Clifford Robert Olson Jr.: a place they lived or worked, a vehicle, another name they used, or a connection to a case? Tell us here. Solve the Case passes information about this person to the right agency. If someone is in danger, call 911.
Discussion
Casual discussion about this record on the community forum. The facts live on this page: to add a place, a vehicle or a source, use the Edit record button under the photo so a moderator can review it. Please name no one else, never name a victim, and do not connect the person to any case not listed here.Open the topic on the forum
Corrections and removal. If a charge on this page has been dismissed, acquitted, overturned, pardoned or expunged, or any fact is wrong, tell us through the correction form. Corrections are free, reviewed within five business days, and a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed. Information here may not be used for decisions about employment, housing, credit, insurance or any purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and never to harass, threaten or harm anyone. Where a source is an offender registry, that information is reproduced as of the date shown and is subject to the conditions of use of that registry.